scholarly journals Effect of Emulsification on Enhanced Oil Recovery during Surfactant/Polymer Flooding in the Homogeneous and Heterogeneous Porous Media

Geofluids ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Xiaoyan Wang ◽  
Jie Zhang ◽  
Guangyu Yuan ◽  
Wei Wang ◽  
Yanbin Liang ◽  
...  

Surfactant polymer (SP) flooding has become an important enhanced oil recovery (EOR) technique for the high-water cut mature oilfield. Emulsification in the SP flooding process is regarded as a powerful mark for the successful application of SP flooding in the filed scale. People believe emulsification plays a positive role in EOR. This paper uses one-dimensional homogenous core flooding experiments and parallel core flooding experiments to examine the effect of emulsification on the oil recoveries in the SP flooding process. 0.3 pore volume (PV) of emulsions which are prepared using ultralow interface intension (IFT) SP solution and crude oil with stirring method was injected into core models to mimic the emulsification process in SP flooding, followed by 0.35 PV of SP flooding to flood emulsions and remaining oil. The other experiment was preformed 0.65 PV of SP flooding as a contrast. We found SP flooding can obviously enhance oil recovery factor by 25% after water flooding in both homogeneous and heterogeneous cores. Compared to SP flooding, emulsification can contribute an additional recovery factor of 3.8% in parallel core flooding experiments. But there is no difference on recoveries in homogenous core flooding experiments. It indicates that the role of emulsification during SP flooding will be more significant for oil recoveries in a heterogeneous reservoir rather than a homogeneous reservoir.

2019 ◽  
Vol 141 (9) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yongfei Yang ◽  
Haiyuan Yang ◽  
Liu Tao ◽  
Jun Yao ◽  
Wendong Wang ◽  
...  

To investigate the characteristics of oil distribution in porous media systems during a high water cut stage, sandstones with different permeability scales of 53.63 × 10−3 μm2 and 108.11 × 10−3 μm2 were imaged under a resolution of 4.12 μm during a water flooding process using X-ray tomography. Based on the cluster-size distribution of oil segmented from the tomography images and through classification using the shape factor and Euler number, the transformation of the oil distribution pattern in different injection stages was studied for samples with different pore structures. In general, the distribution patterns of an oil cluster continuously change during water injection. Large connected oil clusters break off into smaller segments. The sandstone with a higher permeability (108.11 × 10−3 μm2) shows the larger change in distribution pattern, and the remaining oil is trapped in the pores with a radius of approximately 7–12 μm. Meanwhile, some disconnected clusters merge together and lead to a re-connection during the high water cut period. However, the pore structure becomes compact and complex, the residual nonwetting phase becomes static and is difficult to move; and thus, all distribution patterns coexist during the entire displacement process and mainly distribute in pores with a radius of 8–12 μm. For the pore-scale entrapment characteristics of the oil phase during a high water cut period, different enhance oil recovery (EOR) methods should be considered in sandstones correspondent to each permeability scale.


Author(s):  
Kuiqian Ma ◽  
Ao Li ◽  
Shuhao Guo ◽  
Jieqiong Pang ◽  
Yongchao Xue ◽  
...  

The multi-layer co-exploitation method is often used in offshore oilfields because of the large spacing between the injection and production wells. As oilfields gradually enter the high water-cut stage, the contradiction between the horizontal and vertical directions becomes more prominent, and the distribution of the remaining oil is more complex. Oilfields are facing unprecedented challenges in further enhancing oil recovery. Using oilfield A, which is in the high water-cut stage, as the research object, we compiled a detailed description of the remaining oil during the high water-cut stage using the information collected during the comprehensive adjustment and infilling of the oilfield. In addition various techniques for tapping the potential reservoir, stabilizing the oil, and controlling the water were investigated. A set of key techniques for the continuous improvement of the efficiency of water injection after comprehensive adjustment of high water-cut fields was generated. Based on the determined configuration of the offshore deltaic reservoir, a set of detailed descriptive methods and tapping technology for extracting the remaining oil in the offshore high water-cut oilfield after comprehensive adjustment was established. By considering the equilibrium displacement and using a new quantitative characterization method that includes displacement, a new technique for determining the quantity of water that needs to be injected into a stratified injection well during the high water-cut stage was established. Based on the principle of flow field intensity reconfiguration, a linear, variable-intensity, alternating injection and withdrawal technique was proposed. With the application of this series of techniques, the increase in the water content was controlled to within 1%, the natural reduction rate was controlled to within 9%, and the production increased by 1.060 × 107 m3.


Author(s):  
V. V. Mukhametshin ◽  
◽  
R. N. Bakhtizin ◽  
L. S. Kuleshova ◽  
A. P. Stabinskas ◽  
...  

For the conditions of deposits in Jurassic and Paleozoic terrigenous reservoirs of the Sherkalinsky trough and Shaimsky swell of Western Siberia, a criterion analysis and screening of enhanced oil recovery techniques used in the fields of the West Siberian oil and gas province were carried out. For various groups of oil fields, a set of the most effective technologies for the development of residual hard-to-recover reserves of flooded fields has been proposed. The areas for effective application of the selected techniques for deposits introduced into development within the considered tectonic-stratigraphic elements are determined. The areas determination was carried out on the basis of 19 parameters characterizing the geological-physical and physical-chemical properties of formations and fluids, as well as the maximum and minimum values of the canonical discriminant functions determined by the situational map. Based on the numerical modeling of oil recovery processes, a forecast of an increase in the final oil recovery factor was made for five facilities-field test sites of the selected groups of facilities. Keywords: hard-to-recover reserves; terrigenous reservoirs; factor analysis; enhanced oil recovery techniques; numerical modeling; criterion analysis.


Geofluids ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Daiyin Yin ◽  
Wei Zhou

When fractured low-permeability reservoirs enter a high water cut period, injected water always flows along fractures, water cut speeds increase rapidly, and oil production decreases quickly in oil wells. It is difficult to further improve the oil recovery of such fractured low-permeability reservoirs. In this paper, based on the advantages of in-depth profile control and cyclic water injection, the feasibility of combining deep profile control with cyclic water injection to improve oil recovery in fractured low-permeability reservoirs during the high water cut stage was studied, and the mechanisms of in-depth profile control and cyclic waterflooding were investigated. According to the characteristics of reservoirs in Zone X, as well as the fracture features and evolution mechanisms of the well network, an outcrop plate fractured core model that considers fracture direction was developed, and core displacement experiments were carried out by using the HPAM/Cr3+ gel in-depth profile control system. The enhanced oil recovery of waterflooding, cyclic water injection, and in-depth profile control, as well as a combination of in-depth profile control and cyclic water injection, was investigated. Moreover, variations in the water cut degree, reserve recovery percentage, injection pressure, fracture and matrix pressure, and water saturation were monitored. On this basis, the mechanism of enhanced oil recovery based on the combined utilization of in-depth profile control and cyclic waterflooding methods was analyzed. The results show that in-depth profile control and cyclic water injection can be synchronized to further increase oil recovery. The recovery ratio under the combination of in-depth profile control and cyclic water injection was 1.9% higher than that under the in-depth profile control and 5.6% higher than that under cyclic water injection. The combination of in-depth profile control and cyclic water injection can increase the reservoir pressure; therefore, the fluctuation of pressure between the matrix and its fractures increases, more crude oil flows into the fracture, and the oil production increases.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiang Zhou ◽  
Yongsheng Tan ◽  
Qi Jiang

<p>In this study, in order to enhance heavy oil recovery in the heavy oil reservoir with a high-water-cut after water flooding process, experimental and numerical simulation studies are conducted. In the experimental studies, firstly, the properties of the heavy oil-CO2 system were measured under different saturation pressures at the reservoir temperature. Secondly, to mimic the high-water-cut condition in the real reservoir, water flooding process was conducted for each core; then four long core experiments insist of one CO2 huff `n` puff process and three CO2 flooding processes were implemented. The CO2 huff `n` puff process is conducted to compare the production performance with that in the CO2 flooding process to optimize the method. Regarding the CO2 flooding process, different gas (pure CO2, flue gas) and different production categories (constant production pressure, pressure depletion) were applied to study the heavy oil production performance in the heavy oil reservoir with high-water-cut. The experimental results indicate that, the CO2 flooding coupling with pressure depletion process is the best choice to reduce the water-cut and enhance the heavy oil recovery, which is 41.84% of the original oil in place and the water-cut reduced to lower than 70%. In the numerical simulation studies, the WinProp module in CMG is applied to simulate the properties of the heavy oil-CO2 system, which is generated by recombining CO2 into heavy oil, and high agreement simulation results were obtained. Then the results of the optimized experiment were history matched using GEM module. Finally, the upscaling studied was conducted. The CO2 flooding processes are carried out in the studied reservoir to maximum the heavy oil recovery factor. Moreover, the CO2 storage ratio is studied using GEM model.</p>


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hongfu Shi ◽  
Zhongbo Xu ◽  
Hui Cai ◽  
Wenjun Zhang ◽  
Yunting Li

Abstract At present, the Bohai Oilfield has entered the late stage of high water cut, with a high degree of flooding and an average water cut of more than 80%. Horizontal wells were widely used in tapping the potentials of high water-cut oilfields with avoiding local water flooding, accurately develop enrichment of remaining oil, and improving initial productivity. Until 2020, there are more than 1,200 horizontal wells in the Bohai Oilfield, with daily production accounting for more than 40% of the entire oilfield. However, mainly continental deposits, strong heterogeneity, heavy oil, relatively large mobility ratio, long-term water flooding, and large liquid production have resulted in the obvious dominant channels in the formation, intensified ineffective water circulation, and low oil recovery. The application of horizontal wells faces huge challenges due to the serious water flooding and the prevalence of thief zones. Inflow Control Device (ICD) is becoming more and more prevalent in bottom water reservoirs as it can delay the water breakthrough and significantly improve the economic benefit of a project by producing more oil and less water. The strong microscopic heterogeneity along the horizontal water channeling outside the screen or water channeling along the annulus between the screen and ICD tubular is responsible for the short term even ineffective effect of conventional ICD. Based on the review of the conventional ICD application in the Q oilfield, a workflow is present to design and optimize hybrid ICD to increase the success probability of the validity period of water control.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document