Most research projects at Cepac are distributed within four main research programs, namely: Proreserva, Procarbo, Proinpo and Carbmap. A brief description of these programs and their respective objectives and ongoing activities is given below.
Research program for integrity evaluation, characterization and quality prediction of oil reservoirs and saline aquifers
The Proreserva research program aims for the geologic and mineralogical characterization of storage reservoirs, and the study of their interaction with the injected carbon dioxide, by means of laboratory experiments and numerical modeling.
The characterization of reservoir rock provides quality, integrity and capacity prediction of the reservoir for geological storage of CO2. Different techniques are used such as stratigraphic and petrographic analysis, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction analyses.
The effects of massive CO2 injection in geologic reservoirs may be studied through laboratory experiments, carried out in pressurized reactors, simulating reservoir conditions.
Several analytical techniques are employed in the characterization of rock samples and aqueous phase. Minerals are analyzed by scanning electron microscopy, while the fluid composition is determined by optical emission spectrometry and liquid chromatography.
Numerical simulations are an important tool for the evaluation of the interactions between injected CO2 with the geological reservoir, allowing to establish where and how carbon dioxide will be stored in the long term, and to assist on risk analyses of eventual leakages.
| Title | Funding |
|---|---|
| Petrology, geochemical modeling and mineral integrity of petroleum reservoirs aimed for CO2 storage. |  |
| Saline aquifers and reservoir rock carbonation and its effect on CO2 sequestration processes in geological media. | |
| CO2-water-rock interaction studies under geological storage conditions and its consequences for caprock and reservoir mineralogical integrity. |  |
Clean and Sustainable Coal Technologies Program
The Clean and Sustainable Coal Program relies on advanced laboratory facilities to provide a complete portfolio of RDID&D projects for the study of conventional and unconventional energy-providing uses of coal, such as coal bed methane (CBM), enhanced coal bed methane (ECBM), and coal-derived syngas via underground coal gasification (UCG).
The carbon geologic storage on coal results on the enhanced recovery of methane (Enhanced Coalbed Methane – ECBM) and it consists on the injection of CO2 into the cleat system reaching the microporous after diffusion trough the matrix.
The UCG consists in two adjacent wells in coalbed, and pressurized oxidant, as air, oxigen, steam or nitrogen, are used to the coalbed ignition and production of syngas. The main constituents of the produced gas are H2, CO2, CO, CH4 and steam; the proportion vary with the type of coal and the efficiency of the gasification process.
Carbon dioxide geologic storage can be achieved supported by technologies to recover the methane (ECBM) and syngas (UCG). The porous surface of coal has preference of carbon adsorption compared to methane.
| Title | Funding |
|---|---|
| Geological characterization of Brazilian coals from Santa Catarina basin for carbon sequestration programs. | |
| Evaluation of the potential of Brazilian coals from the Paraná Basin (Brazil) for CO2 geological sequestration. | |
Well Integrity Research Program
The Proinpo program develops research on the factors related to the integrity and durability of CO2 injection wells, with focus on materials and procedures employed in their construction, not only for oil exploration, but mainly for carbon dioxide geological storage activities. The program also aims to develop solutions to ensure safety and feasibility of these activities.
| Title | Funding |
|---|---|
| Evaluation of wellbore cement corrosion with CO2 under supercritical conditions. | |
CO2 Capture, Transport and Geological Storage Brazilian Map
The Carbmap research program aims to create products that allow direct and detailed analysis of Brazil’s current situation regarding all elements involved in CO2 geological sequestration, such as: CO2 emissions from stationary sources, capture technologies, pipeline infrastructure and geological reservoirs with potential for CO2 storage.
| Title | Funding |
|---|---|
| CO2 source and sink matching map for Brazil – Carbmap |  |
| Evaluation of the potential of Brazilian coals from the Paraná Basin (Brazil) for CO2 geological sequestration. | |
| Title | Funding |
| Use of remote sensing techniques to monitor CO2 leakages from geological storage sites. | |
| CO2 mineralization using minerals and industrial waste. | |
| Prospection of synthetic routes for new products based on glicerol. | |
| Evaluation of ionic liquids for carbon dioxide capture, transport and storage | |
