Numerical Simulation of Improved Heavy Oil Recovery by Low-Salinity Water Injection and Polymer Flooding

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hassan Alzayer ◽  
Mehran Sohrabi
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Simulation ◽  
Oil Recovery ◽  
Heavy Oil ◽  
Water Injection ◽  
Polymer Flooding ◽  
Heavy Oil Recovery ◽  
Low Salinity ◽  
Low Salinity Water ◽  
Salinity Water ◽  
Low Salinity Water Injection

Enhancing Heavy-Oil-Recovery Efficiency by Combining Low-Salinity-Water and Polymer Flooding

SPE Journal ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 1-17
Author(s):  
Yang Zhao ◽  
Shize Yin ◽  
Randall S. Seright ◽  
Samson Ning ◽  
Yin Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oil Recovery ◽  
Heavy Oil ◽  
High Salinity ◽  
Polymer Flooding ◽  
Heavy Oil Recovery ◽  
Sweep Efficiency ◽  
Low Salinity ◽  
Low Salinity Water ◽  
Salinity Water ◽  
Increased Oil Recovery

Summary Combining low-salinity-water (LSW) and polymer flooding was proposed to unlock the tremendous heavy-oil resources on the Alaska North Slope (ANS). The synergy of LSW and polymer flooding was demonstrated through coreflooding experiments at various conditions. The results indicate that the high-salinity polymer (HSP) (salinity = 27,500 ppm) requires nearly two-thirds more polymer than the low-salinity polymer (LSP) (salinity = 2,500 ppm) to achieve the target viscosity at the condition of this study. Additional oil was recovered from LSW flooding after extensive high-salinity-water (HSW) flooding [3 to 9% of original oil in place (OOIP)]. LSW flooding performed in secondary mode achieved higher recovery than that in tertiary mode. Also, the occurrence of water breakthrough can be delayed in the LSW flooding compared with the HSW flooding. Strikingly, after extensive LSW flooding and HSP flooding, incremental oil recovery (approximately 8% of OOIP) was still achieved by LSP flooding with the same viscosity as the HSP. The pH increase of the effluent during LSW/LSP flooding was significantly greater than that during HSW/HSP flooding, indicating the presence of the low-salinity effect (LSE). The residual-oil-saturation (Sor) reduction induced by the LSE in the area unswept during the LSW flooding (mainly smaller pores) would contribute to the increased oil recovery. LSP flooding performed directly after waterflooding recovered more incremental oil (approximately 10% of OOIP) compared with HSP flooding performed in the same scheme. Apart from the improved sweep efficiency by polymer, the low-salinity-induced Sor reduction also would contribute to the increased oil recovery by the LSP. A nearly 2-year pilot test in the Milne Point Field on the ANS has shown impressive success of the proposed hybrid enhanced-oil-recovery (EOR) process: water-cut reduction (70 to less than 15%), increasing oil rate, and no polymer breakthrough so far. This work has demonstrated the remarkable economical and technical benefits of combining LSW and polymer flooding in enhancing heavy-oil recovery.

Novel Insights into Mechanisms of Oil Recovery by Low Salinity Water Injection

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Sohrabi ◽  
P. Mahzari ◽  
S. A. Farzaneh ◽  
J. R. Mills ◽  
P. Tsolis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oil Recovery ◽  
Water Injection ◽  
Low Salinity ◽  
Low Salinity Water ◽  
Salinity Water ◽  
Low Salinity Water Injection

scholarly journals Impact of Low Salinity Water Injection on CO2 Storage and Oil Recovery for Improved CO2 Utilization

2021 ◽  
Vol 229 ◽  
pp. 116127
Author(s):  
Krishna Raghav Chaturvedi ◽  
Durgesh Ravilla ◽  
Waquar Kaleem ◽  
Prashant Jadhawar ◽  
Tushar Sharma
Keyword(s):  
Oil Recovery ◽  
Co2 Storage ◽  
Water Injection ◽  
Co2 Utilization ◽  
Low Salinity ◽  
Low Salinity Water ◽  
Salinity Water ◽  
Low Salinity Water Injection

Opportunity of Enhanced Oil Recovery Low Salinity Water Injection: From Experimental Work to Simulation Study up to Field Proposal

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chiara Callegaro ◽  
Martin Bartosek ◽  
Franco Masserano ◽  
Marianna Nobili ◽  
Valerio Parasiliti Parasiliti Parracello ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Enhanced Oil Recovery ◽  
Oil Recovery ◽  
Simulation Study ◽  
Experimental Work ◽  
Water Injection ◽  
Low Salinity ◽  
Low Salinity Water ◽  
Salinity Water ◽  
Low Salinity Water Injection

scholarly journals Enhanced Wettability Modification and CO2 Solubility Effect by Carbonated Low Salinity Water Injection in Carbonate Reservoirs

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ji Ho Lee ◽  
Kun Sang Lee
Keyword(s):  
Oil Recovery ◽  
Saline Water ◽  
Water Injection ◽  
Carbonate Reservoirs ◽  
Viscosity Reduction ◽  
Low Salinity ◽  
Low Salinity Water ◽  
Geochemical Reactions ◽  
Salinity Water ◽  
Low Salinity Water Injection

Carbonated water injection (CWI) induces oil swelling and viscosity reduction. Another advantage of this technique is that CO2 can be stored via solubility trapping. The CO2 solubility of brine is a key factor that determines the extent of these effects. The solubility is sensitive to pressure, temperature, and salinity. The salting-out phenomenon makes low saline brine a favorable condition for solubilizing CO2 into brine, thus enabling the brine to deliver more CO2 into reservoirs. In addition, low saline water injection (LSWI) can modify wettability and enhance oil recovery in carbonate reservoirs. The high CO2 solubility potential and wettability modification effect motivate the deployment of hybrid carbonated low salinity water injection (CLSWI). Reliable evaluation should consider geochemical reactions, which determine CO2 solubility and wettability modification, in brine/oil/rock systems. In this study, CLSWI was modeled with geochemical reactions, and oil production and CO2 storage were evaluated. In core and pilot systems, CLSWI increased oil recovery by up to 9% and 15%, respectively, and CO2 storage until oil recovery by up to 24% and 45%, respectively, compared to CWI. The CLSWI also improved injectivity by up to 31% in a pilot system. This study demonstrates that CLSWI is a promising water-based hybrid EOR (enhanced oil recovery).

scholarly journals Mysteries behind the Low Salinity Water Injection Technique

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emad Waleed Al-Shalabi ◽  
Kamy Sepehrnoori ◽  
Gary Pope
Keyword(s):  
Relative Permeability ◽  
Oil Recovery ◽  
History Matching ◽  
Water Injection ◽  
Residual Oil ◽  
Oil Saturation ◽  
Low Salinity ◽  
Low Salinity Water ◽  
Salinity Water ◽  
Low Salinity Water Injection

Low salinity water injection (LSWI) is gaining popularity as an improved oil recovery technique in both secondary and tertiary injection modes. The objective of this paper is to investigate the main mechanisms behind the LSWI effect on oil recovery from carbonates through history-matching of a recently published coreflood. This paper includes a description of the seawater cycle match and two proposed methods to history-match the LSWI cycles using the UTCHEM simulator. The sensitivity of residual oil saturation, capillary pressure curve, and relative permeability parameters (endpoints and Corey’s exponents) on LSWI is evaluated in this work. Results showed that wettability alteration is still believed to be the main contributor to the LSWI effect on oil recovery in carbonates through successfully history matching both oil recovery and pressure drop data. Moreover, tuning residual oil saturation and relative permeability parameters including endpoints and exponents is essential for a good data match. Also, the incremental oil recovery obtained by LSWI is mainly controlled by oil relative permeability parameters rather than water relative permeability parameters. The findings of this paper help to gain more insight into this uncertain IOR technique and propose a mechanistic model for oil recovery predictions.

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