scholarly journals Pore-Scale Investigation of Microscopic Remaining Oil Variation Characteristic in Different Flow Rates Using Micro-CT

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (11) ◽  
pp. 3057
Author(s):  
Baoyang Cheng ◽  
Junjian Li ◽  
Shuai Jiang ◽  
Chunhua Lu ◽  
Hang Su ◽  
...  

The main means of secondary oil recovery is water flooding, which has been widely used in various oilfields. Different flow rates have a great impact on the recovery ratio and the occurrence of remaining oil. Scholars have carried out extensive research on it, but mostly on the macro scale, and research on the three-dimensional micro scale is also limited by accuracy and a lack of accurate understanding. In this paper, micro-CT and core displacement experiments are used to intuitively show the occurrence state of remaining oil under different flow rates. Through a series of quantitative image processing methods and remaining oil classification methods, the occurrence characteristics of remaining oil under different flow rates are systematically evaluated and studied. The results show that: (1) As the displacement rate increases, the remaining oil saturation decreases (61%; 35%; 23%), but the remaining oil is more evenly distributed along the slice; (2) Two lower displacement speeds (0.003 mL/min; 0.03 mL/min) can reduce the volume of huge oil clusters under oil-saturated conditions, and the highest displacement speed (0.3 mL/min) can completely break up large oil clusters into small oil droplets. At the same time, the shape factor of the oil clusters also gradually increases; (3) The proportion of continuous remaining oil volume decreases, and the proportion of discontinuous remaining oil increases. Discontinuous remaining oil is the main production target of EOR; (4) After water flooding, the microscopic remaining oil is more inclined to the middle and corner parts of the larger pores.

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (8) ◽  
pp. 2305
Author(s):  
Xiangbin Liu ◽  
Le Wang ◽  
Jun Wang ◽  
Junwei Su

The particles, water and oil three-phase flow behaviors at the pore scale is significant to clarify the dynamic mechanism in the particle flooding process. In this work, a newly developed direct numerical simulation techniques, i.e., VOF-FDM-DEM method is employed to perform the simulation of several different particle flooding processes after water flooding, which are carried out with a porous structure obtained by CT scanning of a real rock. The study on the distribution of remaining oil and the displacement process of viscoelastic particles shows that the capillary barrier near the location with the abrupt change of pore radius is the main reason for the formation of remaining oil. There is a dynamic threshold in the process of producing remaining oil. Only when the displacement force exceeds this threshold, the remaining oil can be produced. The flow behavior of particle–oil–water under three different flooding modes, i.e., continuous injection, alternate injection and slug injection, is studied. It is found that the particle size and the injection mode have an important influence on the fluid flow. On this basis, the flow behavior, pressure characteristics and recovery efficiency of the three injection modes are compared. It is found that by injecting two kinds of fluids with different resistance increasing ability into the pores, they can enter into different pore channels, resulting in the imbalance of the force on the remaining oil interface and formation of different resistance between the channels, which can realize the rapid recovery of the remaining oil.


2012 ◽  
Vol 594-597 ◽  
pp. 2541-2544
Author(s):  
Xiao Hui Wu ◽  
Kao Ping Song ◽  
Chi Dong ◽  
Ji Cheng Zhang ◽  
Jing Fu Deng

As line well pattern is the main development technique in the thin and poor oil layers of Daqing Oilfield South West Ⅱ PⅠ group, the layers have been idle and the degree of reserve recovery is far less than the region level. In response to these problems, we analyzed the balanced flood performance of various layers and the remaining oil distribution through numerical simulation technique. It shows that, the main remaining oil type of intended layers is caused by voidage-injection imperfection. Considering the needs of the follow-up infill well pattern and tertiary oil recovery, we decided to keep the well network independent and integrated without disturbing the pattern configuration and main mining object of various sets of well pattern. Finally we confirmed to perforate-adding the first infill wells of intended layers to consummate the water flooding regime. Through analyzing the production target of different well pattern optimization programs relatively, it shows that the best program has regular well pattern and large drilled thickness.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Shibao Yuan ◽  
Rui Wang ◽  
Haiyan Jiang ◽  
Qing Xie ◽  
Shengnan Chen ◽  
...  

The complex fault block reservoir has the characteristics of small area and many layers in vertical. Due to the influence of formation heterogeneity and well pattern, the situation that “water fingering is serious with water injection, on the contrary, driving energy is low” frequently occurs in water flooding, which makes it difficult to enhance oil recovery. Asynchronous injection-production (AIP) process divides the conventional continuous injection-production process into two independent processes: injection stage and production stage. In order to study oil recovery in the fault block reservoir by AIP technology, a triangle closed block reservoir is divided into 7 subareas. The result of numerical simulation indicates that all subareas have the characteristic of fluid diverting and remaining oil in the central area is also affected by injected water at injection stage of AIP technology. Remaining oil in the central area is driven to the included angle and border area by injected water and then produced at the production stage. Finally, the oil recovery in the central area rises by 5.2% and in the noncentral area is also increased in different levels. The AIP process can realize the alternative change of reservoir pressure, change the distribution of flow field, and enlarge the swept area by injected water. To sum it up, the AIP process is an effective method to improve the oil recovery in complex fault-block reservoir by water flooding.


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.


2015 ◽  
Vol 733 ◽  
pp. 144-147 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiang Min Zhao ◽  
Tian Ge Li

This paper optimizes the design of the nature of each slug and the combination of slugs through theoretical calculations and laboratory experiments, which is the key to tremendously enhance the oil recovery with the oil-displacing method of multiple multi-slug combinations. When oil-displacing experiments with multiple multi-slug combinations are conducted on heterogeneous cores in the laboratory, it is necessary that each injected slug be designed rationally in their viscosity, volume, etc., with the view to guarantee the synchronous equi-fluidity mobility of each slug after water flooding. With the synergistic effect of a variety of oil-displacing agents, the remaining oil in each permeability layer can be dug, driven by overall piston.


Energies ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (19) ◽  
pp. 3789 ◽  
Author(s):  
He ◽  
Chen ◽  
Yu ◽  
Wen ◽  
Liu

Surfactant–polymer (SP) flooding has significant potential to enhance oil recovery after water flooding in mature reservoirs. However, the economic benefit of the SP flooding process is unsatisfactory under low oil prices. Thus, it is necessary to reduce the chemical costs and improve SP flooding efficiency to make SP flooding more profitable. Our goal was to maximize the incremental oil recovery of the SP flooding process after water flooding by using the equal chemical consumption cost to ensure the economic viability of the SP flooding process. Thus, a systematic study was carried out to investigate the SP flooding process under different injection strategies by conducting parallel sand pack flooding experiments to optimize the SP flooding design. Then, the comparison of the remaining oil distribution after water flooding and SP flooding under different injection strategies was studied. The results demonstrate that the EOR efficiency of the SP flooding process under the alternating injection of polymer and surfactant–polymer (PASP) is higher than that of conventional simultaneous injection of surfactant and polymer. Moreover, as the alternating cycle increases, the incremental oil recovery increases. Based on the analysis of fractional flow, incremental oil recovery, and remaining oil distribution when compared with the conventional simultaneous injection of surfactant and polymer, the alternating injection of polymer and surfactant–polymer (PASP) showed better sweep efficiency improvement and recovered more remaining oil trapped in the low permeability zone. Thus, these findings could provide insights into designing the SP flooding process under low oil prices.


2013 ◽  
Vol 734-737 ◽  
pp. 1257-1261
Author(s):  
Ji Cheng Zhang ◽  
Shu Hong Zhao ◽  
Jin Yu Lan ◽  
Kao Ping Song

This paper analyzed the balanced flood performance of various layers and the remaining oil distribution through numerical simulation technique. It shows that, the main remaining oil type of intended layers is caused by voidage-injection imperfection. Considering the needs of the follow-up infill well pattern and tertiary oil recovery, we decide to maintain the relative independence and integrity of each well network without disturbing the pattern configuration and the mining exploit object of various sets of well pattern. Finally we confirm to perforate adding the first infill wells of intended layers to consummate the water flooding regime. Through analyzing the production target of different well pattern optimization programs relatively, it shows that the best program has regular well pattern and large drilled thickness.


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):  
Sepideh Palizdan ◽  
Hossein Doryani ◽  
Masoud Riazi ◽  
Mohammad Reza Malayeri

In-situ emulsification of injected brines of various types is gaining increased attention for the purpose of enhanced oil recovery. The present experimental study aims at evaluating the impact of injecting various solutions of Na2CO3 and MgSO4 at different flow rates resembling those in the reservoir and near wellbore using a glass micromodel with different permeability regions. Emulsification process was visualized through the injection of deionized water and different brines at different flow rates. The experimental results showed that the extent of emulsions produced in the vicinity of the micromodel exit was profoundly higher than those at the entrance of the micromodel. The injection of Na2CO3 brine after deionized water caused the impact of emulsification process more efficiently for attaining higher oil recovery than that for the MgSO4 brine. For instance, the injection of MgSO4 solution after water flooding increased oil recovery only up to 1%, while the equivalent figure for Na2CO3 was 28%. It was also found that lower flow rate of injection would cause the displacement front to be broadened since the injected fluid had more time to interact with the oil phase. Finally, lower injection flow rate reduced the viscous force of the displacing fluid which led to lesser occurrence of viscous fingering phenomenon.


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