UNDERGROUND GAS

STORAGES
U.G.S. in Aquifers

July 2000
 A QUIFER STORAGE
Cross-section of an
Aquifer UGS
– 1: Reservoir
– 2: Caprock
– 3: Control (upper) aquifer
– 4: Central station
– 5: Operating wells
– 6: Control well in upper aquifer
– 7: Control wells in reservoir
– 8: Gas-bearing zone

July 2000
 A QUIFER STORAGE
General view of the Central Station
Control room Dehydration
Lab. unit

Shops Metering
ramp
Compressor
building

Germiny-sous-Coulombs / France, UGS operated by GDF

July 2000
 A QUIFER STORAGE Legend:

Feed Gas
Block Diagram 5 -Temperature (°C)

Inlet
35 -Pressure (Bar abs.)
23 125
23 125 -Flow rate (m³(n)/h)
35 UNIT 10 95
Metering UNIT 20
20
Filtration Compression 30

UNIT 30 UNIT 900

x25
Manifold Well Heads

60 000 5 95

40 40 UNIT 40
UNIT 60 UNIT 50
Separation UNIT 70
Metering Dehydration 20
& Heating Methanol
Injection

Gas to
Consumers
July 2000
 M AIN PARAMETERS
Seasonal operating schedule
25% 100%

20% 90%

Working gas
Fraction of the yearly modulation (%)

15% 80%

Fraction of the max. inventory (%)

10% 70%

5% 60%
Monthly
Withdrawal period modulation
0% 50%
Injection period Gas
-5% 40% inventory

Nominal deliverability
Cushion gas

-10% 30%

-15% 20%

February
-20% 10%
deliverability

-25% Plateau 0%
Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr
July 2000
 M AIN PARAMETERS
Design of the gas flowing capacity

Gas Inventory
Reservoir Pressure

Peak gas
Flow rate

Compression power Well number

Treatment capacity and size

July 2000
 D EVELOPMENT & EXPLOITATION
History of a UGS Aquifer
100.0 Max. allowed Pressure 900
Stock
95.0 increase 800
Reservoir Pressure, bar abs.

90.0
700

Gas Inventory, MMm³

85.0
600
80.0
500
75.0
400
70.0
300
65.0 Severe
Winter 200
60.0
Development Phase
55.0 Exploitation Phase 100

50.0 0
Nov-75 Jul-78 Apr-81 Jan-84 Oct-86 Jul-89 Apr-92

Sources: Record from Beynes UGS, courtesy of Gaz de France

July 2000
 D EVELOPMENT & EXPLOITATION
Typical schedule
year 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
Exploration
exploration wells Go / No Go Decision
2D-seisimic
Appraisal
3D-seismic
delineation wells
injection test
Development
engineering
construction
piping
drilling
gas filling
Exploitation & Extension

First Injection
First Withdrawal
July 2000
 G EOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS
Structure Petrophysics
– Depth – Porosity
– Area x thickness – Connate Water
– Closure saturation
– Faults – Permeability

Aquifer Cap-Rock
– Extension – Lithology
– Activity – Thickness

July 2000
 G EOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS
Recommended criteria for selection of
potential U.G.S. facilities in aquifers

Depth (meter) 800 - 1000

Structural data
- Reservoir structure anticline
- Gas/Water contact mainly lateral, bottom
- Thickness of formation (m) 15 - 40
Petrophysical properties
- Lithology sandstones or sands
- Permeability (mD) ~600 and more
- Porosity (%) ~18-25

Sources: United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, 1999

July 2000
 E XPLORATION: OBJECTIVES
Detection of Potential defaults
– Structure
– Caprock
– Reservoir

To each default is associated a

detection operation
– Seismic
– Drilling
– Coring, Testing…

“Zero Default” is the final objective

July 2000
 S TRUCTURE INVESTIGATION
Specificity of investigation
– Great depth accuracy (specially in critical closure
areas / spill points)
– Precise definition of the structure envelope
– Faults characterization (nature, location, throw,
tightness)

Investigation means
– 2D/3D seismic with large density grids, static
corrections, well data integration (VSD, dipmeter)
– Core drills
– Hydraulic tests (production, interference)

July 2000
 S TRUCTURE INVESTIGATION
Closure isobath
Critical closure e.g. -875 m SL

C
C
Top = -839 m SL
SADDLE SADDLE
Top = -839 m SL
B B
FAULT FAULT
OK
Closure on fault
A
A
Hypothesis 1 : no closure on fault Hypothesis 2 : closure on fault
C
A B C A B
Top = -839 m SL SADDLE Top = -839 m SL SADDLE
e.g. -875 m SL e.g. -875 m SL
FAULT FAULT
Closure: 36 m Closure << 36 m

CRITICAL SECTOR

Gas-bearing zone

Water-bearing zone (not to scale)

July 2000
 C APROCK INVESTIGATION
Intensive Coring & Lab tests
Threshold pressure

Hydraulic test
Detection of permeable intrabeds into caprock

Fault detection & characterization

Lateral continuity
Sedimentology study

July 2000
 C APROCK INVESTIGATION
Quality factors
good bad
Threshold high low
Pressure P>6 MPa
K<10-6 mD
Heterogeneity simple presence of
lithology porous
interbeds
Mineralogy shale, carbonates
evaporite
Sedimentary finely massive
structure laminated

– Higher Threshold Pressure

Higher Operating Pressure Gradient

July 2000
 M AXIMUM ALLOWED PRESSURE
Pressure Gradient
– Plim [MPa] = 0.1 + 0.00981.G.Depthroof [m]

Typical value
– In France: 1.2 < G < 1.49
– In the USA: Gavg = 1.33

Water < UGS Gradient < Overburden

Gradient Gradient

July 2000
 R ESERVOIR INVESTIGATION
Requirements
– Large porosity & permeability
– Lateral homogeneity/continuity of reservoir layers
– Knowledge of aquifer characteristics

Investigation means
– Intensive coring and lab testing
– Complete recording of electrical logs
– Full range of hydraulic testing (Drill Stem Test, Long
Duration Production Test, Interference Test)
– Geological Reservoir Modeling

July 2000
 E NVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
Local
– Noise generated by drilling and compressors
– Risk around wells, pipes and vessels, due to the high
pressure
– Gas emission and/or hydrocarbon liquid disposal
– Gas leakage via old cementations

Regional
– Pressure influence in the aquifer
– Risk of contamination of the aquifers
• main aquifer
• control/upper aquifer

July 2000
 E XAMPLES OF AQUIFER UGS
In France ()

top closure closed total working ratio peak production

depth height area capacity volume working/total flowrate wells
m m km² 106 m³ 106 m³ % 106 m³/d #
Beynes Sup. 405 26 15 475 210 46 5 14
Beynes Inf. 740 25 15 800 370 46 9.6 24
St Illiers 470 120 10 1260 575 46 16 33
Gournay 750 70 41 2500 760 30 27.5 58
Velaine 470 85 16 1400 695 50 10 38
Chemery 1100 70 30 7000 3240 46 47 72
Germigny 900 35 100 2400 700 29 5 26

July 2000
 S TATISTICS
Number of U.G.S. in aquifers in Europe
(E.U.15)

all U.G.S. Aquifers ratio

unit
Total capacity BCM 118.9 26.2 22%
Working volume BCM 59.0 11.9 20%
Peak daily output MMCM/D 1,120.4 185.1 17%
Number # 81 23 28%

Sources: United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, 1999

July 2000