Hybrid Chemical Enhanced Oil Recovery Techniques: A Simulation Study

Abstract

<jats:p>Simultaneous utilization of surfactant and preformed particle gel (henceforth; PPG) flooding on the oil recovery enhancement has been widely investigated as a preferable enhanced oil recovery technique after the polymer flooding. In this paper, a numerical model is developed to simulate the profound impact of hybrid chemical enhanced oil recovery methods (PPG/polymer/surfactant) in sandstone reservoirs. Moreover, the gel particle conformance control is considered in the developed model after polymer flooding performances on the oil recovery enhancement. To validate the developed model, two sets of experimental field data from Daqing oil field (PPG conformance control after polymer flooding) and Shengli oil field (PPG-surfactant flooding after polymer flooding) are used to check the reliability of the model. Combination of preformed gel particles, polymers and surfactants due to the deformation, swelling, and physicochemical properties of gel particles can mobilize the trapped oil through the porous media to enhance oil recovery factor by blocking the high permeable channels. As a result, PPG conformance control plays an essential role in oil recovery enhancement. Furthermore, experimental data of PPG/polymer/surfactant flooding in the Shengli field and its comparison with the proposed model indicated that the model and experimental field data are in a good agreement. Consequently, the coupled model of surfactant and PPG flooding after polymer flooding performances has led to more recovery factor rather than the basic chemical recovery techniques.</jats:p>

Simultaneous evaluation of capillary pressure and wettability alteration based on the USBM and imbibition tests on carbonate minerals

“…Moreover, the variation of wettability have a huge impact on the capillary pressure, irreducible water saturation and residual oil saturation (Anderson 1985;A Davarpanah 2018;A Davarpanah and Mirshekari 2019a, 2019b, 2019cHan et al 2019;Xiao Hu et al 2020;Jadhunandan and Morrow 1995). It has been proved that the most of the carbonate reservoirs act as oil-wet due to the interaction of components crude oil and the kind of this rock (Afshin Davarpanah 2020; Afshin Davarpanah et al 2018;Geyssant 2019;Hirasaki and Zhang 2004;Xiaoyong Hu et al 2020;Jarrahian et al 2012;Kafashi et al 2020;Zhou and Davarpanah 2020). The composition of rock minerals plays a significant role in the adsorption of added surfactants, reservoirs and their influences on wettability (Hamid Giraldo et al 2013;Pan et al 2020;Somasundaran and Zhang 2006).…”

A Laboratory Approach to Measure Enhanced Gas Recovery from a Tight Gas Reservoir during Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Injection

“…Utilization of underground stored natural gas would be more environmentally friendly during enhanced recovery processes [17][18][19][20][21][22][23], as it does not need to transfer gas from petrochemical industries [24][25][26]. Moreover, it is more economical, as it has removed unprecedented expenses to capture carbon dioxide [27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34]. Recently, due to the high productions of hydrocarbon, most of the conventional reservoirs are almost depleted, or it is not economical to produce the remained hydrocarbon [35][36][37][38][39][40].…”

Hybrid Application of Nanoparticles and Polymer in Enhanced Oil Recovery Processes

“…The utilization of nanoparticles regarding their inorganic feature with the organic polymers would be of interest, as it can generate synergy between two materials and improve the oil recovery performances. The creation of hydrogen bonds between the polymers and nanoparticles to enhance the rheological properties of polymer-nanoparticle aqueous solution in the presence of high salinity and temperature is the reason for this phenomenon [61]. The addition of nanoparticles to chemical agents during enhanced oil recovery would be of importance, as it can significantly influence the wettability alteration and reduce the interfacial tension that is combined with the viscosifying property of polymer, which helps the oil phase to be more mobilized through porous media [62][63][64][65][66].…”