Evaluation of Carbon Footprint for a Hydrocarbon Foam EOR Field Pilot

EOR intervention methods, such as surfactant injection for in-situ foam as a conformance improvement, help increase energy efficiency of the EOR process. However, it is very important to have a calculation framework that identifies actual values to these energy efficiency benefits and contrast them with the energy requirements of making the EOR intervention methods work in the field. Such a calculation framework was introduced in this work with a life cycle thinking approach. To showcase the calculation methodology, a foam assisted gas-EOR process trial was used as an example of a successful EOR intervention technology, specifically a field pilot from a trial between Dow Chemical and MD America Energy (SPE 201199). Injection and production data, together with industry averages on electricity generation, gas compression, and water treatment, were utilized to calculate energy input into the process prior, during, and post-trial. Energy differences due to the foam technology deployment were translated into carbon footprint equivalence and contrasted with the carbon footprint of manufacturing and transporting the surfactant. A benefit-to-burden carbon footprint ratio of 21 was obtained, which means that for every carbon units emitted while producing the foaming agent 21 carbon units would be saved when implementing the technology as opposed to not implementing it. On a per barrel basis, the carbon footprint of the technology is reduced by more than 50% when using the foam additive than the baseline, even including the carbon footprint of making the material. The calculations also showed that the gas compression and separation steps dominate the energy inputs of the EOR intervention method.