Analysis of CO2 transmission pipelines for CO2 enhanced oil recovery networks: gas field X to oil field Y

The aim of this study is to analyze the CO2 transmission pipeline from gas field X to oil field Y by comparing alternative routes, CO2 phases, design parameters, equipment used and economic aspects, with the objective of identifying the most efficient transmission system. The 100 MSCFD of CO2 that is normally removed from gas field X will be used and transmitted to oil field Y for enhanced oil recovery (EOR). CO2 can be transported in three phases gas, fluid or dense vapour. Because of the corrosive properties of CO2 when in contact with water, materials with high corrosion resistance, such stainless steel or reinforced carbon, should be used. Stainless steel is commonly used for the transport of corrosive fluids such as CO2 but is expensive, while the least expensive material commonly used is reinforced fibre; however, this material has low strength at high pressure. On the other hand, while carbon steel is known for its high strength and durability it has poor resistance to corrosion. Therefore, the selection of materials for pipeline construction and the design parameters applied will be studied here to determine the best option for CO2 transmission. For comparison, two alternative routes, one with existing rights of way (the ROW route) and one all-new route, will be compared with each other. Then, CO2 phase transmission will be compared for liquid, gas and dense vapour phases, together with the design parameters applied and required equipment. Pipe diameter will be calculated along with pipe wall thickness and other requirements of parameter design for transmission of CO2. Economic analysis will then be performed for each scenario to ascertain the minimum cost while still meeting necessary technical requirements. Capital expenditure (CAPEX), operating expenditure (OPEX) and other variables will be investigated and analyzed using sensitivity testing to determine the influence of each component variation on each CO2 transmission pipeline. From the analysis applied to each scenario the optimal pipeline transmission scenarios in terms of design and cost to meet the CO2 enhanced oil-recovery network needs for gas field X to oil field Y will be obtained.