Dynamics and Geometry Effects on the Capillary Flows in Porous Media for Enhanced Oil Recovery

2021 ◽  
Vol 413 ◽  
pp. 77-83
Author(s):  
Hassan Soleimani ◽  
Hassan Ali ◽  
Noorhana Yahya ◽  
Leila Khodapanah ◽  
Maziyar Sabet ◽  
...  

The continuing depletion of light oil supplies and the rapidly growing demand for energy are forcing oil and gas companies to explore unconventional oil extraction techniques. The structure and flow rate implies an impact on the trapping and mobilization of oil in the reservoir. This article studies the effect of pore geometry and dynamics on water-oil displacement as a two-phase flow system. The pore geometries of sandstone were extracted using the non-destructive 3D micro computational tomography (micro-CT) technique. Two-phase flow simulations were performed using COMSOL Multiphysics on the micro-CT images to show the effect of the capillary number and the flow pattern. Velocity and relative permeability of the non-wetting phase at different points of the porous structure was computed. The effect of viscosity of wetting fluid on the pore structure was also studied to evaluate the parameters affecting enhanced oil recovery (EOR).

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 (0) ◽  
pp. 213-214
Author(s):  
Yudai Suzuki ◽  
Suguru Uemura ◽  
Shohji Tsushima ◽  
Shuichiro Hirai

Author(s):  
Ikpe E. Aniekan ◽  
Owunna Ikechukwu ◽  
Satope Paul

Four different riser pipe exit configurations were modelled and the flow across them analysed using STAR CCM+ CFD codes. The analysis was limited to exit configurations because of the length to diameter ratio of riser pipes and the limitations of CFD codes available. Two phase flow analysis of the flow through each of the exit configurations was attempted. The various parameters required for detailed study of the flow were computed. The maximum velocity within the pipe in a two phase flow were determined to 3.42 m/s for an 8 (eight) inch riser pipe. After thorough analysis of the two phase flow regime in each of the individual exit configurations, the third and the fourth exit configurations were seen to have flow properties that ensures easy flow within the production system as well as ensure lower computational cost. Convergence (Iterations), total pressure, static pressure, velocity and pressure drop were used as criteria matrix for selecting ideal riser exit geometry, and the third exit geometry was adjudged the ideal exit geometry of all the geometries. The flow in the third riser exit configuration was modelled as a two phase flow. From the results of the two phase flow analysis, it was concluded that the third riser configuration be used in industrial applications to ensure free flow of crude oil and gas from the oil well during oil production.


1985 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 107
Author(s):  
Kathryn J. Fagg

Gas lift has proved a most effective artificial lift method for the fields operated by Esso Australia Ltd in Bass Strait for the Esso-BHP joint venture. Gas lift is now used to produce approximately 5 st ML/d of the total crude production from the Strait. It has enabled wells to be produced to water cuts higher than 90 per cent, increasing the oil recovery from the fields by up to 35 per cent.Gas lift work in Bass Strait to date has included the use of special packoff gas lift assemblies for wells with sliding sleeves, the development of a tool to assist the opening of the sleeves, improved operating techniques to limit slugging from gas-lifted wells, and the testing of gas lift performance. Gas lifting has been more successful than expected, and as a result, workovers initially planned to install full gas lift strings for older wells have not been necessary. The two phase flow correlations available have been improved to match the performance of the gas-lifted wells. The correlations are now used to design tubing strings with a number of gas lift mandrels prior to running the initial completions and to select the optimum gas injection depth.Future work in gas lift for Bass Strait will involve the optimisation and automation of lift gas distribution on the platforms. Gas lift will also be used for planned future developments, including mini-platforms and subsea completions.


Author(s):  
Yuqing Xue ◽  
Huixiong Li ◽  
Tianyou Sheng ◽  
Changjiang Liao

A large amount of air need be transported into the reservoir in the deep stratum to supply oxygen to some microbes in Microbial Enhanced Oil Recovery (MEOR). Air-water two-phase flows downward along vertical pipeline during the air transportation. Base on the experiment data described in this paper, the characteristics of air-water two phase flow patterns were investigated. The flow pattern map of air-water two phase flows in the pipe with inner diameter of 65 mm was drawn, criterions of flow pattern transition were discussed, and the dynamic signals of the pressure and the differential pressure of the two phase flow were recorded to characterize the three basic flow regimes indirectly. The frictional pressure drop of downward flow in vertical pipe must not be disregarded contrast with upward two phase flow in the vertical pipe because the buoyancy must be overcame when the gas flows downward along pipe, and there would be a maximum value of frictional when the flow pattern translated from slug flow to churn flow.


Open Physics ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 12-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haojun Xie ◽  
Aifen Li ◽  
Zhaoqin Huang ◽  
Bo Gao ◽  
Ruigang Peng

AbstractCaves in fractured-vuggy reservoir usually contain lots of filling medium, so the two-phase flow in formations is the coupling of free flow and porous flow, and that usually leads to low oil recovery. Considering geological interpretation results, the physical filled cave models with different filling mediums are designed. Through physical experiment, the displacement mechanism between un-filled areas and the filling medium was studied. Based on the experiment model, we built a mathematical model of laminar two-phase coupling flow considering wettability of the porous media. The free fluid region was modeled using the Navier-Stokes and Cahn-Hilliard equations, and the two-phase flow in porous media used Darcy's theory. Extended BJS conditions were also applied at the coupling interface. The numerical simulation matched the experiment very well, so this numerical model can be used for two-phase flow in fracture-vuggy reservoir. In the simulations, fluid flow between inlet and outlet is free flow, so the pressure difference was relatively low compared with capillary pressure. In the process of water injection, the capillary resistance on the surface of oil-wet filling medium may hinder the oil-water gravity differentiation, leading to no fluid exchange on coupling interface and remaining oil in the filling medium. But for the water-wet filling medium, capillary force on the surface will coordinate with gravity. So it will lead to water imbibition and fluid exchange on the interface, high oil recovery will finally be reached at last.


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