Carbonated water injection

Carbonated water injection (CWI) is considered as a feasible enhanced oil recovery (EOR) method that its mechanisms, which are responsible for oil recovery, mainly initiate with the partitioning of dissolved carbon dioxide (CO2) from carbonated water to the adjacent oil phase. Alongside the EOR, CWI is considered as a promising method for geological CO2 storage beneath earth layers in depleted oil reservoirs. Countless researches have been performed on in-depth analysis of the role of CWI in improving oil recovery at the core scale. A better understanding of the primary mechanisms leading to additional oil recovery is gained through pore-scale visual investigations. The role of operational parameters such as injection rate, CO2 content, pressure, and temperature, which influence the performance of CWI, are discussed in this chapter. Challenges of CWI application are presented and discussed technically and economically. Finally, some important research findings and gaps in present understanding are highlighted.