Closed loop hydrogen production and storage

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025257639-A1
Application number	US-202418437870-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 9, 2024
Priority date	Feb 9, 2024
Publication date	Aug 14, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method includes extracting natural gas from a subsurface formation including a conventional gas reservoir via a first wellbore penetrating the subsurface formation, processing the natural gas in a surface processing facility and thereby generating hydrogen and a carbon dioxide (CO2) brine, injecting at least a portion of the hydrogen into the subsurface formation via a second wellbore penetrating the subsurface formation for hydrogen storage, and injecting the CO2 brine into a saline aquifer forming part of the subsurface formation via a third wellbore penetrating the subsurface formation.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A method, comprising:
extracting natural gas from a subsurface formation including a conventional gas reservoir via a first wellbore penetrating the subsurface formation; processing the natural gas in a surface processing facility and thereby generating hydrogen and a carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) brine; injecting at least a portion of the hydrogen into the subsurface formation via a second wellbore penetrating the subsurface formation for hydrogen storage; and injecting the CO 2 brine into a saline aquifer forming part of the subsurface formation via a third wellbore penetrating the subsurface formation.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein processing the natural gas comprises:
generating CO 2 from a methane reforming process; and mixing the CO 2 with produced water to produce the CO 2 brine.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the methane reforming process is selected from the group consisting of steam methane reforming (SMR), autothermal reforming (ATR), dry reforming (DRM), partial oxidation (POX), pyrolysis, H 2 S Methane reforming, and any combination thereof.

4 . The method of claim 2 , wherein generating the CO 2 from the methane reforming process is preceded by extracting hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide from the natural gas in a gas processing treatment.

5 . The method of claim 4 , further comprising subjecting the natural gas to amine gas treating.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein extracting the natural gas from the subsurface formation via the first wellbore is preceded by extracting natural gas from the subsurface formation via the second wellbore until a reservoir pressure at the second wellbore descends below a predetermined reservoir pressure.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the predetermined reservoir pressure comprises reservoir pressure that is nominally depleted, partially depleted, substantially depleted, severely depleted and any combination thereof.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein extracting the natural gas from the subsurface formation via the first wellbore is preceded by:
extracting natural gas from the subsurface formation via the second wellbore; and depleting a reservoir pressure of the subsurface formation via the second wellbore.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein depleting the reservoir pressure of the subsurface formation further comprises maintaining a reservoir pressure operable as a cushion gas.

10 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
enhancing reservoir pressure of the natural gas in the subsurface formation with the CO 2 brine; and maintaining reservoir pressure of the hydrogen injected into the subsurface formation via the natural gas operating as a cushion gas against the hydrogen.

11 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising extracting the hydrogen from the subsurface formation using the reservoir pressure maintained by the cushion gas.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein injecting the at least a portion of the hydrogen into the subsurface formation via the second wellbore further comprises:
conveying the hydrogen through a hydrogen separation membrane system arranged within the second wellbore; and capturing and separating contaminants from the hydrogen with the hydrogen separation membrane system.

13 . A closed-loop hydrogen production system, comprising:
a first wellbore penetrating a depleting subsurface formation for extracting natural gas from a conventional natural gas reservoir; a surface processing facility in fluid communication with the first wellbore to receive and process the natural gas and thereby generate hydrogen (H 2 ) and a carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) brine; a second wellbore penetrating the subsurface formation for injecting at least a portion of the hydrogen into the subsurface formation for storage; and a third wellbore penetrating the subsurface formation for injecting the CO 2 brine into a saline aquifer forming part of the subsurface formation.

14 . The closed-loop hydrogen production system of claim 13 , further comprising a hydrogen separation membrane system arranged within the second wellbore and operable to separate contaminants from the hydrogen.

15 . The closed-loop hydrogen production system of claim 13 , wherein the surface processing facility includes equipment designed to undertake a methane reformation process selected from the group consisting of steam methane reforming (SMR), autothermal reforming (ATR), dry reforming (DRM), partial oxidation (POX), pyrolysis, H 2 S Methane reforming, and any combination thereof.

16 . A method, comprising:
extracting natural gas from a conventional subsurface formation including a gas reservoir via a first wellbore penetrating the subsurface formation; processing the natural gas in a surface processing facility and thereby generating hydrogen and a carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) brine; injecting the CO 2 brine into an aquifer forming part of the subsurface formation via a second wellbore penetrating the subsurface formation; and supporting reservoir pressure of the conventional subsurface formation with the CO 2 brine.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein processing the natural gas comprises:
generating CO 2 from a methane reforming process; and mixing the CO 2 with produced water to produce the CO 2 brine.

18 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising injecting at least a portion of the hydrogen into the subsurface formation for storage via a third wellbore penetrating the subsurface formation.

19 . The method of claim 18 , further comprising:
maintaining reservoir pressure of the hydrogen injected into the subsurface formation via the natural gas operating as a cushion gas against the hydrogen; and extracting the hydrogen from the subsurface formation via the third wellbore using the reservoir pressure maintained by the cushion gas.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the cushion gas comprises natural gas remaining in the gas reservoir after the natural gas is extracted from the first wellbore.

Assignees

• Saudi Arabian Oil Co

Inventors

• Ates Harun
• Bommareddy Sampath K
• Ozden Sehmus

Classifications

• E21B41/0064

  Carbon dioxide sequestration (storing fluids in porous layers B65G5/005) · CPC title

• E21B43/40

  Separation associated with re-injection of separated materials {(E21B43/385 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• E21B43/164 Primary

  Injecting CO2 or carbonated water (in combination with organic material C09K8/594) · CPC title

• B65G5/00

  Storing fluids in natural or artificial cavities or chambers in the earth · CPC title