Results of the second test program in K12-B, a site for CO2 storage and enhanced gas recovery

The project Offshore Re-injection of CO2 (ORC) aims to investigate the feasibility of CO2 injection and storage in depleted natural gas fields in the Netherlands. The objective is to realize a permanent CO2 injection facility in the near future. The mature gas field K12-B was selected as demonstration site for the ORC project. The project is subsidized by the CRUST subsidy arrangement of the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs. K12-B is the first test site in the world where CO2 is injected into the same reservoir from which it originated. A unique measurement program is being executed including the use of tracers and the monitoring of pressure and temperature at various locations. This paper presents the preliminary results of the second test in K12-B which commenced in February 2005 and, in case of sufficient CO2 supply, will continue at least until the second half of 2006. The measurements of this test are difficult to interpret as a result of unexpected features in the pressure data. The use of tracers has contributed to an improved understanding of how these data should be interpreted. The storage potential and potential for enhanced gas recovery are currently under investigation.