Petroleum Reservoir Evaluation and Development ›› 2026, Vol. 16 ›› Issue (1): 141-152.doi: 10.13809/j.cnki.cn32-1825/te.2025357

• Field Application • Previous Articles     Next Articles

CO2 storage potential assessment models and their practical progress in oil and gas reservoirs

LI Jingwei1,2(), PENG Bo1,2(), WANG Zeteng1,2, CHEN Xiaoqian1,2, ZHANG Zhenghao1,2, LIU Jindong1,2, LIU Shuangxing3, LI Xiaofeng4   

  1. 1.State Key Laboratory of Petroleum Resources and Engineering, China University of Petroleum (Beijing), Beijing 102249, China
    2.Beijing Key Laboratory for Greenhouse Gas Storage and Enhanced Oil Recovery, China University of Petroleum (Beijing), Beijing 102249, China
    3.CNPC Research Institute of Safety & Environment Technology, Beijing 102206, China
    4.PipeChina Institute of Science and Technology, Tianjin 300450, China
  • Received:2025-07-29 Online:2026-01-06 Published:2026-01-26

Abstract:

Quantitative calculation of CO2 geological storage potential is a crucial component of preliminary storage site suitability assessment and subsequent quantitative verification. Oil and gas reservoirs are preferred geological formations for CO2 storage, as they combine the economic benefits of enhanced recovery and the environmental benefits of carbon storage. Among them, conventional (depleted) oil and gas reservoirs with well-developed trap structures form the foundation for the development and application of classical carbon storage potential assessment models. However, models that account for different reservoir conditions, different project stages, and fully consider the contributions of various storage mechanisms still require further advancement. This paper systematically reviews the CO2 storage mechanisms and storage potential assessment methods for oil and gas reservoirs, and analyzes and summarizes the development history and application practices of these models. In terms of storage mechanisms, oil reservoirs mainly involve structural, residual, solubility, and mineral trapping, whereas gas reservoirs rely on the synergistic effects of pressure replenishment, competitive adsorption, and gravitational segregation. Twenty mainstream potential assessment models are categorized into four stages based on their fundamental principles: models considering geological reserves and recovery factors, models considering available reservoir pore space for storage, improved and extended models derived from the original models, and models focusing on new perspectives and localized approaches. Current models still primarily emphasize structural and residual trapping, with only a few quantifying solubility and mineralization contributions. Refinement of input parameters and uncertainty quantification have become development trends. Further research is needed on miscibility pressure prediction, solubility calculation, mineralization reaction kinetics, and the spatiotemporal evolution mechanisms of competitive gas adsorption. In the future, integrating geological monitoring data and artificial intelligence technologies and developing lightweight assessment tools will be essential to support site-level engineering decisions and advance the transition of storage potential assessment from theoretical feasibility to engineering implementation.

Key words: depleted oil and gas reservoirs, CO2-EOR (CO2-enhanced oil recovery), CO2-EGR (CO2-enhanced gas recovery), CO2 geological storage, potential assessment

CLC Number: 

  • TE357