Call SPRINT - Partnership EPIC (UNICAMP), Norwegian Research Center (NORCE) and University Stavanger (UiS) - Norway - CAPTURE, STOCK AND USE OF CARBON IN THE OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY, REDUCTION OF THE CARBON FOOTPRINT AND ACTION IN THE ENERGY TRANSITION

• Grant number: 25/02468-7
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: June 01, 2025
• End date: November 30, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Mechanical Engineering - Transport Phenomena
• Mobility Program: SPRINT - Projetos de pesquisa - Mobilidade
• Principal Investigator: Marcelo Souza de Castro
• Grantee: Marcelo Souza de Castro
• Principal researcher abroad: Alejandro Escalona
• Institution abroad: University of Stavanger, Norway
• Principal researcher abroad: Ingebret Fjelde
• Institution abroad: Norwegian Research Centre, Stavanger, Norway
• Principal researcher abroad: John ZUTA
• Institution abroad: Norwegian Research Centre, Stavanger, Norway
• Principal researcher abroad: Tina Puntervold
• Institution abroad: University of Stavanger, Norway
• Host Institution: Centro de Estudos de Energia e Petróleo (CEPETRO). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Alessandra Davolio Gomes ; Denis José Schiozer ; Vanessa Cristina Bizotto Guersoni
• Associated research grant: 17/15736-3 - Engineering Research Centre in Reservoir and Production Management, AP.PCPE

Abstract

The concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere has been the main cause of the greenhouse effect and global warming, with visible consequences, for example, on the climate. One of the industries that releases high levels of CO2 into the atmosphere is oil and gas production. However, this same industry develops technologies that aim to reduce this release, its carbon footprint in production and even as a mitigating way to reduce the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere through the use of the subsoil and reservoirs for storage. In this sense, the study of the uses of CO2 in the oil industry is of great interest, whether to increase and improve productivity (IOR/EOR) or even for capture and storage in reservoirs, for example, depleted ones. In this sense, countries such as Norway, where the Northern Lights project exists - the largest project in the world to capture carbon from the industry and store it in depleted reservoirs in the North Sea, proves to be an interesting benchmark for use in Brazil. Thus, this project aims to study techniques and use of CO2 to improve oil production, geological storage of CO2, use of produced water for reinjection, mechanistic simulations and reservoir simulation studies of these processes, as well as flow assurance problems related to CO2 injection into reservoirs. NORCE was selected as a partner institution of EPIC (EPIC - Energy Production Innovation Center - CPE FAPESP - 2017/15736-3) in Norway, it is the coordinator of the INTPART BN-REC (Brazil-Norway Research, Education and Skills Transfer) mobility project, and the University of Stavanger (UiS) is the coordinator of NCS2030 (National Center for Sustainable Use of the Subsoil of the Norwegian Continental Shelf), both projects funded by the Research Council of Norway in which UNICAMP is a partner through CEPETRO. In the projects, delegations from UNICAMP have participated in the Energy Norway event annually, and the NORCE and UiS teams participate annually in the EPIC Conference at UNICAMP. In addition, other activities have been and are being developed over the last few years, such as webinars and short courses. A UNICAMP student went on a 3-month exchange in the first half of 2024 and another student has just started a 3-month exchange in January 2025. In addition, a doctoral student from Norway had a two-week stay in November 2024. Furthermore, the INTPART proposal (attached to SAGE) points to the discussion of joint projects that are being studied both in Norway funded by companies such as Equinor or the Research Council of Norway and in Brazil with funding from Equinor or other companies, and we will discuss the possibility of submitting joint proposals to FAPESP and Norwegian entities. (AU)