Steamflooding after Steam Soak - Effect of Water Saturation Build-up on Oil Recovery

1973 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Aktan ◽  
S.M. Farouq Ali
Keyword(s):  
Oil Recovery ◽  
Water Saturation ◽  
Effect Of Water

Simulation of Miscible Displacement in Full-Diameter Carbonate Cores

1982 ◽  
Vol 22 (05) ◽  
pp. 647-657 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.P. Batycky ◽  
B.B. Maini ◽  
D.B. Fisher
Keyword(s):  
Oil Recovery ◽  
Water Saturation ◽  
Accurate Determination ◽  
Miscible Displacement ◽  
Carbonate Reservoir ◽  
Core Material ◽  
Immiscible Fluid ◽  
Displacement Efficiency ◽  
Carbonate Cores ◽  
Capacitance Model

Abstract Miscible gas displacement data obtained from full-diameter carbonate reservoir cores have been fitted to a modified miscible flow dispersion-capacitance model. Starting with earlier approaches, we have synthesized an algorithm that provides rapid and accurate determination of the three parameters included in the model: the dispersion coefficient, the flowing fraction of displaceable volume, and the rate constant for mass transfer between flowing and stagnant volumes. Quality of fit is verified with a finite-difference simulation. The dependencies of the three parameters have been evaluated as functions of the displacement velocity and of the water saturation within four carbonate cores composed of various amounts of matrix, vug, and fracture porosity. Numerical simulation of a composite core made by stacking three of the individual cores has been compared with the experimental data. For comparison, an analysis of Berea sandstone gas displacement also has been provided. Although the sandstone displays a minor dependence of gas recovery on water saturation, we found that the carbonate cores are strongly affected by water content. Such behavior would not be measurable if small carbonate samples that can reflect only matrix properties were used. This study therefore represents a significant assessment of the dispersion-capacitance model for carbonate cores and its ability to reflect changes in pore interconnectivity that accompany water saturation alteration. Introduction Miscible displacement processes are used widely in various aspects of oil recovery. A solvent slug injected into a reservoir can be used to displace miscibly either oil or gas. The necessary slug size is determined by the rate at which deterioration can occur as the slug is Another commonly used miscible process involves addition of a small slug within the injected fluids or gases to determine the nature and extent of inter well communication. The quantity of tracer material used is dictated by analytical detection capabilities and by an understanding of the miscible displacement properties of the reservoir. We can develop such understanding by performing one-dimensional (1D) step-change miscible displacement experiments within the laboratory with selected reservoir core material. The effluent profiles derived from the experiments then are fitted to a suitable mathematical model to express the behavior of each rock type through the use of a relatively small number of parameters. This paper illustrates the efficient application of the three-parameter, dispersion-capacitance model. Its application previously has been limited to use with small homogeneous plugs normally composed of intergranular and intencrystalline porosity, and its suitability for use with cores displaying macroscopic heterogeneity has been questioned. Consequently, in addition to illustrating its use with a homogeneous sandstone, we fit data derived from previously reported full-diameter carbonate cores. As noted earlier, these cores were heterogeneous, and each of them displayed different dual or multiple types of porosity characteristic of vugular and fractured carbonate rocks. Dispersion-Capacitance Model The displacement efficiency of one fluid by a second immiscible fluid within a porous medium depends on the complexity of rock and fluid properties. SPEJ P. 647^

scholarly journals Wettability Effects on Oil-Recovery Mechanisms in Fractured Reservoirs

2001 ◽  
Vol 4 (06) ◽  
pp. 455-466 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Graue ◽  
T. Bognø ◽  
B.A. Baldwin ◽  
E.A. Spinler
Keyword(s):  
Crude Oil ◽  
Numerical Simulations ◽  
Capillary Pressure ◽  
Oil Recovery ◽  
History Matching ◽  
Water Saturation ◽  
Fracture Network ◽  
Stock Tank ◽  
Recovery Mechanisms

Summary Iterative comparison between experimental work and numerical simulations has been used to predict oil-recovery mechanisms in fractured chalk as a function of wettability. Selective and reproducible alteration of wettability by aging in crude oil at an elevated temperature produced chalk blocks that were strongly water-wet and moderately water-wet, but with identical mineralogy and pore geometry. Large scale, nuclear-tracer, 2D-imaging experiments monitored the waterflooding of these blocks of chalk, first whole, then fractured. This data provided in-situ fluid saturations for validating numerical simulations and evaluating capillary pressure- and relative permeability-input data used in the simulations. Capillary pressure and relative permeabilities at each wettability condition were measured experimentally and used as input for the simulations. Optimization of either Pc-data or kr-curves gave indications of the validity of these input data. History matching both the production profile and the in-situ saturation distribution development gave higher confidence in the simulations than matching production profiles only. Introduction Laboratory waterflood experiments, with larger blocks of fractured chalk where the advancing waterfront has been imaged by a nuclear tracer technique, showed that changing the wettability conditions from strongly water-wet to moderately water-wet had minor impact on the the oil-production profiles.1–3 The in-situ saturation development, however, was significantly different, indicating differences in oil-recovery mechanisms.4 The main objective for the current experiments was to determine the oil-recovery mechanisms at different wettability conditions. We have reported earlier on a technique that reproducibly alters wettability in outcrop chalk by aging the rock material in stock-tank crude oil at an elevated temperature for a selected period of time.5 After applying this aging technique to several blocks of chalk, we imaged waterfloods on blocks of outcrop chalk at different wettability conditions, first as a whole block, then when the blocks were fractured and reassembled. Earlier work reported experiments using an embedded fracture network,4,6,7 while this work also studied an interconnected fracture network. A secondary objective of these experiments was to validate a full-field numerical simulator for prediction of the oil production and the in-situ saturation dynamics for the waterfloods. In this process, the validity of the experimentally measured capillary pressure and relative permeability data, used as input for the simulator, has been tested at strongly water-wet and moderately water-wet conditions. Optimization of either Pc data or kr curves for the chalk matrix in the numerical simulations of the whole blocks at different wettabilities gave indications of the data's validity. History matching both the production profile and the in-situ saturation distribution development gave higher confidence in the simulations of the fractured blocks, in which only the fracture representation was a variable. Experimental Rock Material and Preparation. Two chalk blocks, CHP8 and CHP9, approximately 20×12×5 cm thick, were obtained from large pieces of Rørdal outcrop chalk from the Portland quarry near Ålborg, Denmark. The blocks were cut to size with a band saw and used without cleaning. Local air permeability was measured at each intersection of a 1×1-cm grid on both sides of the blocks with a minipermeameter. The measurements indicated homogeneous blocks on a centimeter scale. This chalk material had never been contacted by oil and was strongly water-wet. The blocks were dried in a 90°C oven for 3 days. End pieces were mounted on each block, and the whole assembly was epoxy coated. Each end piece contained three fittings so that entering and exiting fluids were evenly distributed with respect to height. The blocks were vacuum evacuated and saturated with brine containing 5 wt% NaCl+3.8 wt% CaCl2. Fluid data are found in Table 1. Porosity was determined from weight measurements, and the permeability was measured across the epoxy-coated blocks, at 2×10–3 µm2 and 4×10–3 µm2, for CHP8 and CHP9, respectively (see block data in Table 2). Immobile water saturations of 27 to 35% pore volume (PV) were established for both blocks by oilflooding. To obtain uniform initial water saturation, Swi, oil was injected alternately at both ends. Oilfloods of the epoxy-coated block, CHP8, were carried out with stock-tank crude oil in a heated pressure vessel at 90°C with a maximum differential pressure of 135 kPa/cm. CHP9 was oilflooded with decane at room temperature. Wettability Alteration. Selective and reproducible alteration of wettability, by aging in crude oil at elevated temperatures, produced a moderately water-wet chalk block, CHP8, with similar mineralogy and pore geometry to the untreated strongly water-wet chalk block CHP9. Block CHP8 was aged in crude oil at 90°C for 83 days at an immobile water saturation of 28% PV. A North Sea crude oil, filtered at 90°C through a chalk core, was used to oilflood the block and to determine the aging process. Two twin samples drilled from the same chunk of chalk as the cut block were treated similar to the block. An Amott-Harvey test was performed on these samples to indicate the wettability conditions after aging.8 After the waterfloods were terminated, four core plugs were drilled out of each block, and wettability measurements were conducted with the Amott-Harvey test. Because of possible wax problems with the North Sea crude oil used for aging, decane was used as the oil phase during the waterfloods, which were performed at room temperature. After the aging was completed for CHP8, the crude oil was flushed out with decahydronaphthalene (decalin), which again was flushed out with n-decane, all at 90°C. Decalin was used as a buffer between the decane and the crude oil to avoid asphalthene precipitation, which may occur when decane contacts the crude oil.

Coreflood Model Calibration for Alkali Surfactant Polymer Process from a High Salinity Reservoir to Design an ASP Pilot

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marisely Urdaneta
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Simulation ◽  
Simulation Model ◽  
Oil Recovery ◽  
Water Saturation ◽  
Polymer Concentration ◽  
Chemical Flooding ◽  
Adsorption Parameters ◽  
Oil Saturation ◽  
The Core ◽  
Asp Flooding

Abstract This paper aims to address calibration of a coreflood Alkali Surfactant Polymer (ASP) formulation experiment through parametrization of fluid-fluid and rock-fluid interactions considering cation exchange capacity and by rock to guide an ASP pilot design. First of all, a series of chemical formulation experiments were studied in cores drilled from clastic reservoir so that displacement lab tests were run on linear and radial cores to determine the potential for oil recovery by ASP flooding and recommended the chemical formulation and flooding schemes, in terms of oil recovery. Therefore, to simulate the process, those tests performed with radial core injection were taken, because this type of test has a better representation of the fluid flow in reservoir, the fluids are injected by a perforation in the center of the core, moving in a radial direction the fluids inside the porous medium. Subsequently, displaced fluids are collected on the periphery of the core carrier and stored in graduated test tubes. The recommended test was carried out to the phase of numerical simulation and historical matching. Reservoir simulation is one of the most important tools available to predict behavior under chemical flooding conditions and to study sensitivities based on cost-effective process implementation. Then, a radial core simulation model was designed from formulation data with porosity of 42.6%, a pore volume (PV) of 344.45 ml, radius of 7.17 cm and weight of 1225.84 g. The initial oil saturation was 0.748 PV (257.58 ml), with a critical water saturation of 0.252 PV (86.78 ml). For the simulation model historical matching, adjustments were made until an acceptable comparison was obtained with laboratory test production data through parameterization of relative permeability curves, chemical adsorption parameters, polymer viscosity, among others; resulting in an accumulated effluents production mass 37% greater for alkali than obtained in the historical, regarding to surfactant the deviation was 8% considered acceptable and for the polymer the adjustment was very close. For the injector well bottom pressure, the viscosity ratio of the mixture was considered based on the polymer concentration and the effect of the shear rate on the viscosity of the polymer as well as the effect of salinity in the alkali case. Finally, a calibrated coreflood numerical simulation model was obtained for ASP flooding to design an ASP Pilot with a residual oil saturation of 0.09 PV (31 ml) meaning 64% more recovered oil compared to a waterflooding case.

Labortory and Pilot Tests of Enhanced Oil Recovery through Wettability Alteration by Diluted Microemulsions

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xurong Zhao ◽  
Tianbo Liang ◽  
Jingge Zan ◽  
Mengchuan Zhang ◽  
Fujian Zhou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oil Recovery ◽  
Water Saturation ◽  
Wettability Alteration ◽  
Rock Surface ◽  
Core Flooding ◽  
Fracturing Fluid ◽  
Invasion Front ◽  
Wetting Ability ◽  
On Line ◽  
Wet Rocks

Abstract Replacing oil from small pores of tight oil-wet rocks relies on altering the rock wettability with the injected fracturing fluid. Among different types of wettability-alteration surfactants, the liquid nanofluid has less adsorption loss during transport in the porous media, and can efficiently alter the rock wettability; meanwhile, it can also maintain a certain oil-water interfacial tension driving the water imbibition. In the previous study, the main properties of a Nonionic nanofluid-diluted microemulsion (DME) were evaluated, and the dispersion coefficient and adsorption rate of DME in tight rock under different conditions were quantified. In this study, to more intuitively show the change of wettability of DME to oil-wet rocks in the process of core flooding experiments and the changes of the water invasion front, CT is used to carry out on-line core flooding experiments, scan and calculate the water saturation in time, and compare it with the pressure drop in this process. Besides, the heterogeneity of rock samples is quantified in this paper. The results show that when the DME is used as the fracturing fluid additive, fingering of the water phase is observed at the beginning of the invasion; compared with brine, the fracturing fluid with DME has deeper invasion depth at the same time; the water invasion front gradually becomes uniform when the DME alters the rock wettability and triggers the imbibition; for tight rocks, DME can enter deeper pores and replace more oil because of its dominance. Finally, the selected nanofluids of DME were tested in two horizontal wells in the field, and their flowback fluids were collected and analyzed. The results show that the average droplet size of the flowback fluids in the wells using DME decreases with production time, and the altered wetting ability gradually returns to the level of the injected fracturing fluid. It can be confirmed that DME can migrate within the tight rock, make the rock surface more water-wet and enhance the imbibition capacity of the fracturing fluid, to reduce the reservoir pressure decline rate and increase production.

A Cost Effective, Fit-for-Purpose Single Well Producer-Injector Completion Strategy for Improved Recovery of Oil: Case Study in Niger Delta

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pranav Dubey ◽  
Adrian Okpere ◽  
Gideon Sanni ◽  
Ifeanyi Onyeukwu
Keyword(s):  
Data Acquisition ◽  
Oil Recovery ◽  
Niger Delta ◽  
Water Saturation ◽  
Optimized Design ◽  
Production Forecast ◽  
Safety Control ◽  
Well Completion ◽  
Single Well ◽  
Fit For Purpose

ABSTRACT An optimized completion design that addresses gaps in the existing single well Producer-Injector (P-I) concept is presented in this paper. Field development scenarios based on the optimized P-I concept and conventional waterflood were implemented in full-field 3D simulation models. Detailed review of the existing single P-I well concept revealed gaps in the completion design with regards to feasibility of data acquisition, ease of well intervention and well safety/control. The existing design utilizes a Single-String-Single (SSS) design with through-tubing water injection and oil production through annulus, whilst the optimized design is a Two-String-Dual (TSD) incorporating the flexibility of independent injection/production, zonal isolation for interventions & data acquisition and additional safety completion jewelries. A fit-for-purpose reservoir candidate was selected by assessing it's suitability to waterflooding. The reservoir belongs to the paralic sequence of the Agbada Formation of the Niger Delta basin – a sequence of interbedded sandstones and shales. The reservoir is an elongated anticline bounded by W-E oriented faults and exhibiting channelized shoreface sediments. Porosity and permeability ranges are 17-31% and 200mD-2200mD respectively. Shale baffles strongly reduces the influence of the aquifer hence the simulation model is an oil reservoir with weak aquifer completed by the P-I well producing oil and injecting into the aquifer in tandem. Performance of the single P-I well strategy was benchmarked against conventional waterflood patterns to effectively capture the recovery efficiency and production forecast for each scenario. Results from the five-parameter experimental design based on the P-I strategy, indicate Ultimate Oil Recovery is most impacted by horizontal permeability; injection rate, flow barrier transmissibility and vertical permeability with the least influence. Dynamic 3D water saturation maps show the waterflood front propagating principally in the horizontal direction from the injector, providing important reservoir boundary pressure support and minimizing the chance for injected water short-circuiting at the sandface. Ultimate Oil Recovery of 5spot/line drive patterns and the P-I strategy were similar, 54% and 52% respectively. Well completion costs and forecasts were fed into simple economics spreadsheet to test which technique provides the most value. Open book economics results showed the P-I concept provides better value (NPV 23.0 and VIR 0.67) than 5 spot and line drive patterns (NPV-17 and VIR-0.14).

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