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Article
InSAR Monitoring of Ground Deformation due to CO2 Injection at an Enhanced Oil Recovery Site, West Texas
International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control
  • Qian Yang, University of South Florida
  • Wenliang Zhao, University of Miami
  • Timothy H. Dixon, University of South Florida
  • Falk Amelung, University of Miami
  • Weon Shik Han, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
  • Peng Li, University of Miami
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
10-1-2015
Keywords
  • CO2-EOR,
  • Ground surface deformation,
  • InSAR,
  • Modeling
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijggc.2015.06.016
Disciplines
Abstract

Interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) measurements have been used to measure ground deformation associated with fluid injection/production at an enhanced oil recovery (EOR) field in Scurry County, West Texas. 100 million tons (Mt) of supercritical CO2 have been sequestered here since 1972, of which about half has been sequestered since 2004. InSAR data show surface uplift up to 10 cm in the field between January 2007 and March 2011. We evaluated data concerning injection and production of CO2, water, oil and hydrocarbon gas from 2004 to 2011 to investigate causes of the observed uplift. An analytical model is used to calculate reservoir pressure change and surface displacement. Our simulations show up to 10 MPa pressure buildup in the reservoir over four years of net injection and production. Surface displacement predictions agree well with the InSAR observations. Water injection alone cannot explain the 2007–2011 surface uplift because the net injected water (∼1 Mt) is negligible compared to the net injected CO2 (∼24 Mt). The predicted total pressure buildup (up to 10 MPa) consists of net CO2 injection (up to 12 MPa), net water injection (up to 2 MPa), and oil and gas production (up to −0.4 MPa). Hence, observed ground uplift was mainly caused by CO2 injection.

Citation / Publisher Attribution

International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control, v. 41, p. 20-28

Citation Information
Qian Yang, Wenliang Zhao, Timothy H. Dixon, Falk Amelung, et al.. "InSAR Monitoring of Ground Deformation due to CO2 Injection at an Enhanced Oil Recovery Site, West Texas" International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control Vol. 41 (2015) p. 20 - 28
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/timothydixon/61/