Utilizing Abandoned Oil and Natural Gas Wells in the LA Basin for Carbon Sequestration and Hydrogen Storage

Abstract

This thesis evaluates the potential of abandoned oil and natural gas fields in the LA Basin for carbon sequestration and hydrogen storage by gaining a deeper understanding of the storage capacity of these depleted reservoirs. The research began with conducting a thorough literature review of all the data collected on the 69 well fields since the 1920s. This involved sorting through well logs and contour maps in search of tops and indicators of the top producing reservoir in each field. Identifying the top producers made it possible to define one regional horizon that represented all top producers and therefore could be used to accurately simulate the storage capacity of reservoirs across the basin. This basin-wide surface computation mesh was created by digitizing data from 20 fields, converting all the surfaces across the basin into point sets, pulling data from other surfaces, and adding regional faults from the California Statewide Earthquake Center’s (SCEC’s) Community Fault Model (CFM). After iterating different surface interpolation methods, a mesh was created that could be used to quantify storage capacity and analyze how faults could be impacted by fluid injection. Utilizing this horizon, a volumetric assessment was done to evaluate the potential of the top 5 fields across the basin. Simultaneously, the research process was started for a hydrogen flow simulation to determine how its injection could differ from carbon dioxide. Through these final results, a contribution was made to further the research into the plausibility of carbon sequestration and hydrogen storage in the LA Basin.