A Novel, Field-representative Enhanced Oil Recovery Coreflood Method

Gupta, Robin; Lu, Pengbo; Glotzbach, Rodney C.; Hehmeyer, Owen J.

doi:10.2118/169088-ms

Cited by 3 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…Relative permeability was quite complex and important. Factors such as rock type, wettability, and pore geometry, imbibition, or drainage, capillary end effects [38], even method [39], affected relative permeability significantly [7,9,31,[40][41][42]. Fulcher Jr. et al [7] studied the effect of capillary number on two phase relative permeability curves and gave informative conclusions.…”

Section: Relative Permeabilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

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Proper Use of Capillary Number in Chemical Flooding

Guo

Wang

et al. 2017

Journal of Chemistry

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Capillary number theory is very important for chemical flooding enhanced oil recovery. The difference between microscopic capillary number and the microscopic one is easy to confuse. After decades of development, great progress has been made in capillary number theory and it has important but sometimes incorrect application in EOR. The capillary number theory was based on capillary tube bundles and Darcy’s law hypothesis, and this should always be kept in mind when used in chemical flooding EOR. The flow in low permeability porous media often shows obvious non-Darcy effects, which is beyond Darcy’s law. Experiments data from ASP flooding and SP flooding showed that remaining oil saturation was not always decreasing as capillary number kept on increasing. Relative permeability was proved function of capillary number; its rate dependence was affected by capillary end effects. The mobility control should be given priority rather than lowering IFT. The displacement efficiency was not increased as displacement velocity increased as expected in heavy oil chemical flooding. Largest capillary number does not always make highest recovery in chemical flooding in heterogeneous reservoir. Misuse of CDC in EOR included the ignorance of mobility ratio, Darcy linear flow hypothesis, difference between microscopic capillary number and the microscopic one, and heterogeneity caused flow regime alteration. Displacement of continuous oil or remobilization of discontinuous oil was quite different.

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Section: Relative Permeabilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…At higher Nc, the remaining wetting phase was found to be dependent on both Nc and the number of PVs injected. Thus in experiment, the capillary end effects should be overcome in tests [39]. To minimize the capillary end effects, it is often recommended to use higher flow rates or/and longer core samples [44].…”

Section: Relative Permeabilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Proper Use of Capillary Number in Chemical Flooding

Guo

Wang

et al. 2017

Journal of Chemistry

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show abstract

“…Factors such as rock type, wettability, and pore geometry, imbibition or drainage, capillary end effects (Andrew et al, 2014), even method (Gupta, Lu, Glotzbach, Hehmeyer, & Upstream, 2014), affected relative permeability significantly (Jr. et al, 1985;N.R. Morrow, Chatzis& Taber, 1988;Kalaydijan, 1992;Chukwudeme & Fjelde, 2011;Dernaika et al, 2013;G.…”

Section: Relative Permeabilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Capillary number was found to have no influence on the non-wetting phase CDC measurement. The capillary end effects should be overcome in EOR tests (Gupta et al, 2014).…”

Section: Relative Permeabilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Review of Capillary Number in Chemical Enhanced Oil Recovery

Guo

Ma²,

Wang

et al. 2015

All Days

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After decades of development, great progress has been made in capillary number theory and it has important but often incorrect application in EOR. Investigation into progress on capillary number theory and some misuse of capillary number theory helps to make better use of it. Latest progress concerning with capillary number theory and its application in chemical EOR is reviewed by studying the experiments data and checking its model hypothesis. Classic Capillary Desaturation Curves (CDC) are summarized and new CDC is introduced. Typical classical CDC showed larger capillary number lead to lower residual oil saturation and when capillary number increased to a certain critical value(first critical value), the residual oil saturation could drop to a minimum value even zero. CDC shapes were different in water-wet and oil-wet media. Recovery can be improved by increasing flooding rate, though invalid and impractical, displacement phase viscosity or/and reducing oil/water interfacial tension, which are actually adopted by chemical flooding. Guided by this theory and also first critical capillary number value requirement, it lead to the pursuit of low interfacial tension to largest extent and the requirement of ultra-low interfacial tension (10 -3 mN/m) in surfactant screening. However, experiments data showed that residual oil saturation was not always decreasing as capillary number increased. After capillary number increased to a certain value (second critical value), the residual oil saturation may increase or decrease as capillary number increase. What was more, the final residual oil saturation was quite more than zero and this CDC was regarded as the new CDC. Experiments in heavy oil laboratory tests showed that smaller injection rate lead to higher recovery which seemed contrary to capillary theory.

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Intercept Method—A Novel Technique To Correct Steady-State Relative Permeability Data for Capillary End Effects

Gupta

Maloney

2015

SPE Reservoir Evaluation &Amp; Engineering

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Summary In laboratory measurements of relative permeability, capillary discontinuities at sample ends give rise to capillary end effects (CEEs). End effects affect fluid flow and retention. If end-effect artifacts are not minimized by test design and data interpretation, relative permeability results may be significantly erroneous. This is a well-known issue in unsteady-state tests, but even steady-state relative permeability results are influenced by end-effect artifacts. This work describes the intercept method, a novel modified steady-state approach in which corrections for end-effect artifacts are applied as data are measured. The intercept method requires running a steady-state relative permeability test with several different flow rates for each fractional flow. Obtaining multiple (three or four) sets of rates (Q), pressure drops (ΔP), and saturation data allows for assessment of CEE artifacts. With Darcy flow, a plot of pressure drop vs. total flow rate is typically linear. A nonzero intercept or offset is an end-effect artifact. To correct for the effect, the offset is subtracted from measured pressure drops. Corrected pressure drops are used in permeability calculations. The set of saturations from measurements at the target fractional flow is used to calculate a corrected final saturation. Because corrections for end effects are made during the test rather than after the test is complete, any discrepancies can be resolved by additional measurements before moving on to the next fractional flow. Rates are then adjusted to yield the next target fractional-flow condition, and the same protocol is repeated for each subsequent steady-state measurement. The method is validated by theory and is easy to apply.

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A Novel, Field-representative Enhanced Oil Recovery Coreflood Method

Cited by 3 publications

References 13 publications

Proper Use of Capillary Number in Chemical Flooding

Proper Use of Capillary Number in Chemical Flooding

Review of Capillary Number in Chemical Enhanced Oil Recovery

Intercept Method—A Novel Technique To Correct Steady-State Relative Permeability Data for Capillary End Effects

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