Enhanced Heavy Oil Recovery by Thermal-Different Aqueous Ionic Solutions-Low Salinity Water Flooding

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hasan N. Al-Saedi ◽  
Ralph E. Flori ◽  
Patrick V. Brady
Keyword(s):  
Oil Recovery ◽  
Heavy Oil ◽  
Water Flooding ◽  
Heavy Oil Recovery ◽  
Ionic Solutions ◽  
Low Salinity ◽  
Low Salinity Water ◽  
Salinity Water ◽  
Aqueous Ionic Solutions

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.

A Comparison of Different Nanoparticles' Effect on Fine Migration by Low Salinity Water Injection for Oil Recovery: Introducing an Optimum Condition

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ali Madadizadeh ◽  
Alireza Sadeghein ◽  
Siavash Riahi
Keyword(s):  
Porous Media ◽  
Zeta Potential ◽  
Oil Recovery ◽  
Fine Particles ◽  
Production Equipment ◽  
Water Flooding ◽  
Sand Production ◽  
Low Salinity ◽  
Low Salinity Water ◽  
Salinity Water

Abstract Today, enhance oil recovery (EOR) methods are attracting more attention to increase the petroleum production rate. Some EOR methods such as low salinity water flooding (LSW) can increase the amount of fine migration and sand production in sandstone reservoirs which causes a reduction in permeability and inflict damages on to the reservoir and the production equipment. One of the methods to control fine migration is using nanotechnology. Nanoparticles (NPs) can reduce fine migration by various mechanisms such as reducing the zeta potential of fine particles' surfaces. In this paper, three NPs including SiO2, MgO, and Al2O3 's effects on controlling fine migration and sand production were investigated in two scenarios of pre-flush and co-injection by using sandpack as a porous media sample. When NPs are injected into the porous media sample, the outflow turbidity and zeta potential of particles decreases. Experiments showed that SiO2 has the best effect on controlling fine migration in comparison with other NPs and it could reduce fine migration 69% in pre-flush and 75% in co-injection. Also, MgO and Al2O3 decreased fine migration 65% and 33% in the pre-flush scenario and 49%,13% in the co-injection scenario, respectively.

scholarly journals A mechanistic investigation of low salinity water flooding coupled with ion tuning for enhanced oil recovery

RSC Advances ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (69) ◽  
pp. 42570-42583
Author(s):  
Rohit Kumar Saw ◽  
Ajay Mandal
Keyword(s):  
Enhanced Oil Recovery ◽  
Oil Recovery ◽  
Water Flooding ◽  
Wettability Alteration ◽  
Rock Surface ◽  
Calcite Dissolution ◽  
Low Salinity ◽  
Low Salinity Water ◽  
Mechanistic Investigation ◽  
Salinity Water

The combined effects of dilution and ion tuning of seawater for enhanced oil recovery from carbonate reservoirs. Dominating mechanisms are calcite dissolution and the interplay of potential determining ions that lead to wettability alteration of rock surface.

scholarly journals Modelling Low-Salinity Water Flooding as a Tertiary Oil Recovery Technique

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Oluwasanmi Olabode ◽  
David Alaigba ◽  
Daniel Oramabo ◽  
Oreofeoluwa Bamigboye
Keyword(s):  
Oil Recovery ◽  
Water Flooding ◽  
High Salinity Water ◽  
Low Salinity ◽  
Low Salinity Water ◽  
First Case ◽  
Short Period ◽  
Tertiary Oil Recovery ◽  
Salinity Water ◽  
Field Production

In this project, low-salinity water flooding has been modeled on ECLIPSE black oil simulator in three cases for a total field production life of twenty-five years. In the first case, low-salinity water flooding starts fifteen years after secondary water flooding. For the second case, low-salinity water flooding starts five years after secondary water flooding and runs till the end of the field production life. For the third case, low-salinity water flooding starts five years after secondary water flooding, but low-salinity water flooding is injected in measured pore volumes for a short period of time; then, high-salinity water flooding was resumed till the end of the field production life. This was done to measure the effect of low-salinity water flooding as slug injection. From the three cases presented, oil recovery efficiency, field oil production rate, and field water cut were observed. Increased percentages of 22.66%, 35.12%, and 26.77% were observed in the three cases, respectively.

scholarly journals A Core Flood and Microfluidics Investigation of Nanocellulose as a Chemical Additive to Water Flooding for EOR

Nanomaterials ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 1296 ◽  
Author(s):  
Reidun C. Aadland ◽  
Salem Akarri ◽  
Ellinor B. Heggset ◽  
Kristin Syverud ◽  
Ole Torsæter
Keyword(s):  
Contact Angle ◽  
Interfacial Tension ◽  
Oil Recovery ◽  
Cellulose Nanofibrils ◽  
Water Flooding ◽  
Low Salinity ◽  
The Core ◽  
Low Salinity Water ◽  
Salinity Water ◽  
Core Flood

Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) and 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl (TEMPO)-oxidized cellulose nanofibrils (T-CNFs) were tested as enhanced oil recovery (EOR) agents through core floods and microfluidic experiments. Both particles were mixed with low salinity water (LSW). The core floods were grouped into three parts based on the research objectives. In Part 1, secondary core flood using CNCs was compared to regular water flooding at fixed conditions, by reusing the same core plug to maintain the same pore structure. CNCs produced 5.8% of original oil in place (OOIP) more oil than LSW. For Part 2, the effect of injection scheme, temperature, and rock wettability was investigated using CNCs. The same trend was observed for the secondary floods, with CNCs performing better than their parallel experiment using LSW. Furthermore, the particles seemed to perform better under mixed-wet conditions. Additional oil (2.9–15.7% of OOIP) was produced when CNCs were injected as a tertiary EOR agent, with more incremental oil produced at high temperature. In the final part, the effect of particle type was studied. T-CNFs produced significantly more oil compared to CNCs. However, the injection of T-CNF particles resulted in a steep increase in pressure, which never stabilized. Furthermore, a filter cake was observed at the core face after the experiment was completed. Microfluidic experiments showed that both T-CNF and CNC nanofluids led to a better sweep efficiency compared to low salinity water flooding. T-CNF particles showed the ability to enhance the oil recovery by breaking up events and reducing the trapping efficiency of the porous medium. A higher flow rate resulted in lower oil recovery factors and higher remaining oil connectivity. Contact angle and interfacial tension measurements were conducted to understand the oil recovery mechanisms. CNCs altered the interfacial tension the most, while T-CNFs had the largest effect on the contact angle. However, the changes were not significant enough for them to be considered primary EOR mechanisms.

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