Mobility of Ethomeen C12 and Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Foam at High Temperature/High Salinity and in Carbonate Cores

SPE Journal ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 21 (04) ◽  
pp. 1151-1163 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leyu Cui ◽  
Kun Ma ◽  
Maura Puerto ◽  
Ahmed A. Abdala ◽  
Ivan Tanakov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
High Temperature ◽  
High Salinity ◽  
Local Equilibrium ◽  
Co2 Flooding ◽  
Sweep Efficiency ◽  
Co2 Foam ◽  
Foam Model ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Carbon Dioxide Co2

Summary The low viscosity and density of carbon dioxide (CO2) usually result in the poor sweep efficiency in CO2-flooding processes, especially in heterogeneous formations. Foam is a promising method to control the mobility and thus reduce the CO2 bypass because of the gravity override and heterogeneity of formations. A switchable surfactant, Ethomeen C12, has been reported as an effective CO2-foaming agent in a sandpack with low adsorption on pure-carbonate minerals. Here, the low mobility of Ethomeen C12/CO2 foam at high temperature (120 °C), high pressure (3,400 psi), and high salinity [22 wt% of total dissolved solids (TDS)] was demonstrated in Silurian dolomite cores and in a wide range of foam qualities. The influence of various parameters, including aqueous solubility, thermal and chemical stability, flow rate, foam quality, salinity, temperature, and minimum-pressure gradient (MPG), on CO2 foam was discussed. A local-equilibrium foam model, the dry-out foam model, was used to fit the experimental data for reservoir simulation.

Visualizing and Quantifying Generation, Propagation, and Sweep of Nanocellulose-Strengthened Carbon Dioxide Foam in a Complex 2D Heterogeneous Fracture Network Model

SPE Journal ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Bing Wei ◽  
Qingtao Tian ◽  
Shengen Chen ◽  
Xingguang Xu ◽  
Dianlin Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Network Model ◽  
Gravitational Effect ◽  
Fracture Network ◽  
Sweep Efficiency ◽  
Co2 Foam ◽  
Reservoir Conditions ◽  
Foam Film ◽  
Carbon Dioxide Co2

Summary There exist two main issues hampering the wide application and development of carbon dioxide (CO2) foam in conformance improvement and CO2 mobility reduction in fractured systems: (1) instability of foam film under reservoir conditions and (2) uncertainties of foam flow in complex fractures. To address these two issues, we previously developed a series of nanocellulose-strengthened CO2 foam (referred to as NCF-st-CO2 foam), while the primary goal of this work is to thoroughly elucidate generation, propagation, and sweep of NCF-st-CO2 foam in a visual 2D heterogeneous fracture network model. NCF-st-CO2 foam outperformed CO2 foam in reducing gas mobility during either coinjection (COI) or surfactant-alternating-gas (SAG) injection, and the threshold foam quality was approximately 0.67. Foam creation was increased with the total superficial velocity for CO2 foam and almost stayed constant for NCF-st-CO2 foam in fractures during COI. For SAG, large surfactant slug could prevent CO2 from early breakthrough and facilitate foaming in situ. The improved sweep efficiency induced by NCF-st-CO2 foam occurred near the producer for both COI and SAG. Film division and behind mainly led to foam generation in the fracture model. Gravity segregation and override was insignificant during COI but became noticeable during SAG, which caused the sweep efficiency decrease by 3 to 9%. Owing to the enhanced film, NCF-st-CO2 foam enabled mitigation of the gravitational effect, especially around the producer.

Enhanced Experimental Carbon Dioxide Sweep Using Surface Coated Silica Nanoparticles as a Foaming Agent

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmad Alfakher ◽  
David A. DiCarlo
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Silica Nanoparticles ◽  
Oil Recovery ◽  
Graphical Representation ◽  
Co2 Flooding ◽  
Sweep Efficiency ◽  
Foaming Agent ◽  
The Core ◽  
Co2 Foam

Abstract Solvent flooding is a well-established method of enhanced oil recovery (EOR), with carbon dioxide (CO2) being the most-often used solvent. As CO2 is both less viscous and less dense than the fluids it displaces, the displacement suffers from poor sweep efficiency caused by an unfavorable mobility ratio and unfavorable gravity number. Creating in-situ CO2 foam improves the sweep efficiency of CO2 floods. Another application is the injection of CO2 foam into saline aquifers for carbon capture and storage (CCS). The goal of the core flood experiments in this paper was to study the effectiveness of surface coated silica nanoparticles as an in-situ CO2 foaming agent. In each experiment, the pressure drop was measured across five separate sections in the core, as well as along the whole core. In addition, the saturation distribution in the core was calculated periodically using computed tomography (CT) scanning measurements. The experiments consisted of vertical core floods where liquid CO2 displaced brine from the top to the bottom of the core. A flood with surface coated silica nanoparticles suspended in the brine is performed in the same core and at the same conditions to a flood with no nanoparticles, and results from these floods are compared. In these experiments, breakthrough occurred 45% later with foamed CO2, and the final CO2 saturation was also 45% greater than with the unfoamed CO2. The study shows how nanoparticles stabilize the CO2 front. The results provide quantitative information on, as well as a graphical representation of, the behavior of the CO2 foam front as it advances through the core. This data can be used to upscale the behavior observed and properties calculated from the core-scale to the reservoir-scale to improve field applications of CO2 flooding.

Expanding Polymer Injectivity Tests on a Second Giant Carbonate UAE Oil Reservoir at High Salinity & High Temperature Conditions.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
S.A. Baloch ◽  
J.M. Leon ◽  
S.K. Masalmeh ◽  
D. Chappell ◽  
J. Brodie ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Temperature ◽  
Polymer Solution ◽  
High Salinity ◽  
Laboratory Data ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Carbonate Reservoirs ◽  
Field Conditions ◽  
Sweep Efficiency ◽  
Tertiary Butyl ◽  
Solution Preparation

Abstract Over the last few years, ADNOC has systematically investigated a new polymer-based EOR scheme to improve sweep efficiency in high temperature and high salinity (HTHS) carbonate reservoirs in Abu Dhabi (Masalmeh et al., 2014). Consequently, ADNOC has developed a thorough de-risking program for the new EOR concept in these carbonate reservoirs. The de-risking program includes extensive laboratory experimental studies and field injectivity tests to ensure that the selected polymer can be propagated in the target reservoirs. A new polymer with high 2-acrylamido-tertiary-butyl sulfonic acid (ATBS) content was identified, based on extensive laboratory studies (Masalmeh, et al., 2019, Dupuis, et al., 2017, Jouenne 2020), and an initial polymer injectivity test (PIT) was conducted in 2019 at 250°F and salinity >200,000 ppm, with low H2S content (Rachapudi, et al., 2020, Leon and Masalmeh, 2021). The next step for ADNOC was to extend polymer application to harsher field conditions, including higher H2S content. Accordingly, a PIT was designed in preparation for a multi-well pilot This paper presents ADNOC's follow-up PIT, which expands the envelope of polymer flooding to dissolve H2S concentrations of 20 - 40 ppm to confirm injectivity at representative field conditions and in situ polymer performance. The PIT was executed over five months, from February 2021 to July 2021, followed by a chase water flood that will run until December 2021. A total of 108,392 barrels of polymer solution were successfully injected during the PIT. The extensive dataset acquired was used to assess injectivity and in-depth mobility reduction associated with the new polymer. Preliminary results from the PIT suggest that all key performance indicators have been achieved, with a predictable viscosity yield and good injectivity at target rates, consistent with the laboratory data. The use of a down-hole shut-in tool (DHSIT) to acquire pressure fall-off (PFO) data clarified the near-wellbore behaviour of the polymer and allowed optimisation of the PIT programme. This paper assesses the importance of water quality on polymer solution preparation and injection performance and reviews operational data acquired during the testing period. Polymer properties determined during the PIT will be used to optimise field and sector models and will facilitate the evaluation of polymer EOR in other giant, heterogeneous carbonate reservoirs, leading to improved recovery in ADNOC and Middle East reservoirs.

Computation of Thermodynamic Properties of Carbon Dioxide in the Range 0–750 Deg C

1970 ◽  
Vol 92 (3) ◽  
pp. 301-309 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Angelino ◽  
E. Macchi
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Thermal Properties ◽  
High Temperature ◽  
Thermodynamic Properties ◽  
Thermodynamic Functions ◽  
Critical Region ◽  
Density Measurement ◽  
Working Fluid ◽  
Power Cycles ◽  
Wide Range

The computation of power cycles employing carbon dioxide as working fluid and extending down to the critical region requires the knowledge of the thermodynamic properties of CO2 within a wide range of pressures and temperatures. Available data are recognized to be insufficient or insufficiently accurate chiefly in the vicinity of the critical dome. Newly published density and specific heat measurements are employed to compute thermodynamic functions at temperatures between 0 and 50 deg C, where the need of better data is more urgent. Methods for the computation of thermal properties from density measurement in the low and in the high temperature range are presented and discussed. Results are reported of the computation of entropy and enthalpy of CO2 in the range 150–750 deg C and 40–600 atm. The probable precision of the tables is inferred from an error analysis based on the generation, by means of a computer program of a set of pseudoexperimental points which, treated as actual measurements, yield useful information about the accuracy of the calculation procedure.

Switchable Nonionic to Cationic Ethoxylated Amine Surfactants for CO2 Enhanced Oil Recovery in High-Temperature, High-Salinity Carbonate Reservoirs

SPE Journal ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 19 (02) ◽  
pp. 249-259 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yunshen Chen ◽  
Amro S. Elhag ◽  
Benjamin M. Poon ◽  
Leyu Cui ◽  
Kun Ma ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Enhanced Oil Recovery ◽  
Oil Recovery ◽  
High Salinity ◽  
Capillary Tube ◽  
Mobility Control ◽  
Sweep Efficiency ◽  
Displacement Front ◽  
Flow Pathways ◽  
Co2 Flow ◽  
Carbon Dioxide Co2

Summary To improve sweep efficiency for carbon dioxide (CO2) enhanced oil recovery (EOR) up to 120°C in the presence of high-salinity brine (182 g/L NaCl), novel CO2/water (C/W) foams have been formed with surfactants composed of ethoxylated amine headgroups with cocoalkyl tails. These surfactants are switchable from the nonionic (unprotonated amine) state in dry CO2 to cationic (protonated amine) in the presence of an aqueous phase with a pH less than 6. The high hydrophilicity in the protonated cationic state was evident in the high cloudpoint temperature up to 120°C. The high cloud point facilitated the stabilization of lamellae between bubbles in CO2/water foams. In the nonionic form, the surfactant was soluble in CO2 at 120°C and 3,300 psia at a concentration of 0.2% (w/w). C/W foams were produced by injecting the surfactant into either the CO2 phase or the brine phase, which indicated good contact between phases for transport of surfactant to the interface. Solubility of the surfactant in CO2 and a favorable C/W partition coefficient are beneficial for transport of surfactant with CO2-flow pathways in the reservoir to minimize viscous fingering and gravity override. The ethoxylated cocoamine with two ethylene oxide (EO) groups was shown to stabilize C/W foams in a 30-darcy sandpack with NaCl concentrations up to 182 g/L at 120°C and 3,400 psia, and foam qualities from 50 to 95%. The foam produces an apparent viscosity of 6.2 cp in the sandpack and 6.3 cp in a 762-μm-inner-diameter capillary tube (downstream of the sandpack) in contrast with values well below 1 cp without surfactant present. Moreover, the cationic headgroup reduces the adsorption of ethoxylated alkyl amines on calcite, which is also positively charged in the presence of CO2 dissolved in brine. The surfactant partition coefficients (0 to 0.04) favored the water phase over the oil phase, which is beneficial for minimizing losses of surfactant to the oil phase for efficient surfactant usage. Furthermore, the surfactant was used to form C/W foams, without forming stable/viscous oil/water (O/W) emulsions. This selectivity is desirable for mobility control whereby CO2 will have low mobility in regions in which oil is not present and high contact with oil at the displacement front. In summary, the switchable ethoxylated alkyl amine surfactants provide both high cloudpoints in brine and high interfacial activities of ionic surfactants in water for foam generation, as well as significant solubilities in CO2 in the nonionic dry state for surfactant injection.

Evaluation of Foam-Gels for Conformance Control in High Temperature High Salinity Carbonates

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lyla Almaskeen ◽  
Abdulkareem AlSofi ◽  
Jinxun Wang ◽  
Ziyad Kaidar
Keyword(s):  
High Temperature ◽  
Oil Recovery ◽  
Concentration Ratio ◽  
High Salinity ◽  
Fractured Reservoirs ◽  
Gelation Time ◽  
Resistance Factor ◽  
Naturally Fractured Reservoirs ◽  
Conformance Control ◽  
Wide Range

Abstract In naturally fractured reservoirs, conformance control prior to enhanced oil recovery (EOR) application might be essential to ensure optimal contact and sufficient sweep. Recently, few studies investigated combining foams and gels into what is commonly coined as foamed-gels. Foamed-gels have been tested and shown to be potential for some field conditions. Yet, very limited studies were performed for high temperature and high salinity carbonates. Therefore, in this work, we study the potential of foamed-gels for high temperature and high salinity carbonates. The objective is to evaluate the potential of such synergy and to compare its value to the individual processes. For that purpose, in this work, we rely on bulk and core-scale tests. Bulk tests were used for initial screening. Wide range of foam-gel solutions were prepared with different polymer types and polymer concentrations. Test tubes were hand shacked thoroughly to generate foams. Foam heights were then measured from the test tubes. Heights were used to screen foaming agents and to study gelant effects on foamers in terms of foam strength (heights). The effect of foamers on gelation was evaluated through bottle tests. Based on the results, an optimal concentration ratio of gelant to foamer was determined and used in core-scale displacements, to further study the potential of this hybrid foam-gel process. Bulk results suggested that addition of the gelant up to a 4:1 foam to gel concentration ratio resulted in sufficient foam generation in some of the polymer samples. Yet, only two of the foam-gel samples generated a strong gel. Increasing the foamer concentration delayed the gelation time and in some samples, the solution did not gel. Through the coreflooding experiment, resistance factor (RF) and residual resistance factor (RRF) were obtained for different conformance control processes including foam, foam-gel, and gel. Foam-gel injection exhibited higher RF and RRF values than conventional foams. However, conventional gels showed even higher RF and RRF values than foam-gels. Combining two of the most widely used conformance control methods (foams and gels) can strike a balance. Foam-gel may offer a treatment that is deeper and more sustainable than foams and on the other a treatment that is more practical, and lower-cost than gels. Our laboratory results also demonstrate that such synergetic conformance control can be achieved in high salinity and high temperature carbonates with pronounced impact.

scholarly journals Intelligent Prediction of Minimum Miscibility Pressure (MMP) During CO2 Flooding Using Artificial Intelligence Techniques

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (24) ◽  
pp. 7020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amjed Hassan ◽  
Salaheldin Elkatatny ◽  
Abdulazeez Abdulraheem
Keyword(s):  
Neural Network ◽  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Absolute Error ◽  
Analytical Models ◽  
Co2 Injection ◽  
Co2 Flooding ◽  
Estimation Errors ◽  
Heterogeneous Reservoirs ◽  
Minimum Miscibility Pressure ◽  
Carbon Dioxide Co2

Carbon dioxide (CO2) injection is one of the most effective methods for improving hydrocarbon recovery. The minimum miscibility pressure (MMP) has a great effect on the performance of CO2 flooding. Several methods are used to determine the MMP, including slim tube tests, analytical models and empirical correlations. However, the experimental measurements are costly and time-consuming, and the mathematical models might lead to significant estimation errors. This paper presents a new approach for determining the MMP during CO2 flooding using artificial intelligent (AI) methods. In this work, reliable models are developed for calculating the minimum miscibility pressure of carbon dioxide (CO2-MMP). Actual field data were collected; 105 case studies of CO2 flooding in anisotropic and heterogeneous reservoirs were used to build and evaluate the developed models. The CO2-MMP is determined based on the hydrocarbon compositions, reservoir conditions and the volume of injected CO2. An artificial neural network, radial basis function, generalized neural network and fuzzy logic system were used to predict the CO2-MMP. The models’ reliability was compared with common determination methods; the developed models outperform the current CO2-MMP methods. The presented models showed a very acceptable performance: the absolute error was 6.6% and the correlation coefficient was 0.98. The developed models can minimize the time and cost of determining the CO2-MMP. Ultimately, this work will improve the design of CO2 flooding operations by providing a reliable value for the CO2-MMP.

Oil effect on CO2 foam stabilized by a switchable amine surfactant at high temperature and high salinity

Fuel ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 227 ◽  
pp. 247-255 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hao Chen ◽  
Amro S. Elhag ◽  
Yunshen Chen ◽  
Jose A. Noguera ◽  
Ali M. AlSumaiti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Temperature ◽  
High Salinity ◽  
Co2 Foam
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