Design And Operation Of The Levelland Unit CO2 Injection Facility
Authors: Macon Richard B. 
Published: December 2007

The Levelland CO2 Facility provides CO2 storageand handling capacity for the five CO2 injection pilots located in the Levelland Unit. Facilities pilots located in the Levelland Unit. Facilities were designed for a continuous injection capacity of 3.6 × 10(5) kg of CO2 (400 tons) per day, making itone of the largest liquid CO2 injection facilitiesin operation. The Levelland CO2 Facility began CO2injection in November 1978 and is operating successfully, without most of the problems frequently encountered in liquid CO2 pumping systems.

Introduction

Industry wide there is a growing interest in carbon dioxide flooding as a promising means of enhanced oil recovery and several CO2 injection projects are currently underway. Amoco Production projects are currently underway. Amoco Production Company operates five pilot projects in the Levelland Unit near Levelland, Texas which are expected to prove the economic feasibility of field wide CO2 prove the economic feasibility of field wide CO2 flooding in the Levelland Unit. The Levelland CO2 Injection Facility, is one of the largest liquid CO2 injection stations in operation, providing storageand handling capacity of over 3.6 × 10(5) kg (400tons) of CO2 per day for the five projects it serves.

CO2 injection at the Levelland Unit began in February 1977 using temporary facilities with a 1.36× 10(5) kg (150 tons) capacity. These facilities were later expanded and upgraded to form the 3.6 × 10(5) kg(400 tons) per day capacity Levelland CO2 Facility in November 1978. This facility serves all functions associated with CO2 injection in the Levelland Unit, including unloading of rail cars and trucks, storage, pumping, and metering. Careful design and operation pumping, and metering. Careful design and operation of the facility has provided efficient CO2 injection without most of the problems frequently encountered when handling CO2.

DESIGN PARAMETERS

The primary consideration in the design and construction of the Levelland CO2 Facility was to provide facilities which safely and efficiently provide facilities which safely and efficiently inject CO2 in sufficient volume to supply all five pilots in the Levelland Unit. The main factors pilots in the Levelland Unit. The main factors influencing the final design of the facility include:Volume requirements for CO2 injection pilotsSource of CO2Properties of CO2Construction timingApplicable design codes

The five CO2 pilot projects served by the Levelland CO2 Facility include two 6070 square meter(1.5 acre) mini-pilots with four injectors each, one 48562 m (12 acre) double five spot pilot with 6injectors, and two single injection wells converted from water to CO2 injection. Originally estimated injection rates for all 16 wells required a minimum daily injection capacity of 3. × 10(5) kg (333 tons)per day when all wells are taking CO2. All but one per day when all wells are taking CO2. All but one injection well alternates CO2 and water injection on approximate 15 day cycles, so this maximum capacity is seldom required. However, the injection facilities were designed for a continuous injection rate up to 3.6 × 10(5) kg (400 tons) per day with surge capacity up to 4.54 × 10(5) kg (500 tons) per day, ensuring adequate capacity and flexibility.

The sources of CO2 for the Levelland Facility are two commercial suppliers that deliver liquid CO2at -18 degrees C and 2.07 × 10(3) kPa (0 degrees Fand 300 psi) by truck or railcar. This CO2 supply is a food grade product virtually free of moisture or other contaminants which could create corrosion problems. A typical analysis of the CO2 supply is problems. A typical analysis of the CO2 supply is shown in Table 1.