Risk Assessment for future CO_2 Sequestration Projects Based CO_2 Enhanced Oil Recovery in the U.S.

摘要

This paper is the first of a series that attempts to assess the possible health and safety risks associated with large scale CO_2 sequestration in deep brine reservoirs. The approach is based on analysis of available data on the operational track record from CO_2 transportation and injection associated with enhanced oil recovery (CO_2-EOR) in the US. This paper is particularly concerned with identification of the main business risks facing a company engaged in geological sequestration. Such risks include both the operational risks of capturing, compressing, transporting and injecting CO_2, as well as the risk of accidental, rapid CO_2 release from wells (including an analysis of blow out data from CO_2 injection wells, worked over wells as well as abandoned wells). Observations of the outcomes from accidents in real pipelines and CO_2 injection wells in CO_2-EOR projects provide the most concrete basis to predict the future safety of the above ground operations of CO_2 sequestration in deep brine reservoirs.