A new simulation framework for predicting the onset and effects of fines mobilization

Abstract

Fines release and migration is a universal problem in the production of oil from poorly consolidated sandstone reservoirs. This problem can result in the changes of porosity and permeability. It may not only damage a production facility, but it can also have a profound effect on oil recovery, resulting from the change in heterogeneity of the oil formation. Based on the macroscopic continuous porous media, continuity equations for multiphase flow in oil formations, and the theories of fines release and migration, a three-dimensional (3D) field scale mathematical model describing migration of fines in porous media is developed. The model is solved by a finite-difference method and the line successive over relaxation (LSOR) technique. A numerical simulator is written in Fortran 90 and it can be used to predict (1) the ratio of fines to production liquid volume, (2) the permeability change caused by colloidal and hydrodynamic forces resulting from fines release and migration, and (3) production performance. The numerical results of the one-dimensional model were verified by the data obtained by core displacement experiments. The sensitivity of numerical results with grid block size was studied by coarse grids, moderate grids, and fine grids. In addition, an oil field example with five-spot patterns was made on the numerical simulator. The results show that fines migration in an oil formation can accelerate the development of heterogeneity of the reservoir rock, and has an obvious influence on production performance, i.e., water drive front, water-cut trends, and oil recovery. 266 Binshan Ju et al. Nomenclature B Volume factor of fluid C lij Volume concentration of composition j of particles in {the} phase l. C si Mass concentration of salt ions for composition i (kg/m 3 ) D Diffusivity of particle composition i (m 2 /s) D s Diffusivity of salt, ions, (m 2 /s) fFlow efficiency factor k Transient absolute permeability of a porous media (m 2 ) k r Relative permeability of a porous media p Pressure (Pa) q Production/injection rate (m 3 /s) R Net particle change rate on the pore surfaces or at pore throats (1/s) R s Solution gas-oil ratioDistance from reference level (m) α c Release rate of fines by colloidal forces (s −1 ) α d Rate constant for the deposition of particles on pore surfaces (m −1 ) α f Coefficient of flow efficiency α h Release rate of fines by hydrodynamic forces (m −1 ) α p Capture rate constant of particles at pore throats (m −1 ) δ lij Volume of particles deposited on the pore surfaces per unit bulk volume φ Porosity of the porous media δ * lij

Effects of Injected-Water Salinity on Waterflood Sweep Efficiency Through Induced Fines Migration

“…1998;Tufenkji and Elimelech 2004;Rousseau et al 2008). The detachment coefficient is an empirical constant usually determined by tuning with experimental data (Ju et al 2007;Tufenkji 2007), which may require extensive laboratory studies. Another shortcoming of the advective/ diffusive model with particle-detachment kinetics is the asymptotic stabilization of the retention concentration and permeability when time tends to infinity.…”

Particle Detachment Under Velocity Alternation During Suspension Transport in Porous Media

“…It takes place in industrial filtering, size exclusion chromatography, water production by artesian wells, grouting injection to improve soil strength, liquid composite moulding, industrial waste disposal, aquifer remediation, contamination of aquifers by viruses and bacteria, fines migration in low consolidate and high-clay-content oil reservoirs, low quality water injection in oilfields (Mays and Hunt 2005;Lefevre et al 2007;Ju et al 2007;Chupin et al 2008;Kocaefe et al 2009;Zhou et al 2009;Massoudieh and Ginn 2010;Wong and Mettananda 2010;Gitis et al 2010;Richards and Neretnieks 2010;Noubactep and Care 2010 etc.). Design and behaviour prediction of the above mentioned technological processes are based on mathematical modelling.…”

Numerical modeling of formation damage by two-phase particulate transport processes during CO2 injection in deep heterogeneous porous media

“…By introducing the fines plugging effect in the original KC equation, Liu and Civan [53] and later Ju et al [44] have expressed the instantaneous permeability change by release and retention of particles as…”

“…where κ is a parameter accounting for the residual permeability of the plugged formation enabling therefore the so-called gate or valve effect of the pore throats, whereby K = 0 even if ϕ ̸ = 0, n is an index which is claimed to be in the range between 2.5 and 3.5 by Ju et al [44], and f e is a flow efficiency factor expressing the fraction of unplugged pores available for flow given as…”