Novel Waterflooding Strategy by Manipulation of Injection Brine Composition

Abstract

As brine composition profoundly influences reservoir wettability and hence microscopic sweep, careful design of injection brine is part of a strategy to improve on oil production in existing and future water flooding projects, in both sandstone and carbonate reservoirs and in combination with follow-up EOR projects. The following results were found:Formation water with higher salinity level correlates to a higher content of multivalent cations. This causes the (sandstone) reservoir wettability to be more oilwet;The field-observed temporary reduction in watercut during breakthrough of so-called "Designer Waterflood" water in a Middle Eastern sandstone reservoir with highly saline formation water was interpreted to be caused by an oil bank ahead of the slug of injected water;The oil bank results from improved sweep by wettability modification to more waterwet state. The interpretation was confirmed by laboratory experiments;Experiments in limestone core plugs demonstrate similar wettability modification, if the sulphate ion content in the invading brine is far in excess of the calcium ion content. Based on these results the following conclusions were drawn:Designer Waterflooding may increase the Ultimate Recovery of oil by at least a few percent;There is scope for further improvement in oil production by flood front stabilization by adding low concentration polymer to the optimised slug;If future EOR projects are planned, a Designer Waterflooding pre-flush is recommended to obtain more favourable oil desaturation profiles and savings on polymer costs;In case of seawater injection into reservoirs with formation water of low salinity level, removal of multivalent cations from the seawater should be considered to avoid the potential risk that the reservoir becomes more oilwet, which will result in reduced sweep. Introduction In the past decade, injection of brines with well-selected ionic composition in sandstone and carbonate reservoirs has been developed into an emerging IOR technology, aiming for improved microscopic sweep efficiency with reduction in remaining oil saturation as result (Tang and Morrow, 1997, 1999, 2002; Maas et al, 2001; Webb et al, 2003 and McGuire et al, 2005). Recently, some evidence of the beneficial impact of injection of brines with well-selected ionic composition from historical field data was published (Robertson, 2007). In-house research on this subject covered a broad range of disciplines, including core flow and Amott imbibition experiments, Colloid Chemistry and Petroleum Engineering. In this paper we describe the major results from our study and indicate where this technology can be most favourably applied.

Role of Rock Surface Charge in the Carbonated Water Flooding Process

“…This phenomenon is indirectly dependent on the rock surface charge (Schramm et al, 1990). Variations in the surface charge and wettability may lead to inter alia adsorption or/and chemical mobilization (Linghtelm et al, 2009). The rock wettability depends on the stability of an aqueous film between rock surface and oil (Hirasaki, 1997).…”

Molecular dynamics for ion-tuned wettability in oil/brine/rock systems

“…The influence of ionic composition on ion-binding and acid/base interaction is usually called multicomponent ion exchange (MIE). It is still under debate whether EDL repulsion [22][23][24] or MIE 11,21,25 dominates ion-tuned wettability.…”

Experimental Investigation into Effects of Crude Oil Acid and Base Number on Wettability Alteration by Using Different Low Salinity Water in Sandstone Rock

“…With the purpose of enhancing oil recovery, low salinity water (LSW) with adequate composition and salinity is injected into the reservoir, which changes the wetting properties of the reservoir rock into that favoring oil recovery 2), 3) . There are many theories regarding the mechanisms of wettability alteration in presence of LSW which are fine migration 4) , the pH effects 3) , multiple-component ion exchange (MIE) 5) , and wettability modification due to double layer expansion 2), 6) . Ligthelm et al (2009) suggested that the application of LSW results in an expansion of the ionic electrical double layer between the clay and the oil interfaces.…”

“…There are many theories regarding the mechanisms of wettability alteration in presence of LSW which are fine migration 4) , the pH effects 3) , multiple-component ion exchange (MIE) 5) , and wettability modification due to double layer expansion 2), 6) . Ligthelm et al (2009) suggested that the application of LSW results in an expansion of the ionic electrical double layer between the clay and the oil interfaces. This causes the oil to be desorbed from the rock surface thus increasing the water wetness 6) .…”

“…Ligthelm et al (2009) suggested that the application of LSW results in an expansion of the ionic electrical double layer between the clay and the oil interfaces. This causes the oil to be desorbed from the rock surface thus increasing the water wetness 6) . Residual oil determination is in part dependent on the wettability of the rock.…”