An extractive distillation technique for producing CO 2 enriched injection gas in enhanced oil recovery (EOR) fields
Abstract
Sharp Separation of CO 2 (carbon dioxide) from CO 2-rich gases issuing from enhanced oil recovery (EOR) fields is investigated by different processing alternatives. A new extractive distillation technique without using an external solvent is introduced for debottlenecking of CO 2 separation problem encountered in cryogenic distillation units. The technique involves the addition of a portion of produced C4+ (NGL) stream (natural gas liquid stream comprising iso-butane and heavier components) to the top section of a CO 2 stripper followed by C 2/C 3 (ethane and propane) stripping of recovered C2+ (ethane and heavier components) stream. Detail description of the proposed technique for producing greater than 96% CO 2-rich injection gas without external solvent is presented. According to the proposed approach, high quality C 2/C 3 and C4+ products with the corresponding purities of 89.6% and 99.6% suitable as feedstocks for gas and petrochemical processing units are also obtained. Sharp separation of CO 2 from recovered hydrocarbon mixtures by the proposed technique and recycling it to petroleum reservoirs is an important issue regarding the optimization of EOR processes and greenhouse gas emission control.
- Publication:
-
Energy Conversion and Management
- Pub Date:
- 2009
- DOI:
- 10.1016/j.enconman.2009.02.016
- Bibcode:
- 2009ECM....50.1491Z
- Keywords:
-
- Enhanced oil recovery;
- Extractive distillation;
- Injection gas;
- CO <SUB>2</SUB>;
- Greenhouse