Optimizing conformance control for gas injection EOR in unconventional reservoirs

Jin, Lu; Wan, Xincheng; Azzolina, Nicholas A.; Bosshart, Nicholas W.; Zhao, Jianwei; Yu, Yang; Yu, Xue; Smith, Steven A.; Sorensen, James A.; Gorecki, Charles D.

doi:10.1016/j.fuel.2022.124523

Cited by 8 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 45 publications

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“…The total thickness of the model is 206 with 166 ft of oil pay zone. More detailed model-tuning processes and history match results were reported by Jin et al , Computer Modeling Group Ltd.’s (CMG’s) GEM simulator was used to perform the simulations.…”

Section: Laboratory and Simulation Investigationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Because well interference was observed in almost all of the gas injection EOR pilots and was considered one of the most critical challenges for EOR operations in unconventional reservoirs, 63−66 a multiple-well multiple-fracture (MWMF) simulation model was employed to evaluate the feasibility of performing rich gas EOR in a Bakken oil field. 68,69 The model used an equation-of-state (EOS) with eight components to ensure a variety of gas injection scenarios can be simulated.…”

Section: Simulation Investigationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Based on a detailed literature survey and communications with field operators, 24 EOR pilot tests performed in North American unconventional plays were identified. The EOR-related data was collected from a variety of sources, including publications and governmental databases available through the North Dakota Industrial Commission (NDIC), Texas Railroad Commission (TRC), and oil and gas companies. ,− General information on these 24 pilot tests is summarized in Tables and .…”

Section: Overview Of Ior/eor Pilot Tests In Unconventional Reservoirsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These tests showed that fluid injectivity in unconventional reservoirs may not be an issue because of the existing fractures in the formations. However, the conformance issues caused by hydraulic fractures and the interconnected fracture network within the stimulated reservoir volume were the main challenges to achieving a significant EOR response in most of the pilot tests. − …”

Section: Overview Of Ior/eor Pilot Tests In Unconventional Reservoirsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…only marginal or little incremental oil production was observed in the field after performing EOR operations). Conformance issues caused by well interference were identified as one of the most critical challenges in the gas injection process due to the massively interconnected fractures between wells. − …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Investigating Enhanced Oil Recovery in Unconventional Reservoirs Based on Field Case Review, Laboratory, and Simulation Studies

et al. 2022

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Aimed at advancing gas injection enhanced oil recovery (EOR) technologies in unconventional reservoirs, this study comprised a series of activities to bridge the gap between the theoretical study and actual field applications. Twenty-four EOR pilot tests were collected from the major unconventional plays in North America to evaluate the performance of different EOR technologies. Fit-for-purpose experiments and simulations were performed to investigate the effects of injection rate and pressure on EOR performance, as well as to reveal the effectiveness of huff "n" puff (HnP) cycles in actual field operations. The selection of injection rate and pressure as key parameters for investigation was based on field observations and communications with oil and gas operators because these two parameters play critical roles in both facility design and overall cost for an EOR project. Results showed that miscible EOR with a high gas injection rate and pressure is required for field operations because the injected gas needs to penetrate and extract oil from the tight matrix. Experimental results indicated that there is a correlation between oil recovery and the logarithm of core volume for miscible EOR. Immiscible gas EOR could not yield a satisfactory EOR response in actual reservoirs because the injected gas tends to flow through fractures instead of penetrating the matrix to interact with oil. Results also showed that reaching minimum miscibility pressure (MMP) does not guarantee an optimum EOR operation in unconventional reservoirs. Pressure higher than MMP is preferred in field operations. When designed properly, up to a tenfold oil production rate boost is achievable in field applications within a short period. However, such a high-performance operation is only effective in the first several HnP cycles due to the limited gas penetration depth into the rock matrix.

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Section: Laboratory and Simulation Investigationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Simulation Investigationmentioning

confidence: 99%