Condensing Solvent Processes: In Search of the Production Function

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-20
Author(s):  
J. J. van Dorp
Keyword(s):  
Production Function ◽  
Heat Balance ◽  
Operating Temperature ◽  
Production Performance ◽  
Fast Diffusion ◽  
Vapor Chamber ◽  
Reservoir Properties ◽  
Solvent Vapor ◽  
Liquid Saturation ◽  
Bitumen Extraction

Summary The heavy-oil- and bitumen-recovery process by injection of a pure condensing solvent in a solvent vapor chamber provides an alternative to steam-based recovery techniques such as steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD). Because of the lower operating temperature between 40 and 80°C, the process uses a much lower energy budget than a steam process and thus results in significantly reduced greenhouse-gas emissions. This paper describes the route to a successful production function with the physical processes at play and using analytical tools. Physical relationships are derived for the solvent/bitumen (S/B) ratio, the bitumen drainage from the roof of the solvent vapor chamber, and for bitumen extraction from both sides of the solvent chamber by the draining condensed solvent. The fast diffusion of bitumen into this narrow liquid solvent zone is likely subtly enhanced by transverse dispersion. The speed of bitumen extraction from the roof of the solvent vapor chamber is constrained by the gas/oil capillary pressure. Extraction from the side of the chamber is approximately three times faster by the action of the thin gravity-draining liquid solvent film. Several equations are provided to enable creation of a heat balance for this condensing solvent process. Laboratory and field observations are matched, including the rates, the heat balance, and the S/B ratio. The model can explain constrained production performance by identifying the rate-limiting steps (e.g., when insufficient solvent condenses). The model predicts high solvent holdup during the rise of the solvent chamber. A method to estimate this solvent liquid saturation is provided. The S/B ratio depends on injector-wellbore heat losses, the (high) liquid saturation in the rising solvent chamber, and the process properties (operating temperature), reservoir properties (heat capacity, porosity, and oil saturation), and solvent properties (density and latent heat). In the existing body of literature, no satisfactory analytical model was available; this new approach helps to constrain production performance and to estimate solvent and heat requirements. The methods in this paper can be used in the future for subsurface project design and performance predictions.

Analytical Rate-Transient Analysis and Production Performance of Waterflooded Fields with Delayed Injection Support

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-23
Author(s):  
Daniel O'Reilly ◽  
Manouchehr Haghighi ◽  
Mohammad Sayyafzadeh ◽  
Matthew Flett
Keyword(s):  
Steady State ◽  
Transient Analysis ◽  
Water Injection ◽  
Data Interpretation ◽  
Production Performance ◽  
Production Data ◽  
Reservoir Properties ◽  
Two Phase ◽  
Production Forecasting ◽  
Rate Transient Analysis

Summary An approach to the analysis of production data from waterflooded oil fields is proposed in this paper. The method builds on the established techniques of rate-transient analysis (RTA) and extends the analysis period to include the transient- and steady-state effects caused by a water-injection well. This includes the initial rate transient during primary production, the depletion period of boundary-dominated flow (BDF), a transient period after injection starts and diffuses across the reservoir, and the steady-state production that follows. RTA will be applied to immiscible displacement using a graph that can be used to ascertain reservoir properties and evaluate performance aspects of the waterflood. The developed solutions can also be used for accurate and rapid forecasting of all production transience and boundary-dominated behavior at all stages of field life. Rigorous solutions are derived for the transient unit mobility displacement of a reservoir fluid, and for both constant-rate-injection and constant-pressure-injection after a period of reservoir depletion. A simple treatment of two-phase flow is given to extend this to the water/oil-displacement problem. The solutions are analytical and are validated using reservoir simulation and applied to field cases. Individual wells or total fields can be studied with this technique; several examples of both will be given. Practical cases are given for use of the new theory. The equations can be applied to production-data interpretation, production forecasting, injection-water allocation, and for the diagnosis of waterflood-performanceproblems. Correction Note: The y-axis of Fig. 8d was corrected to "Dimensionless Decline Rate Integral, qDdi". No other content was changed.

Effects of Rate, Temperature, and Solvent Type on Vapor/Oil Gravity Drainage (VOGD) in Fractured Reservoirs

SPE Journal ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (03) ◽  
pp. 973-987 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neha Anand ◽  
Brandon Tang ◽  
Bradley (Duong) Nguyen ◽  
Chao-yu Sie ◽  
Marco Verlaan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oil Recovery ◽  
Molecular Diffusion ◽  
Operating Temperature ◽  
Fractured Reservoirs ◽  
Viscosity Reduction ◽  
Gravity Drainage ◽  
Asphaltene Precipitation ◽  
Solvent Vapor ◽  
Solvent Type ◽  
High Fluid

Summary Application of thermal and solvent enhanced-oil-recovery (EOR) technologies for viscous heavy-oil recovery in naturally fractured reservoirs is generally challenging because of low permeability, unfavorable wettability and mobility, and considerable heat losses. Vapor/oil gravity drainage (VOGD) is a modified solvent-only injection technology, targeted at improving viscous oil recovery in fractured reservoirs. It uses high fluid conductivity in vertical fractures to rapidly establish a large solvent/oil contact area and eliminates the need for massive energy and water inputs, compared with thermal processes, by operating at significantly lower temperatures with no water requirement. An investigation of the effects of solvent-injection rate, temperature, and solvent type [n-butane and dichloromethane (DCM)] on the recovery profile was performed on a single-fracture core model. This work combines the knowledge obtained from experimental investigation and analytical modeling using the Butler correlation (Das and Butler 1999) with validated fluid-property models to understand the relative importance of various recovery mechanisms behind VOGD—namely, molecular diffusion, asphaltene precipitation and deposition, capillarity, and viscosity reduction. Experimental and analytical model studies indicated that molecular diffusion, convective dispersion, viscosity reduction by means of solvent dissolution, and gravity drainage are dominant phenomena in the recovery process. Material-balance analysis indicated limited asphaltene precipitation. High fluid transmissibility in the fracture along with gravity drainage led to early solvent breakthroughs and oil recoveries as high as 75% of original oil in place (OOIP). Injecting butane at a higher rate and operating temperature enhanced the solvent-vapor rate inside the core, leading to the highest ultimate recovery. Increasing the operating temperature alone did not improve ultimate recovery because of decreased solvent solubility in the oil. Although with DCM, lower asphaltene precipitation should maximize the oil-recovery rate, its higher solvent (vapor)/oil interfacial tension (IFT) resulted in lower ultimate recovery than butane. Ideal density and nonideal double-log viscosity-mixing rules along with molecular diffusivity as a power function of oil viscosity were used to obtain an accurate physical description of the fluids for modeling solvent/oil behavior. With critical phenomena such as capillarity and asphaltene precipitation missing, the Butler analytical model underpredicts recovery rates by as much as 70%.

Sustainable Agriculture Irrigation System Using a Novel Solar Still Design With a Compound Parabolic Concentrator Reflector

2020 ◽  
Vol 142 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Honglie Ye ◽  
Yanjie Zheng ◽  
Hongfei Zheng ◽  
Shen Liang
Keyword(s):  
Operating Temperature ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Production Performance ◽  
Energy Utilization ◽  
Utilization Efficiency ◽  
Water Production ◽  
Solar Still ◽  
Compound Parabolic Concentrator ◽  
Agriculture Irrigation ◽  
Daily Water

Abstract In this paper, a new design of a solar still powered by a compound parabolic concentrator (CPC-SS) for agriculture irrigation is proposed and investigated. The concentrating performance of its concentrator is simulated which is proved that it has a wide focusing angle and the receiving rate is still more than 80% when the incident angle of light reaches to 35 deg. Theoretical calculations show that the daily water production rate per unit area of the solar still can reach 4 kg/m2, which can meet the crop growth needs of 2 m2. The water production performance and operating temperature of the CPC-SS were tested experimentally under actual weather conditions, and the variation curves of system internal working temperature and water production performance with time were given. As the results, in the sunny weather conditions in Beijing in the autumn, the daily water production of the tubular solar still is about 2.03 kg/m2, and the maximum operating temperature in the tube reaches 60 °C. The actual solar energy utilization efficiency can be as high as 22%.

A new generation inflow performance modelling tool with improved capabilities

2009 ◽  
Vol 49 (1) ◽  
pp. 413
Author(s):  
Akim Kabir ◽  
Yvette Manolas
Keyword(s):  
Production Performance ◽  
Performance Modelling ◽  
Reservoir Properties ◽  
Exploration And Production ◽  
Calculation Results ◽  
Perforated Completions ◽  
Parametric Studies ◽  
Inflow Performance ◽  
New Generation ◽  
Selection Of

The inflow performance prediction of a completion is one of the most important tasks in forecasting production performance of a well. When selecting an optimum completion design it is essential to compare different options and perform parametric studies, one of the key completion decisions being the selection of a cased and perforated or barefoot well. In cased and perforated wells, key inflow performance parameters include gun type, perforation penetration depth, shot density, shot phasing, depth of mud invasion and dependence of their effects on reservoir properties. The open literature hosts a plethora of inflow equations for some classic completion practices; however, complex options are not adequately addressed. More importantly, when one compares inflow performance of various completion options or conducts a parametric study of certain parameters, the relative calculation results do not always make sense. In this paper, we describe an operator’s (Shell International Exploration and Production) in-house study to develop a consistent set of inflow performance equations that not only make sense in their own right, but also make good relative sense when comparing different completion options, particularly with regard to cased and perforated wells. Most of the significant open literature has been reviewed and a set of consistent inflow models have been compiled and developed. Many equations have been improved—e.g., perforation skin calculations, mechanical and total skin calculations, rate dependant skin for horizontal completions—and new equations have been derived for options not previously modelled in the literature (e.g., barefoot and perforated completions, double perforated completions, re-perforated completions and complex horizontal completions). All equations have been coded into the Shell Perforation Optimisation Tool (SPOTTM) software package, enabling engineers to easily and accurately predict and compare complex completion options for design decisions. Inflow performance calculation results of various completion scenarios and parametric studies are also presented.

Reservoir And Production Characterization Through Multi-well Pressure Deconvolution Analysis to Optimize Field Development Strategy in Pematang Lantih Field, Jambi

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andhy Kurniawan ◽  
Reffi Erany ◽  
Artur Aslanyan ◽  
Danila Gulyaev ◽  
Sameer Joshi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Data Availability ◽  
Production Performance ◽  
Productivity Index ◽  
No Production ◽  
Oil Well ◽  
Formation Pressure ◽  
Reservoir Properties ◽  
Test Technique ◽  
Deconvolution Analysis ◽  
Maintenance System

Abstract Target reservoir and production characterization study was carried out in Pematang Lantih field, Jambi, Indonesia. The Talang Akar Formation has 10 underlying reservoirs from 600 m to 900m TVDSS. This multi-layers sandstone structure is driven by regional tectonic stress and complicated by several faults. Sharp oil well production decline was observed during 3 years period since initial production in 2015, with GOR increase. Arresting production decline was the key objective for efficiency increase, hence improved reservoir characterization was needed, as cross-well reservoir properties/interference were unclear. Multiwell Retrospective Test (MRT) is a recent development used to study reservoirs by carrying out automatic matching of historical production rates and bottom hole. It provides practical, fast yet robust analysis for reservoir evaluation. It can quantify inter-well pressure interference and evaluate cross-well reservoir properties. The main goal of this study was to get better reservoir understanding and evaluate ability of this technique to deliver additional value at current reservoir conditions, considering initial data availability/quality. The key technology element used is multi-well pressure deconvolution, which is a highly parallelizable decoding algorithm running on multi-core workstation. The analysis is carried out on historical well pressure and production data. Hence no field operation is needed and there is no production deferment since it does not require additional field data acquisition. The technique delivers formation pressure history and productivity index history in tested well reconstruction. It is also proficient to reconstruct cross-well interference and estimate cross-well transmissibility from offset wells towards the tested well. Another result is evaluation of formation pressure decline impact on oil production of the existing wells. The study area has reservoir pressure that dropped below bubble point and continues declining. Historical data over 3 years, from a cell consisting of 4 producers was analyzed using this technique. The analysis found uniform formation transmissibility between the analyzed wells at Pematang Lantih field. Transmissibility was estimated by analyzing cross-well transient responses (CTR) calculated with multi-well deconvolution. CTR is a function representing BHP response to neighbor well single rate production. CTR is interpreted with interference test technique thus estimating transmissibility values. The analysis result confirmed that all 3 offset wells have a pressure impact towards the pressure-tested well (PLT-X) with quantified values. Connectivity analysis showed the expectation of rapid production decline if there was no pressure maintenance system. The recommendation was to estimate the economics of pressure maintenance system implementation in order to improve production performance. By using multi-well deconvolution analysis, the entire 3-years cell production history was converted into a single unit-rate pressure transient that enabled deep reservoir investigation and calculation of field reserves undisturbed by dynamic well boundaries.

scholarly journals Reservoir Properties of Low-Permeable Carbonate Rocks: Experimental Features

Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 2233 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aliya Mukhametdinova ◽  
Andrey Kazak ◽  
Tagir Karamov ◽  
Natalia Bogdanovich ◽  
Maksim Serkin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gas Permeability ◽  
Total Porosity ◽  
Carbonate Reservoir ◽  
Reservoir Rock ◽  
Crushed Rock ◽  
Void Space ◽  
Reservoir Properties ◽  
Rock Samples ◽  
Liquid Saturation ◽  
Imaging Results

This paper presents an integrated petrophysical characterization of a representative set of complex carbonate reservoir rock samples with a porosity of less than 3% and permeability of less than 1 mD. Laboratory methods used in this study included both bulk measurements and multiscale void space characterization. Bulk techniques included gas volumetric nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), liquid saturation (LS), porosity, pressure-pulse decay (PDP), and pseudo-steady-state permeability (PSS). Imaging consisted of thin-section petrography, computed X-ray macro- and microtomography, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Mercury injection capillary pressure (MICP) porosimetry was a proxy technique between bulk measurements and imaging. The target set of rock samples included whole cores, core plugs, mini cores, rock chips, and crushed rock. The research yielded several findings for the target rock samples. NMR was the most appropriate technique for total porosity determination. MICP porosity matched both NMR and imaging results and highlighted the different effects of solvent extraction on throat size distribution. PDP core-plug gas permeability measurements were consistent but overestimated in comparison to PSS results, with the difference reaching two orders of magnitude. SEM proved to be the only feasible method for void-scale imaging with a spatial resolution up to 5 nm. The results confirmed the presence of natural voids of two major types. The first type was organic matter (OM)-hosted pores, with dimensions of less than 500 nm. The second type was sporadic voids in the mineral matrix (biogenic clasts), rarely larger than 250 nm. Comparisons between whole-core and core-plug reservoir properties showed substantial differences in both porosity (by a factor of 2) and permeability (up to 4 orders of magnitude) caused by spatial heterogeneity and scaling.

scholarly journals Optimization of Horizontal Well Direction and Length Considering Geomechanics Properties and Drainage Area Using Genetic Algorithm in A Gas Field

2017 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 114
Author(s):  
Prasandi Abdul Aziz ◽  
Tutuka Ariadji
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Algorithm ◽  
Objective Function ◽  
Horizontal Well ◽  
Random Search ◽  
Gas Production ◽  
Production Performance ◽  
Drainage Area ◽  
Trial And Error ◽  
Reservoir Properties ◽  
Gas Field

To maximize a horizontal well production, we need to determine the optimum direction and horizontal well length that maximizes the gas field recovery for a certain constant flow rate called by plateau rate. This problem is conventionally solved by using a reservoir simulation model and trial and error procedure that consumes considerably a lot of time and efforts. This study uses a random search method, i.e., Genetic Algorithm (GA), to solve this optimization problem and it very much eases to find the best well location with less time and efforts consumed.Along the general technique in directing a horizontal well towards the least principal stress of rocks, this study considers the geomechanics effects that influence the gas production performance. And also, the drainage area of horizontal well will be considered in this study to obtain the optimum horizontal well direction and length. In order to do this, a new proposed objective function for the GA has been constructed based on basic reservoir properties (i.e., porosity, permeability and gas saturation) and geomechanics properties (i.e., Young’s modulus and Poisson’s ratio). The results of the proposed method are validated using a reservoir model and economics evaluation.It may be concluded that the applying GA, with the appropriate objective function, can give accurate and faster results compared with the trial and error method using reservoir simulator, technically and economically, and also the proposed method is able to reduce the amount of works considerably time.

Field Applications of a Semianalytical Model of Multilateral Wells in Multilayer Reservoirs

2010 ◽  
Vol 13 (06) ◽  
pp. 861-872 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yan Pan ◽  
Medhat M. Kamal ◽  
Jitendra Kikani
Keyword(s):  
Constant Pressure ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Oil Field ◽  
Production Performance ◽  
Well Performance ◽  
Unknown Parameters ◽  
Reservoir Properties ◽  
Multilayer Systems ◽  
Main Challenge ◽  
Transient Data

Summary Advanced drilling technology has been widely and successfully applied to construct multilateral wells in reservoirs. This paper presents several field applications of a generalized semianalytical segmented model accounting for multilateral-well systems in commingled layered reservoirs. Cases include a heavy-oil field, Al Rayyan oil field offshore Qatar, and Dos Cuadras field offshore California. The model can predict the production performance under either constant-rate or constant-pressure conditions of a well system with any number of arbitrarily oriented laterals of any length and nonuniform formation damage. The reservoir layers, with different porosities, anisotropic permeabilities, and drainage areas, are noncommunicating except through the wellbore. The solution is valid for large reservoirs and when no-flow or constant-pressure boundaries affect the pressure behavior. Results of applying this method in the field cases showed that the model enabled us to predict multilateral-well performance, to obtain information about reservoir connectivity, and to estimate well and reservoir properties in a multilayer system. Uncertainty caused by the large number of unknown parameters in such a complex system represents the main challenge in using this method. It is recommended to use other means together with pressure transient data to reduce the uncertainty. The presented model and the lessons learned from the field applications provide engineers with a tool enabling the use of transient data collected from multilateral wells in multilayer systems for reservoir characterization and performance forecast.

scholarly journals History of hydrocarbon exploration in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq

GeoArabia ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 181-220
Author(s):  
David S. Mackertich ◽  
Adnan I. Samarrai
Keyword(s):  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Water Injection ◽  
Gas Production ◽  
Hydrocarbon Exploration ◽  
Production Performance ◽  
Kurdistan Region ◽  
Reservoir Properties ◽  
The North ◽  
Almost All ◽  
Exploration Activity

ABSTRACT The Kurdistan Region of Iraq has witnessed extraordinary levels of exploration activity since the first exploration well to be drilled in over two decades was spudded in 2005. Since then almost 200 wells have been drilled encountering recoverable reserves estimated to be in excess of 15 billion barrels of oil equivalent. Whilst the region is in close proximity to many of the giant and supergiant fields of Iran and Iraq, the reservoirs in which discoveries have been made are largely different. In Iraq a large percentage of discovered reserves reside in Cenozoic and Cretaceous sediments capped by Cenozoic evaporite sequences. Over much of Kurdistan, particularly the north and northeastern parts of the region, Cenozoic strata are absent. A decade ago many were doubtful that significant quantities of hydrocarbons could be trapped in the absence of the Cenozoic evaporite sequences. Furthermore, whilst the presence of large surface structures and significant oil seeps were encouraging to some, to others it fueled concerns about trap leakage. Today the majority of the surface anticlinal features in Kurdistan have been drilled, but remain to be fully evaluated. Almost all of the exploration activity in Kurdistan has taken place on 2-D seismic with vertical exploration wells. In the last few years, a number of 3-D seismic surveys have been acquired and these will undoubtedly lead to production and reserve enhancements in parallel with increased subsurface complexity. Following a decade of exploration, three fields have been fully appraised and have a reasonable early production history: Tawke, Taq Taq and Khurmala. Reserve additions in the Tawke Field have been significant as a result of increased production performance due to better than originally anticipated reservoir properties, better pressure communication and additional reserves found in older reservoirs. It is probable that similar trends will occur in other fields and discoveries. Whilst a small number of horizontal wells have been drilled, advanced techniques used for producing from tight fractured carbonates such as multilateral wells, hydraulic fracturing, selective completions, proping and water injection have not as yet been used in the region. Almost all wells in Kurdistan have been drilled on surface or near subsurface structures within the foreland or the fold belt. Some wells have drilled through thrusts, more often by accident as opposed to on purpose. There have been virtually no dedicated wells for pure sub-thrust plays or stratigraphic traps although hydrocarbons have been found below significant thrusts and also beyond apparent structural closure in some structures. Challenges remain in what is a structurally complex and recently deformed region. High levels of exploration and appraisal activity persist and new pipeline infrastructure is under construction. It is likely that the Kurdistan Region of Iraq will develop to become an important contributor to world oil and gas production. This paper aims to summarise the first decade of exploration and appraisal activity in Kurdistan Region of northern Iraq. Due to the paucity of technical papers on this subject, this document draws upon the authors’ own knowledge and material published by companies operating in the region.

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