Integrated Geo-Dynamic Modelling and Investigation of Pressure-Dependent Permeability to Increase Working Gas Capacity of a Reservoir Repurposed for Underground Gas Storage

Abstract

Natural gas consumption will grow significantly in coming decades in response to cleaner energy initiatives. Underground gas storage (UGS) will be key to addressing short term supply and demand dynamics during this energy transition. This paper presents a study on the XiangGuoSi (XGS) fractured carbonate, gas reservoir onshore China which had been converted to UGS. The focus is on how integrated studies around a shared subsurface model including coupled simulation can be used to maximise working gas storage capacity and hence increase deliverability to meet future peak gas demand. Critically, the robust integration of this study raised confidence sufficiently to propose that reservoir pressure during future gas storage cycles could be increased above the original (pre-production) pressure.