Xinyu Chen, Zhongchen Ba, Zhiyuan Lu, Yuhui Gao, Yang Zhou, Xinrui Li
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
In order to solve the problems of conventional water injection development difficulties and low recovery factor in low-permeability reservoirs, the method of high-pressure air drive is adopted to achieve the purpose of reservoir energy enhancement and efficiency improvement. This paper conducted an experimental study on the mechanism of low-temperature oxidation (LTO) for crude oil in the process of high-pressure air flooding, elaborated the relationship between the LTO properties of crude oil and the temperature, pressure, and water saturation of the reservoir, and analyzed the differences in LTO oxygen consumption and oil components under different reaction conditions. In addition, combined with the air flooding physical simulation experiment, the dynamic evolution law of recovery rate in the air flooding process was revealed. Findings from this inquiry indicate that an escalation in the oxidation temperature significantly amplifies the oxygen incorporation reaction within the crude oil matrix. This augmentation in oxidative conditions leads to an uptick in oxygen consumption, which subsequently precipitates a reduction in the lighter fractions of the oxidized oil while enriching its heavier components. Elevated pressures were found to enhance the propensity for the amalgamation of unstable hydrocarbons with oxygen, fostering comprehensive and heterogeneous oxidation reactions. Notably, an excessive presence of water was observed to detrimentally affect the thermal efficacy of crude oil oxidation processes. In the context of low-permeability reservoirs, air injection techniques have emerged as superior in effectuating oil displacement, although an increase in injection pressures has been associated with the phenomenon of gas channeling. Interestingly, adopting a sequential strategy of initiating water flooding before air flooding facilitated the conveyance of high-pressure air via established flushing channels, although it appeared to attenuate the intensity of crude oil oxidation, culminating in an oil recovery efficiency peaking at 51%.
期刊介绍:
Frontiers in Earth Science is an open-access journal that aims to bring together and publish on a single platform the best research dedicated to our planet.
This platform hosts the rapidly growing and continuously expanding domains in Earth Science, involving the lithosphere (including the geosciences spectrum), the hydrosphere (including marine geosciences and hydrology, complementing the existing Frontiers journal on Marine Science) and the atmosphere (including meteorology and climatology). As such, Frontiers in Earth Science focuses on the countless processes operating within and among the major spheres constituting our planet. In turn, the understanding of these processes provides the theoretical background to better use the available resources and to face the major environmental challenges (including earthquakes, tsunamis, eruptions, floods, landslides, climate changes, extreme meteorological events): this is where interdependent processes meet, requiring a holistic view to better live on and with our planet.
The journal welcomes outstanding contributions in any domain of Earth Science.
The open-access model developed by Frontiers offers a fast, efficient, timely and dynamic alternative to traditional publication formats. The journal has 20 specialty sections at the first tier, each acting as an independent journal with a full editorial board. The traditional peer-review process is adapted to guarantee fairness and efficiency using a thorough paperless process, with real-time author-reviewer-editor interactions, collaborative reviewer mandates to maximize quality, and reviewer disclosure after article acceptance. While maintaining a rigorous peer-review, this system allows for a process whereby accepted articles are published online on average 90 days after submission.
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