Improving Oil Displacement Factor by Alkaline Flooding in the DERO Field

Abstract In this research, a lab study was conducted on the process of injection a solution of Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH) into a lab-prepared a matrix Marble model that physically simulates the reservoir properties of the Jeribeh producing formation in DERO oil field. The Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH) solution is chosen due to its efficiency in studying alkaline. The injection operation of the alkaline was performed on the rock model using the volume ratios (15, 30 and 50% PV), (% PV that represents ratio of the injected liquid to the pores volume of the model), to guarantee an efficient displacement. The injection process was continued at each ratio using the displacement fluid until reaching the 250% PV level. Through the results of the displacement processes, the change of the following factors in relation with was graphically studied: where, Oil Displacement Factor (O.F.D), Water ratio in the produced fluid, (W) and: ratio of the produced oil volume at every injection process to the accumulated volume of the injected fluid at the same stage, (R.a=V_O/V_T ). To compare the displacement efficiency using Sodium Hydroxide with the efficiency of water injection (currently applied in DERO field), the model was flooded by (250% PV) of water after it was cleaned with kerosene, then dried and re-saturated with oil. A comparison between the change of the factors when injecting water and injecting Sodium Hydroxide solution was graphically performed. The results of the graphical comparison of both injection methods implied a steady increase of the (O.F.D) and (R.a) factors and a decrease of the water ratio produced with oil when injecting (NaOH) solution at all the studied injection ratios when compared with water flooding.