Day 3 Wed, December 12, 2018最新文献

{"title":"Implementation and Assessment of Production Optimization in a Steamflood Using Machine-Learning Assisted Modeling","authors":"P. Sarma, Ken Lawrence, Yong Zhao, Stylianos Kyriacou, Delon Saks","doi":"10.2118/193680-MS","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2118/193680-MS","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 Data Physics reservoir modeling and optimization was described in detail in a prior paper (SPE-185507) and can be conceptualized as a physics-based model augmented by machine learning. In brief, the production, injection, temperature, steam quality, completion and other engineering data from an active steamflood are continuously assimilated into the Data Physics model using an Ensemble Kalman Filter (EnKF), which is then used to optimize steam injection rates to maximize/minimize multiple objectives such as net present value (NPV), injection cost etc. using large scale evolutionary optimization algorithms. The solutions are low-order and continuous scale, rather than discretized, therefore modeling, forecasting and optimization are significantly faster than traditional simulation.\u0000 The goal of steamflood modeling and optimization is to determine the optimal spatial and temporal distribution of steam injection that will maximize future recovery and/or field economics. Accurately modeling thermodynamic and fluid flow mechanisms in the wellbore, reservoir layers, and overburden can be prohibitively resource-intensive for operators who instead often default to simple decline curve analysis and operational rules of thumb. Data Physics allows operators to leverage readily-available field data to infer reservoir dynamics from first principles.\u0000 This paper updates the case study from the previous paper and presents the results of actual implementation of an optimized steam injection plan based on the Data Physics framework. The case study is from a shallow, heavy oil field in the San Joaquin Basin of California, and demonstrates the practical application of Data Physics modeling and the ability to explore future injection plans. The model of the field was fit to historical data in June 2017, after which an optimization was performed and a forward-looking production forecast was established associated with a target plan chosen by the operator. This plan was then implemented in the field over the last year. This paper provides a comparison between the field implementation and the model prediction, which allows for model validation and highlights opportunities for further improvement.\u0000 For completeness, this paper includes a summary of the modeling and optimization problem and results from the previous paper.","PeriodicalId":137875,"journal":{"name":"Day 3 Wed, December 12, 2018","volume":"12 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-12-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"126763986","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Enhancing Safety Culture through Changing the Mindset : Business Partners' HSE Performance: Practical Evaluation, Benchmarking & Path to Improvement","authors":"Yousef E. Al-Qallaf, Abdulla Al-Azmi, Bala Siva Srikanth Adivi, M. Alharbi, C. Devaraj","doi":"10.2118/193780-MS","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2118/193780-MS","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 Achieving excellent HSE performance is one of the main objectives of any industry, especially by High Hazard or Major Accident Hazardous (MAH) industries. Considering various national and global market demands, Oil & Gas industry must be ready to embark on challenging scenarios. To ensure such challenges are successfully addressed, the role of business partners (Business Partners) is very much vital and important as many projects are to be executed to achieve the set objects/targets safely.\u0000 In many organizations, HSE (Health, Safety and Environment) or HSSE (Health, Safety, Security and Environment) has been considered as one of the strategic objectives. In order to achieve such objectives, moving together with Business Partners (Contractors) bring lot of importance. In addition, this makes organizations to uphold a safe work environment at the work sites that demands and expects collaboration and support from the Business Partners who are on board as well as who will be on board with the respective organizations.\u0000 Considering the dynamic challenges, achieving and sustaining excellent HSE performance is very essential, specifically in High or Major Accident Hazardous (MAH) industries such as Oil & Gas. Such industry who is having Business Partners from various countries, having multi-nationals as work force gives challenge to ensure Organization's HSE expectations are understood and implemented.","PeriodicalId":137875,"journal":{"name":"Day 3 Wed, December 12, 2018","volume":"70 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-12-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"123856101","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evaluating the Performance of CO2 Foam and CO2 Polymer Enhanced Foam for Heavy Oil Recovery: Laboratory Experiments in Unconsolidated and Consolidated Porous Media","authors":"A. Telmadarreie","doi":"10.2118/193785-MS","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2118/193785-MS","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 Enhanced oil recovery (EOR) from heavy oil reservoirs is challenging. The higher viscosity of oil in such reservoirs, add more challenges and severe the difficulties during any EOR method (i.e. high mobility ratio, inadequate sweep, reservoir heterogeneity) compared to that of EOR from light oil reservoirs. Foam has gained interest as one of the EOR methods especially for challenging and heterogeneous reservoirs containing light oil. However, the foam and especially polymer enhanced foam (PEF) potential for heavy oil recovery is less studied.\u0000 The current study aims to evaluate the performance of CO2 foam and CO2 PEF during heavy oil recovery from both unconsolidated (i.e. sandpack) and consolidate (rock sample) porous media with the help of fluid flow experiments. The injection pressure profile, oil recovery, and CO2 gas production were monitored and recorded to analyze and compare the performance of CO2 foam and PEF for heavy oil recovery. A visual sandpack made of glass column and a core-flood system capable of measuring the pressure at different sections of the core were used in this study. Homogenous and fractured sandstone core samples, as well as a fractured carbonate core sample, were selected for the core-flood study.\u0000 Static stability results revealed slower liquid drainage and collapse rates for PEF compared to that of foam even in the presence of heavy crude oil. The addition of polymer significantly improved the performance of CO2 foam flooding during heavy oil recovery in dynamic experiments. This result was inferred from faster propagation rate, higher dynamic stability, and higher oil recovery of CO2 PEF over CO2 foam injection. Moreover, the visual analysis demonstrated more stable frontal displacement and higher sweep efficiency of PEF compared to the conventional foam flooding. In the fractured porous media, additional heavy oil recovery was obtained by liquid diversion into the matrix area rather than gas diversion inferred from pressure profile and gas production data.\u0000 The results obtained from this study show that CO2 PEF could significantly improve the heavy oil recovery and CO2 sequestration, especially in homogeneous porous media.","PeriodicalId":137875,"journal":{"name":"Day 3 Wed, December 12, 2018","volume":"62 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-12-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"132250764","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Understanding and Parameterization of Greater Burgan Fluid Spatial Variation Using an Extensive PVT Data Base","authors":"L. Ortegon, Nouf Al-Shammari, A. Al-Qattan, Amina Al-Samhan, Nawaf Khalaf Al-Enizi, G. Duvivier, Richard C. Brown, G. Perez, Sarah Ritchie","doi":"10.2118/193679-MS","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2118/193679-MS","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 Fluid characterization and mapping in the Greater Burgan field was performed using an extensive database of PVT analysis reports. This enabled an enhanced understanding of the distribution of fluids, in which a lateral compositional gradient was discovered.\u0000 Summary information of 381 samples that had been acquired from 1938 to 2017 was gathered and plotted against both true vertical depth subsea (TVDSS) and spatial directions (northing and easting). Correlations of average fluid characteristics of all these samples against TVDSS and the direction in 15° north-east was determined. The API gravity, oil viscosity and solution gas to oil ratio were parameterised as a function of horizontal direction and depth. The saturation pressure was modelled using a correlation, being a function of the other variables modelled in space. Over 30 correlations published in the literature were ranked, and the best-fitting correlation was selected to predict the saturation pressure distribution spatially. All these properties were mapped by formation.\u0000 This is the first study in which the existence of this lateral gradient is fully described. This work is being used as a reservoir management tool to predict zones close to or below the saturation pressure and reduce the production offtake from those zones and to develop an appropriate sampling plan. This work has also help manage access to the heavy oil zones.","PeriodicalId":137875,"journal":{"name":"Day 3 Wed, December 12, 2018","volume":"1 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-12-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"132457016","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Integrated Petrophysical Evaluation of Tayarat Formation for Water Disposal Purpose","authors":"Fatma Taqi, K. Ahmed, Pabitra Saika, A. Tyagi, M. Freeman, Z. Ren, Ian Zhang, Diri Muhammad, G. Warrlich, A. Al-Rabah","doi":"10.2118/193713-MS","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2118/193713-MS","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 A heavy oil field in Northern part of Kuwait has developed which requires appropriate disposal of produced formation water. Some important questions for water disposal well planning include: Where to inject?Where to inject?What is the maximum operation pressure (MOP)?How far away the disposal wells should be spaced?How much water can be inject in each well?\u0000 Integrated subsurface evaluation performed to address above questions. Seismic data provide a good overview lof the structuration and imporatant insight where sweet spots for injection may be found. Wireline logs and core information are used to derive petrophysical properties, characterize fracture, and gather geomechanical information. Injectivity tests established the injection rate and confirmed the estimated minimum horizontal stress. Analogue water injection data from nearby fields are used to provide information on the dynamic behavior of the reservoir, to reduce uncertainties owing to the limited injection rate data available.\u0000 The integrated analysis of the relevant, available subsurface data reveals that the Tayarat formation has significant variations in lithologies, mineralogies, and mechanical properties. Important information such as the receiving zone thickness, fracture orientation, injection rate, and storage capacity have been derived. Based on this information, we have made important recomemndations on disposal well spacing and maximum operational operating pressure (MOP).","PeriodicalId":137875,"journal":{"name":"Day 3 Wed, December 12, 2018","volume":"29 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-12-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"123999412","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Field Surveillance and AI based Steam Allocation Optimization Workflow for Mature Brownfield Steam Floods","authors":"Anjani Kumar, Alex Novlesky, Erykah Bityutsky, P. Koci, J. Wightman","doi":"10.2118/193700-MS","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2118/193700-MS","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 Heavy oil reservoirs often require thermal enhanced oil recovery (EOR) processes to improve the mobility of the highly viscous oil. When working with steam flooding operations, finding the optimal steam injection rates is very important given the high cost of steam generation and the current low oil price environment. Steam injection and allocation then becomes an exercise of optimizing cost, improving productivity and net present value (NPV). As the field matures, producers are faced with declining oil rates and increasing steam oil ratios (SOR). Operators must work to reduce injection rates on declining groups of wells to maintain a low SOR and free up capacity for newer, more productive groups of wells. Operators also need a strong surveillance program to monitor field operational parameters like SOR, remaining Oil-in-Place (OIP) distribution in the reservoir, steam breakthrough in the producers, temperature surveys in observation wells etc. Using the surveillance data in conjunction with reservoir simulation, operators must determine a go-forward operating strategy for the steam injection process.\u0000 The proposed steam flood optimization workflow incorporates field surveillance data and numerical simulation, driven by machine learning and AI enabled Algorithms, to predict future steam flood reservoir performance and maximize NPV for the reservoir. The process intelligently determines an optimal current field level and well level injection rates, how long to inject at that rate, how fast to reduce rates on mature wells so that it can be reallocated to newly developed regions of the field. A case study has been performed on a subsection of a Middle Eastern reservoir containing eight vertical injectors and four sets of horizontal producers with laterals landed in multiple reservoir zones. Following just the steam reallocation optimization process, NPV for the section improved by 42.4% with corresponding decrease in cumulative SOR by 24%. However, if workover and alternate wellbore design is considered in the optimization process, the NPV for the section has the potential to be improved by 94.7% with a corresponding decrease in cumulative SOR by 32%. This workflow can be extended and applied to a full field steam injection project.","PeriodicalId":137875,"journal":{"name":"Day 3 Wed, December 12, 2018","volume":"16 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-12-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"131935851","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A Feasibility Study of Hybrid Thermal and Chemical EOR Methods in a Low-Permeability Carbonate Heavy Oil Reservoir with Strong Aquifer Drive","authors":"M. T. Al-Murayri, Eman Hadad Eaid Fadli, Fawziya Mohammad Al-Shati, A. Qubian, Zhitao Li, Eric Trine, A. Alizadeh, M. Delshad","doi":"10.2118/193796-MS","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2118/193796-MS","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 KOC's Umm Gudair/Abduliyah Tayarat reservoir has large oil reserves but is a challenging target due to low formation permeability and high oil viscosity. This study is focused on feasibility assessment of hybrid thermal and chemical methods incorporating both laboratory and simulation results.\u0000 A recent updated static geological model for West Kuwait fields was used as the basis to generate a full-field dynamic reservoir model with representative reservoir geometry, heterogeneity, and complexity. Carter-Tracy aquifers were added to model lateral and bottom aquifers. Laboratory data were incorporated to model physiochemical properties. Gridblocks were globally refined to gain better resolution for heavy oil and EOR simulations. The full-field reservoir model was used to systematically study the potentials of hybrid thermal and chemical EOR methods in comparison with conventional waterflood and chemical EOR methods.\u0000 Our studies show that in order to produce oil at an economic rate, long horizontal wells on the order of kilometers or horizontal wells stimulated by acidizing, multistage fracturing, or multiple laterals should be deployed. Vertical wells yield low oil production rates due to limited contact areas and severe water coning. Aquifer water intrusion from the west side of reservoir overshadows the bottom aquifer and the edge east side aquifer due to the heterogeneity of reservoir permeability. A sector model was extracted from the full-field Eclipse model and further refined to avoid grid effects in simulation of EOR processes. Simulation results show that hybrid thermal and chemical methods (hot polymer/Surfactant-Polymer/Alkaline-Surfactant-Polymer flood) can effectively increase oil recovery from high-permeability, high-saturation sweet spots of the Tayarat reservoir. With the help of horizontal wells, hot polymer flood shows the best performance after 20 years of oil production and yields more than 30% of incremental oil recovery. Hot Surfactant-Polymer flood shows slightly lower cumulative oil recovery but sustained oil production rates and less production decline in the late stage of the flood. Phase 2 coreflood experiments confirmed that hot polymer flood can effectively enhance oil recovery.\u0000 In summary, this research study identified sweet spots for oil recovery and EOR applications in the challenging Tayarat reservoir and demonstrated the potential of producing significant amount of oil with appropriate IOR (e.g., extended reach horizontal wells, multistage fractures, stimulation, etc.) and EOR (e.g., hybrid thermal and chemical methods) techniques.","PeriodicalId":137875,"journal":{"name":"Day 3 Wed, December 12, 2018","volume":"48 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-12-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"132382588","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Feasibility of Multi-Physics Reservoir Monitoring for Heavy Oil","authors":"H. Passalacqua, S. Davydycheva, K. Strack","doi":"10.2118/193690-MS","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2118/193690-MS","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 A new microseismic-electromagnetic (EM) acquisition system for reservoir monitoring includes surface and borehole hardware, processing software and interpretation methodology. For heavy oil reservoirs it allows mapping of steam/water flood fronts and surveillance of cap-rock integrity. The new array acquisition architecture combines novel technologies which reduces operational cost, due to unlimited channels capability: EM and microseismic acquisition is in the same receiver node to optimize the synergy between the methods.\u0000 While microseismic channels address seal integrity information, EM data are used to track fluids, due to their high sensitivity to the fluid resistivity. The fluid resistivity drops strongly with mobility increase and pore size variation. Dense data further reduce the cost per receiver in a surface location. EM channels provide three-component (3C) electric and 3C magnetic data acquired on the surface and in shallow vertical boreholes. For later versions and deeper reservoirs deep wireline receiver with through casing measurement capabilities are planned. We include in the system an independent physics verification measurement using a differential approach to the surface data called focused source EM (FSEM) with practically little cost.\u0000 Carrying out feasibility for each reservoir is key to control risk and cost. The feasibility includes 3D EM modeling, which allows integrating typically complex nature of the reservoir, and on-site EM noise test to tie 3D modeling to actual measured voltages.\u0000 3D modeling feasibility for a heavy oil reservoir proves the methodology to monitor the boundaries of the steam flood with accuracy and with high fidelity. Above the edges of the flooded (higher-temperature – lower-resistivity) area the results predict time-lapse EM anomaly exceeding 500%.\u0000 The entire system is coupled with processing and 3D modeling/inversion software, significantly streamlining the workflow for the different methods.\u0000 The system is capable of measuring and integrating the 3C of the electric field and 3C of the magnetic field in order to map the steam front and at the same time measuring microseismic occurrences in order to monitor seal stability. Channels capability of the system is practically unlimited allowing a denser coverage of the area in order to increase resolution and improve inversion.","PeriodicalId":137875,"journal":{"name":"Day 3 Wed, December 12, 2018","volume":"29 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-12-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"128033839","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Microemulsion Flooding of Heavy Oil Using Biodiesel Under Cold Conditions","authors":"Jungin Lee, T. Babadagli, B. Ozum","doi":"10.2118/193642-MS","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2118/193642-MS","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 Cost and thermal stability are the major obstacles in using chemical additives for enhanced heavy-oil applications. Visual analysis of biodiesel in water emulsions obtained from the bitumen recovery tests from previous studies demonstrated that high pressure steam can lead to formation of stable emulsion by evaporation of biodiesel and condensation of steam-biodiesel vapor in the reservoir. Hence, biodiesel can be an alternative to commercial surfactants as a low-cost and environmentally-friendly additive for hot and cold production of heavy-oil.\u0000 For biodiesel to act as a surfactant and reduce IFT, it must first be condensated. Hence, we first studied the thermal-mechanical processing of biodiesel to generate stable steam treated homogenized biodiesel-in-water emulsion (SBDWE). Addition of chemicals such as silica and polymer (Xanthan gum) to further improve the stability of SBDWE was also considered in this study. Stable SBDWE samples generated at their optimal conditions were then employed for sandpack flooding experiments to observe their capacity to improve heavy oil recovery. In order to create stable SBDWE, biodiesel was first treated with steam at high pressure and high temperature conditions (1.6 MPa, 200°C). Variables such as reactor pressure, concentration of biodiesel in steam, and condensation time were modified independently to determine the optimal conditions for stable SBDWE generation. Surfactant behavior of the SBDWE samples was then tested through various methods (glass tube experiments, spreading tests through transmitted-light microscope, and naked eye visualization)\u0000 The results from the experiments suggest that aggregation of the small-sized biodiesel droplets of SBDWE (~1μm) at the interface between heavy oil and SBDWE can form a stable emulsion phase. Creaming of SBDWE is a poor emulsification indication and can be avoided by controlling experimental variables such as injected volume of distillate water, concentration of injected biodiesel, soaking time, and addition of silica nanofluid. Storage of the stable SBDWE is also an important factor as SBDWE properties such as texture, color and stability can change over time. Injected water volume (representing steam) and soaking time are variables that can have a significant impact on the generation of stable SBDWE. Therefore, it is important to maintain a certain volume of water and soaking time during the homogenization treatment. Finally, displacement experiments on sandpacks with the help of low concentration of silica (1 wt. %) and Xanthan gum (0.35 wt.%) yielded additional recovery up to ~39%.\u0000 Environmentally friendly and relatively inexpensive biodiesel (as a by-product of many industrial applications) is an ideal candidate for enhanced heavy oil recovery. Previously, application of biodiesel in heavy oil recovery came with limitations such that in enhanced heavy oil recovery, it is most effective when added to steam at high temperature and pressure conditions. Howev","PeriodicalId":137875,"journal":{"name":"Day 3 Wed, December 12, 2018","volume":"9 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-12-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"132165888","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Pore Scale Simulation of Surfactant Flooding by Lattice Boltzmann Method","authors":"B. Wei, Jian Hou, Dejun Wu, Huiyu Wang, Hao Liu","doi":"10.2118/193660-MS","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2118/193660-MS","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 Surfactants play an important role in the widely used enhanced heavy oil recovery methods such as surfactant-polymer flooding and alkali-surfactant flooding. In this study, we focus on the effects of surfactant during surfactant flooding and provide a pore scale simulator of surfactant flooding based on the Lattice Boltzmann (LB) method.\u0000 We introduce a dipole to present the amphiphilic structure of surfactants in the Lattice Boltzmann model, and characterizes microscopic fluid interactions at the kinetic level. There are three velocity distribution functions to present the oil, water, and surfactant species, and every distribution follows the discrete Boltzmann-BGK equation. There is also an additional dipole vector representing the orientation of amphiphile, so that the interactions related with surfactants depend not only on particle relative distances but also on their dipolar orientations.\u0000 The simulation results show that surfactants can reduce the oil-water interfacial tension and recover more oil trapped by capillary force. Moreover, surfactants are able to emulsify the flooding system, forming O/W emulsions or bi-continuous micro-emulsions. Higher surfactant concentration leads to smaller oil droplets in emulsions. In addition, the phase distribution morphologies in porous media are much different in different wetting conditions. By associating the fluid-solid interfacial tension with the surfactants adsorption concentration on walls, we characterize the wettability alteration mechanism in LB model accurately. The oil recovery can be improved by changing the wettability from oil-wet to water wet, increasing the surfactant concentration, and enhancing the adhesion parameters. However, the adsorption onto walls leads to unnecessary waste and could decrease the surfactant concentration in bulk phase.\u0000 The study provides an effective pore scale tool to simulate the surfactant involved interfacial flows in porous media. In addition, we can use it to study the flow mechanisms and remaining oil distributions during surfactant flooding.","PeriodicalId":137875,"journal":{"name":"Day 3 Wed, December 12, 2018","volume":"79 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-12-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"133425592","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}