scholarly journals LABORATORY INVESTIGATION OF A NEW LIBYAN CHEMICAL EOR: Impact of GWLI on Relative Permeability, Wettability, Oil Recovery, Breakthrough and Fractional Flow

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 55-66
Author(s):  
Madi Abdullah Naser ◽  
Omar Azouza
Keyword(s):  
Relative Permeability ◽  
Oil Recovery ◽  
Water Injection ◽  
Reservoir Rock ◽  
Wettability Alteration ◽  
Fractional Flow ◽  
Core Samples ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Chemical Eor ◽  
The Impact

The greater demand for crude oil, the increased difficulty of discovering new reservoirs, and the desire to reduce dependence on imports have emphasized the need for enhanced recovery methods capable of economically producing the crude remaining in known reservoirs. Oil recovery from oil reservoirs may be improved by designing the composition and salinity of water injection. The process is sometimes referred to as sea or smart water injection. In this paper, a Gaberoun Water Leak Injection (GWLI) have been discovered and investigated as a new Libyan chemical EOR in laboratories on relative permeability, wettability, oil recovery, breakthrough, and fractional flow for carbonate and sandstone reservoirs. GWLI has several advantages which are relatively cheap, reliable, and available. GWLI potentially would have a wide range of applications in water injection such as wettability alteration. The equipment and the operating procedures were designed to simulate the reservoir condition. The experimental results indicate that, that the GWLI has caused the increasing of oil recovery in sandstone and carbonate core. The impact of GWLI on oil recovery in sandstone core samples was higher than carbonate core samples. The effect of acidity (pH) of GWLI on oil recovery in sandstone and carbonate core samples was higher when the pH is 5 than when the acidity is 10. Hopefully, the research findings can possibly be useful for references and for operating companies as an important source for understanding and visualizing the effects of pH, permeability, porosity, and wettability on oil recovery in reservoir rock using GWLI.

Experiments and Analysis of Multiscale Viscous Fingering During Forced Imbibition

SPE Journal ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 17 (04) ◽  
pp. 1142-1159 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jyotsna Sharma ◽  
S.B.. B. Inwood ◽  
A.R.. R. Kovscek
Keyword(s):  
Viscous Fluid ◽  
Oil Recovery ◽  
Water Injection ◽  
Relative Magnitude ◽  
Fractional Flow ◽  
Practical Applications ◽  
Scaling Model ◽  
Functional Relations ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Displacement Patterns

Summary Immiscible displacement of one fluid by another in porous media has practical applications when viscous oil is produced by water injection. A greater understanding of the flow patterns that evolve during such unstable displacements yields insights into improving predictive capability and increasing oil recovery. Immiscible multiphase displacement exhibits a wide range of behaviors depending on the relative magnitude of viscous, capillary, and gravity forces. Using flow-visualization images from forced-imbibition experiments carried out in etched-silicon micromodels, we show that the conventional Darcy-type modeling of fluid flux is not predictive under unstable, immiscible, forced-imbibition conditions at the scale of interest. When a less viscous fluid displaces a more viscous fluid at low capillary numbers, the displacement patterns show viscous instabilities in the form of fingers and local capillary control of interface movement. We show that such complex displacement patterns are well modeled using statistical theories. We derive a scaling model to describe quantitatively the functional forms for saturation, fractional flow, and capillary dispersion profiles using the self-similar characteristics inherent in the displacement patterns. For the specific range of flow rates (Nc ~ 10−7) and oil/water viscosity ratios (M ~ 8–400) considered in our experiments, both capillary and viscous forces are important, and the displacement pattern indicates fractal features. Results show that functional relations of the scaling model are in considerable agreement with our experimental data.

Experimental Investigation of Near-Miscible Water-Alternating-Gas Injection Performance in Water-Wet and Mixed-Wet Systems

SPE Journal ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 18 (01) ◽  
pp. 114-123 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Mobeen Fatemi ◽  
Mehran Sohrabi
Keyword(s):  
Relative Permeability ◽  
Oil Recovery ◽  
Gas Injection ◽  
Water Injection ◽  
Laboratory Data ◽  
Co2 Injection ◽  
Water Alternating Gas ◽  
Three Phase ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Wag Injection

Summary Laboratory data on water-alternating-gas (WAG) injection for non-water-wet systems are very limited, especially for near-miscible (very low IFT) gas/oil systems, which represent injection scenarios involving high-pressure hydrocarbon gas or CO2 injection. Simulation of these processes requires three-phase relative permeability (kr) data. Most of the existing three-phase relative permeability correlations have been developed for water-wet conditions. However, a majority of oil reservoirs are believed to be mixed-wet and, hence, prediction of the performance of WAG injection in these reservoirs is associated with significant uncertainties. Reliable simulation of WAG injection, therefore, requires improved relative permeability and hysteresis models validated by reliable measured data. In this paper, we report the results of a comprehensive series of coreflood experiments carried out in a core under natural water-wet conditions. These included water injection, gas injection, and also WAG injection. Then, to investigate the impact of wettability on the performance of these injection strategies, the wettability of the same core was changed to mixed-wet (by aging the core in an appropriate crude oil) and a similar set of experiments were performed in the mixed-wet core. WAG experiments under both wettability conditions started with water injection (I) followed by gas injection (D), and this cyclic injection of water and gas was repeated (IDIDID). The results show that in both the water-wet and mixed-wet cores, WAG injection performs better than water injection or gas injection alone. Changing the rock wettability from water-wet to mixed-wet significantly improves the performance of water injection. Under both wettability conditions (water-wet and mixed-wet), the breakthrough (BT) of the gas during gas injection happens sooner than the BT of water in water injection. Ultimate oil recovery by gas injection is considerably higher than that obtained by water injection in the water-wet system, while in the mixed-wet system, gas injection recovers considerably less oil.

scholarly journals Experimental study of the performances of commercial surfactants in reducing interfacial tension and wettability alteration in the process of chemical water injection into carbonate reservoirs

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 1551-1563 ◽  
Author(s):  
Siamak Najimi ◽  
Iman Nowrouzi ◽  
Abbas Khaksar Manshad ◽  
Amir H. Mohammadi
Keyword(s):  
Contact Angle ◽  
Interfacial Tension ◽  
Oil Recovery ◽  
Saline Water ◽  
Water Injection ◽  
Reservoir Rock ◽  
Water Flooding ◽  
Wettability Alteration ◽  
Core Flooding ◽  
Chemical Water

Abstract Surfactants are used in the process of chemical water injection to reduce interfacial tension of water and oil and consequently decrease the capillary pressure in the reservoir. However, other mechanisms such as altering the wettability of the reservoir rock, creating foam and forming a stable emulsion are also other mechanisms of the surfactants flooding. In this study, the effects of three commercially available surfactants, namely AN-120, NX-1510 and TR-880, in different concentrations on interfacial tension of water and oil, the wettability of the reservoir rock and, ultimately, the increase in oil recovery based on pendant drop experiments, contact angle and carbonate core flooding have been investigated. The effects of concentration, temperature, pressure and salinity on the performances of these surfactants have also been shown. The results, in addition to confirming the capability of the surfactants to reduce interfacial tension and altering the wettability to hydrophilicity, show that the TR-880 has the better ability to reduce interfacial tension than AN-120 and NX-1510, and in the alteration of wettability the smallest contact angle was obtained by dissolving 1000 ppm of surfactant NX-1510. Also, the results of interfacial tension tests confirm the better performances of these surfactants in formation salinity and high salinity. Additionally, a total of 72% recovery was achieved with a secondary saline water flooding and flooding with a 1000 ppm of TR-880 surfactant.

Research and Application of Depressure and Increasing Injection Technology in Low Permeability Oilfield

2011 ◽  
Vol 347-353 ◽  
pp. 651-658
Author(s):  
Wei Dong Liu ◽  
Su Nan Cong ◽  
Hong Jun Gu ◽  
Zhen Rong Nie
Keyword(s):  
Relative Permeability ◽  
Oil Recovery ◽  
Water Injection ◽  
Oil Field ◽  
Wettability Alteration ◽  
Low Permeability ◽  
Chemical Agent ◽  
Oil Well ◽  
Cross Point ◽  
Oil Reserves

In China, most of undeveloped oil reserves are low and ultra low permeability reservoirs. The total remaining petroleum reserves of CNPC is about 4.07×107m3, and the low and ultra low permeability reserves is 3.16×107m3, So it is important to reasonable develop the oil reserves to keep the petroleum output stable. Under the low permeability layer condition, it is difficult to inject water to the formation, and the output of oil well is very low. The chemical agent can solve the difficulty of injection water and enhance the oil recovery. The relative permeability experiments shows irreducible oil was reduced by the wettability alteration agents, and the mobile oil saturation increased, which enlarging the range of the two phases co-flowing and enhancing oil recovery. As a result with alteration agents, the cross-point relative permeability moves to right, and the core converts to water-wet. In daqing oil field test, the water injection pressure is reduced by 15%, and the term of validity is more than 10 months.

scholarly journals Experimental investigation of the displacement flow mechanism and oil recovery in primary polymer flood operations

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruissein Mahon ◽  
Gbenga Oluyemi ◽  
Babs Oyeneyin ◽  
Yakubu Balogun
Keyword(s):  
Relative Permeability ◽  
Oil Recovery ◽  
Polymer Flooding ◽  
Mobility Control ◽  
List Type ◽  
Motor Oil ◽  
Flow Mechanism ◽  
Fractional Flow ◽  
Recovery Method ◽  
Polymer Flood

Abstract Polymer flooding is a mature chemical enhanced oil recovery method employed in oilfields at pilot testing and field scales. Although results from these applications empirically demonstrate the higher displacement efficiency of polymer flooding over waterflooding operations, the fact remains that not all the oil will be recovered. Thus, continued research attention is needed to further understand the displacement flow mechanism of the immiscible process and the rock–fluid interaction propagated by the multiphase flow during polymer flooding operations. In this study, displacement sequence experiments were conducted to investigate the viscosifying effect of polymer solutions on oil recovery in sandpack systems. The history matching technique was employed to estimate relative permeability, fractional flow and saturation profile through the implementation of a Corey-type function. Experimental results showed that in the case of the motor oil being the displaced fluid, the XG 2500 ppm polymer achieved a 47.0% increase in oil recovery compared with the waterflood case, while the XG 1000 ppm polymer achieved a 38.6% increase in oil recovery compared with the waterflood case. Testing with the motor oil being the displaced fluid, the viscosity ratio was 136 for the waterflood case, 18 for the polymer flood case with XG 1000 ppm polymer and 9 for the polymer flood case with XG 2500 ppm polymer. Findings also revealed that for the waterflood cases, the porous media exhibited oil-wet characteristics, while the polymer flood cases demonstrated water-wet characteristics. This paper provides theoretical support for the application of polymer to improve oil recovery by providing insights into the mechanism behind oil displacement. Graphic abstract Highlights The difference in shape of relative permeability curves are indicative of the effect of mobility control of each polymer concentration. The water-oil systems exhibited oil-wet characteristics, while the polymer-oil systems demonstrated water-wet characteristics. A large contrast in displacing and displaced fluid viscosities led to viscous fingering and early water breakthrough.

Carbonated Water Injection for Recovery of Oil and Wettability Analysis

2014 ◽  
Vol 695 ◽  
pp. 499-502 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohamad Faizul Mat Ali ◽  
Radzuan Junin ◽  
Nor Hidayah Md Aziz ◽  
Adibah Salleh
Keyword(s):  
Oil Recovery ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Promising Result ◽  
Water Injection ◽  
High Mobility ◽  
Wettability Alteration ◽  
Sweep Efficiency ◽  
Gas Flooding ◽  
Carbonated Water Injection ◽  
Carbonated Water

Malaysia oilfield especially in Malay basin has currently show sign of maturity phase which involving high water-cut and also pressure declining. In recent event, Malaysia through Petroliam Nasional Berhad (PETRONAS) will be first implemented an enhanced oil recovery (EOR) project at the Tapis oilfield and is scheduled to start operations in 2014. In this project, techniques utilizing water-alternating-gas (WAG) injection which is a type of gas flooding method in EOR are expected to improve oil recovery to the field. However, application of gas flooding in EOR process has a few flaws which including poor sweep efficiency due to high mobility ratio of oil and gas that promotes an early breakthrough. Therefore, a concept of carbonated water injection (CWI) in which utilizing CO2, has ability to dissolve in water prior to injection was applied. This study is carried out to assess the suitability of CWI to be implemented in improving oil recovery in simulated sandstone reservoir. A series of displacement test to investigate the range of recovery improvement at different CO2 concentrations was carried out with different recovery mode stages. Wettability alteration properties of CWI also become one of the focuses of the study. The outcome of this study has shown a promising result in recovered residual oil by alternating the wettability characteristic of porous media becomes more water-wet.

Enhanced Oil Recovery Application of Nanoparticles in Niger Delta Water-Wet Reservoir Rock

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tinuola Udoh
Keyword(s):  
Enhanced Oil Recovery ◽  
Oil Recovery ◽  
Niger Delta ◽  
Oil Production ◽  
Reservoir Rock ◽  
Core Flooding ◽  
Core Samples ◽  
Recovery Potential ◽  
Secondary Formation ◽  
Injection Modes

Abstract In this paper, the enhanced oil recovery potential of the application of nanoparticles in Niger Delta water-wet reservoir rock was investigated. Core flooding experiments were conducted on the sandstone core samples at 25 °C with the applications of nanoparticles in secondary and tertiary injection modes. The oil production during flooding was used to evaluate the enhanced oil recovery potential of the nanoparticles in the reservoir rock. The results of the study showed that the application of nanoparticles in tertiary mode after the secondary formation brine flooding increased oil production by 16.19% OIIP. Also, a comparison between the oil recoveries from secondary formation brine and nanoparticles flooding showed that higher oil recovery of 81% OIIP was made with secondary nanoparticles flooding against 57% OIIP made with formation brine flooding. Finally, better oil recovery of 7.67% OIIP was achieved with secondary application of nanoparticles relative to the tertiary application of formation brine and nanoparticles flooding. The results of this study are significant for the design of the application of nanoparticles in Niger Delta reservoirs.

Phase Behavior, Wettability Alteration, and Oil Recovery of Low-Salinity Surfactant Solutions in Carbonate Reservoirs

SPE Journal ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (04) ◽  
pp. 1784-1802 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sepideh Veiskarami ◽  
Arezou Jafari ◽  
Aboozar Soleymanzadeh
Keyword(s):  
Phase Behavior ◽  
Oil Recovery ◽  
Wettability Alteration ◽  
Study Phase ◽  
Low Salinity ◽  
Angle Measurements ◽  
Contact Angle Measurements ◽  
Favorable State ◽  
Phase Behaviors ◽  
The Impact

Summary Recent investigations have shown that treatment with injected brine composition can improve oil production. Various mechanisms have been suggested to go through the phenomenon; nevertheless, wettability alteration is one of the most commonly proposed mechanisms in the literature. Wettability alteration of the porous media toward a more favorable state reduces the capillary pressure, consequently contributing to the oil detachment from pore walls. In this study, phase behavior, oil recovery, and wettability alteration toward a more favorable state were investigated using a combination of formulations of surfactant and modified low-salinity (LS) brine. Phase behaviors of these various formulations were examined experimentally through observations on relative phase volumes. Experiments were performed in various water/oil ratios (WORs) in the presence of two different oil samples, namely C1 and C2. These experiments were conducted to clarify the impact of each affecting parameter; in particular, the impact of resin and asphaltene of crude oil on the performance of LS surfactant (LSS) flooding. Hereafter, the optimal formulation was flooded into the oil-wet micromodel. Optimum formulations increased the capillary number more than four orders of magnitude higher than that under formation brine (FB) flooding, thus causing oil recovery rates of 61 and 67% for oil samples C1 and C2, respectively. Likewise, the wettability alteration potential of optimized formulations was studied through contact angle measurements. Results showed that LS and LSS solutions could act as possible wettability alternating methods for oil-wet carbonate rocks. Using the optimum formulation resulted in a wettability alteration index (WAI) of 0.66 for sample C1 and 0.49 for sample C2, while using LS brine itself ended in 0.51 and 0.29 for oil samples C1 and C2, respectively.

scholarly journals Coupling Microfluidics Data with Core Flooding Experiments to Understand Sulfonated/Polymer Water Injection

Polymers ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 1227 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Tahir ◽  
Rafael E. Hincapie ◽  
Nils Langanke ◽  
Leonhard Ganzer ◽  
Philip Jaeger
Keyword(s):  
Oil Recovery ◽  
Water Injection ◽  
Wettability Alteration ◽  
Core Flooding ◽  
Rheological Characterization ◽  
Two Phase ◽  
Key Recovery ◽  
Low Salt ◽  
Polymer Flood ◽  
Recovery Mechanisms

The injection of sulfonated-modified water could be an attractive application as it results in the formation of a mechanically rigid oil-water interface, and hence, possible higher oil recovery in combination with polymer. Therefore, detailed experimental investigation and fluid-flow analysis into porous media are required to understand the possible recovery mechanisms taking place. This paper evaluates the potential influence of low-salt/sulfate-modified water injection in oil recovery using a cross-analyzed approach of coupled microfluidics data and core flooding experiments. Fluid characterization was achieved by detailed rheological characterization focusing on steady shear and in-situ viscosity. Moreover, single and two-phase micromodels and core floods experiments helped to define the behavior of different fluids. Overall, coupling microfluidics, with core flooding experiments, confirmed that fluid-fluid interfacial interaction and wettability alteration are both the key recovery mechanisms for modified-water/low-salt. Finally, a combination of sulfate-modified/low-salinity water, with polymer flood can lead to ~6% extra oil, compared to the combination of polymer flood with synthetic seawater (SSW). The results present an excellent way to make use of micromodels and core experiments as a supporting tool for EOR processes evaluations, assessing fluid-fluid and rock-fluid interactions.

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