Utilizing energy storage in depleted oil and gas reservoirs can improve productivity while reducing power costs and is one of the best ways to achieve synergistic development of "Carbon Peak–Carbon Neutral" and "Underground Resource Utilization". Starting from the development of Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES) technology, the site selection of CAES in depleted gas and oil reservoirs, the evolution mechanism of reservoir dynamic sealing, and the high-flow CAES and injection technology are summarized. It focuses on analyzing the characteristics, key equipment, reservoir construction, application scenarios and cost analysis of CAES projects, and sorting out the technical key points and existing difficulties. The development trend of CAES technology is proposed, and the future development path is scrutinized to provide reference for the research of CAES projects in depleted oil and gas reservoirs.Graphical abstract

Compressed air energy storage in salt caverns in China: Development and outlook

Using underground space to store natural gas resources is an important means by which to solve emergency peak shaving of natural gas. Rock salt gas storage is widely recognized due to its high-efficiency peak shaving and environmental protection. Damage and stress concentrations inside the cavern injection during withdrawal operations and throughout the storage facility life have always been among the most important safety issues. Therefore, accurate evaluation of the stability of rock salt gas storage during operation is of paramount significance to field management and safety control. In this study, we used the finite element numerical analysis software Flac3D to numerically simulate large displacement deformations of the cavern wall during gas storage—in addition to the distribution of the plastic zone of the rock around the cavern and the surface settlement—under different working conditions. We found that the maximum surface settlement value occurred near the upper part of the cavern. The surface settlement value increased as a function of creep time, but this increase leveled off, that is, a convergence trend was observed. The value was relatively small and, therefore, had little impact on the surface. The application of gas pressure inhibited the growth of the plastic zone, but on the whole, the plastic zone’s range increased proportionally to creep time. For the 20-year creep condition, the deformation value of the cavern’s surrounding rock was large. Combined with the distribution of the plastic zone, we believe that the cavern’s surrounding rock is unstable; thus, corresponding reinforcement measures must be taken.

In response to the localized corrosion generated by underground casing, which seriously affects the safe operation of salt cavern compressed air storage, we used commercial finite element software, ANSYS, to propose a partial model applicable to casings with pitting and strip corrosion. The results show that the pitting depth of the casing is closely related to fracture and collapse pressure. As pitting corrosion depth increases, its effect on fracture and collapse pressure becomes more significant. The greater the number of corrosion pits, the lower the compressive strength of the casing, and the casing tends to be more prone to fracture. The area with large stress is mainly distributed along the long axis of the strip corrosion. In the short axis of the strip corrosion, there is no stress concentration and appears as a low stress region. The effect of strip corrosion depth on failure pressure is greater than the effect of strip corrosion length. In this work, we developed a method to predict residual strength, which is useful to assess not only well integrity but, additionally, safety of the casing used during petroleum and natural gas exploration and production.

China’s offshore heavy oil resources are abundant but underutilized. Circulating steam stimulation enhances production while increasing casing failure risks in thermal recovery wells. Accurately assessing casing performance after repeated thermal cycles is crucial for ensuring wellbore integrity. This paper presents tensile and creep experiments on TP110H casing under cyclic temperatures. The temperature distribution within the “casing-cement sheath-stratum” system is derived using heat transfer theory. Stress and displacement equations are established based on thick-walled cylinder theory and thermo-elasticity. Thermal coupling analysis assesses casing stress in straight, inclined, and sidetrack well sections. Key factors, including steam injection pressure, in situ stress, cement modulus, and prestress, are analyzed for their effects on cumulative strain below the packer. Strain-based methods evaluate casing safety. Results show that under thermal cycling at 350 °C, after 16 cycles, the casing’s elastic modulus, yield strength, and tensile strength decrease by 15.3%, 13.1%, and 10.1%, respectively, while the creep rate increases by 16.0%. Above the packer, the casing remains safe, but the lower section may be at risk. Using low-elasticity cement, higher steam injection pressure, and prestressing can help improve casing performance. This study provides guidance on enhancing casing safety and optimizing steam stimulation parameters.