As of September 30, 2016, the Carbon Capture and Sequestration Technologies program at MIT has closed. The website is being kept online as a reference but will not be updated.

Uthmaniyah Fact Sheet: Pilot EOR using Anthropogenic Carbon Dioxide

Company/Alliance: Saudi Aramco

Location: Saudi Arabia

Start Date: Operational 2015

Size: 0.8 Mt/yr

CO2 Source: Hawiyah gas plant

Transportation: 85 Km onshore pipeline

Oil Field EOR Storage Site: Ghawar field

Injection Depth: N/A

Reservoir Type: Jurassic Carbonate limestones

Comments:

The objectives of the project are determination of incremental oil recovery (beyond water flooding), estimation of sequestered CO2, addressing the risks and uncertainties involved (including migration of CO2 within the reservoir), and identifying operational concerns. Specific CO2 monitoring objectives include developing a clear assessment of the CO2 potential (for both EOR and overall storage) and testing new technologies for CO2 monitoring.

Approximately 60–65% of all Saudi oil produced between 1948 and 2000 came from Ghawar. Cumulative production until April 2010 has exceeded 65 billion barrels. It was estimated that Ghawar produced about 5 million barrels of oil a day (6.25% of global production) in 2009. Ghawar also produces approximately 2 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day.

After 60 years of production, the field is depleted and Saudi Aramco is going to start CO2-EOR. The project will consist of 4 injection wells, 2 observation wells and 4 productions wells. The project is expected to last 3 to 5 years, during which Saudi Aramco will apply any lessons learnt to other facilities and fields around Saudi Arabia.

Project Link: Uthmaniyah Gas Plant web page

Other Sources and Press Releases:

Launching the Kingdom’s first carbon capture project (July 2015)
Saudi CO2-EOR project to be presented at CSLF meeting in Washington (October 2013)
CSLF endorses five new carbon capture projects (November 2013)