Miscible Displacements of Reservoir Oil Using Flue Gas

Abstract

Published in Petroleum Transactions, AIME, Volume 213, 1958, pages 7–10. Summary Miscible phase displacement of oil from reservoirs has been emphasized in the past few years. The reason for this emphasis lies in the high oil recovery attainable by this process. Removal of capillary effects in the reservoir leads to recoveries approaching 100 per cent in the area contacted by the miscible phase. The miscible slug process is one means of obtaining a miscible displacement. Here a band or slug of LPG is injected into the reservoir prior to gas injection. The idea is to maintain the band of LPG "wedged" between the gas and oil phases and thus achieve a miscible phase displacement. A second method for achieving miscibility is through the injection of a gas which is not miscible with the reservoir fluid but which develops a zone of miscibility in the reservoir through mass transfer with the reservoir oil. This mass transfer results in either an enrichment of the lean injected gas by intermediates from the oil or an enrichment of the oil by intermediates from a rich injection gas or one that has been enriched on the surface by LPG addition. We are interested here in discussing the process in which miscibility is developed at the displacement front by the evaporation of intermediates from the oil phase into the gas phase. This process "builds up" its own slug of miscible material at the displacement front and therefore does not require the injection of LPG to obtain miscibility. Each process has its own area of applicability. Generally, the high pressure gas process is applicable only with reservoir fluids which contain a high concentration of intermediates. If the high pressure gas process is technically feasible at pressures less than 4,500 psi, it is probably more desirable economically than the slug process. The slug process has broad applicability in the shallower reservoirs and with reservoir fluids which contain a relatively low concentration of LPG and natural gasoline constituents. This paper deals with some new concepts of the high pressure gas injection process where it is proposed that flue gas can be substituted for hydrocarbon gas without sacrificing our goal of miscibility.

Evolution of the Properties and Composition of Heavy Oil by Injecting Dry Boiler Flue Gas

“…Injecting flue gas into oil reservoirs to enhance oil recovery has been studied for nearly 60 years . Coinjection of steam and flue gas directly from the steam generator to carry out CSS and SAGD has been proven successful by pilot tests. ,, This technology has the potential to reduce steam heat loss, promote the development of the steam chamber, reduce the cost of injection substantially, provide a means to sequester some of the exhaust gas from steam generation, and capture CO 2 in the oil reservoir …”

“…Laboratory research 8 , 14 − 16 and field applications 17 , 18 have shown that CO 2 and N 2 are two beneficial components for heavy oil EOR. A series of pressure–volume–temperature (PVT) experiments were conducted to study the solubility of CO 2 , N 2 , and their mixtures in heavy oil and their effect on swelling, density, and viscosity reduction of heavy oil.…”

“…Laboratory research ,− and field applications , have shown that CO 2 and N 2 are two beneficial components for heavy oil EOR. A series of pressure–volume–temperature (PVT) experiments were conducted to study the solubility of CO 2 , N 2 , and their mixtures in heavy oil and their effect on swelling, density, and viscosity reduction of heavy oil. ,,− These investigations showed that CO 2 has a high solubility in heavy oil and can reduce the viscosity of heavy oil and make it appear swollen. ,,,, The solubility of N 2 in heavy oil is less than that of CO 2 . ,, Under the same pressure condition, the solubility of N 2 in heavy oil increases with increasing temperature, while other studies showed the opposite result .…”

Estimation of the Influence of Associated Petroleum Gas with a High Carbon Dioxide Content on the Oil Displacement Regime in the Development of the Tolumskoye Field

“…− The MMP is determined in a set of experiments at different displacement pressures at 1.2 V pore injected into the slim model. The MMP corresponds to the breakpoint of the displacement factor -displacement pressure curve [30,41,42], as well as a number of others [42][43][44].…”

PVT Measurements on Petroleum Reservoir Fluids and Their Uses

“…88% N2, 12% CO2) or carbon dioxide for displacement of oil from reservoirs, tests were made by contacting or repressuring samples of oil with these gases. Measurements were made on "swelling" of the oil volume and decrease of oil viscosity due to solution of the gas in the oil (36,56).…”