CO_(2)flooding in shale oil reservoir with radial borehole fracturing for CO_(2)storage and enhanced oil recovery

This study introduces a novel method integrating CO_(2)flooding with radial borehole fracturing for enhanced oil recovery and CO_(2)underground storage,a solution to the limited vertical stimulation reservoir volume in horizontal well fracturing.A numerical model is established to investigate the production rate,reservoir pressure field,and CO_(2)saturation distribution corresponding to changing time of CO_(2)flooding with radial borehole fracturing.A sensitivity analysis on the influence of CO_(2)injection location,layer spacing,pressure difference,borehole number,and hydraulic fractures on oil production and CO_(2)storage is conducted.The CO_(2)flooding process is divided into four stages.Reductions in layer spacing will significantly improve oil production rate and gas storage capacity.However,serious gas channeling can occur when the spacing is lower than 20 m.Increasing the pressure difference between the producer and injector,the borehole number,the hydraulic fracture height,and the fracture width can also increase the oil production rate and gas storage rate.Sensitivity analysis shows that layer spacing and fracture height greatly influence gas storage and oil production.Research outcomes are expected to provide a theoretical basis for the efficient development of shale oil reservoirs in the vertical direction.

A multi-mechanism numerical simulation model for CO_(2)-EOR and storage in fractured shale oil reservoirs

Under the policy background and advocacy of carbon capture,utilization,and storage(CCUS),CO_(2)-EOR has become a promising direction in the shale oil reservoir industry.The multi-scale pore structure distribution and fracture structure lead to complex multiphase flow,comprehensively considering multiple mechanisms is crucial for development and CO_(2) storage in fractured shale reservoirs.In this paper,a multi-mechanism coupled model is developed by MATLAB.Compared to the traditional Eclipse300 and MATLAB Reservoir Simulation Toolbox(MRST),this model considers the impact of pore structure on fluid phase behavior by the modified Peng—Robinson equation of state(PR-EOS),and the effect simultaneously radiate to Maxwell—Stefan(M—S)diffusion,stress sensitivity,the nano-confinement(NC)effect.Moreover,a modified embedded discrete fracture model(EDFM)is used to model the complex fractures,which optimizes connection types and half-transmissibility calculation approaches between non-neighboring connections(NNCs).The full implicit equation adopts the finite volume method(FVM)and Newton—Raphson iteration for discretization and solution.The model verification with the Eclipse300 and MRST is satisfactory.The results show that the interaction between the mechanisms significantly affects the production performance and storage characteristics.The effect of molecular diffusion may be overestimated in oil-dominated(liquid-dominated)shale reservoirs.The well spacing and injection gas rate are the most crucial factors affecting the production by sensitivity analysis.Moreover,the potential gas invasion risk is mentioned.This model provides a reliable theoretical basis for CO_(2)-EOR and sequestration in shale oil reservoirs.

Shale oil development techniques and application based on ternary-element storage and flow concept in Jiyang Depression,Bohai Bay Basin,East China

The ternary-element storage and flow concept for shale oil reservoirs in Jiyang Depression of Bohai Bay Basin,East China,was proposed based on the data of more than 10000 m cores and the production of more than 60 horizontal wells.The synergy of three elements(storage,fracture and pressure)contributes to the enrichment and high production of shale oil in Jiyang Depression.The storage element controls the enrichment of shale oil;specifically,the presence of inorganic pores and fractures,as well as laminae of lime-mud rocks,in the saline lake basin,is conducive to the storage of shale oil,and the high hydrocarbon generating capacity and free hydrocarbon content are the material basis for high production.The fracture element controls the shale oil flow;specifically,natural fractures act as flow channels for shale oil to migrate and accumulate,and induced fractures communicate natural fractures to form complex fracture network,which is fundamental to high production.The pressure element controls the high and stable production of shale oil;specifically,the high formation pressure provides the drive force for the migration and accumulation of hydrocarbons,and fracturing stimulation significantly increases the elastic energy of rock and fluid,improves the imbibition replacement of oil in the pores/fractures,and reduces the stress sensitivity,guaranteeing the stable production of shale oil for a long time.Based on the ternary-element storage and flow concept,a 3D development technology was formed,with the core techniques of 3D well pattern optimization,3D balanced fracturing,and full-cycle optimization of adjustment and control.This technology effectively guides the production and provides a support to the large-scale beneficial development of shale oil in Jiyang Depression.

Investigation of factors affecting on viscosity reduction of sludge from Iranian crude oil storage tanks

Crude oil is a kind of water/oil emulsion, which the oil phase consists of organic molecules with different molecular weights such as alkanes, paraffin, asphaltene, and resins. Due to the change in physicochemical conditions during the production, transportation, storage, and refining, heavier molecules can precipitate from crude oil. Thus, viscous sludge formed at the bottom of storage tanks can cause many problems including reduction of storage capacity of tank, oil contamination, corrosion, repair costs, environmental pollution, etc. The reduction of sludge viscosity can be achieved by reduction of its interfacial tension. In this study, different chemical and physical factors, influencing prepared emulsions（made of sludge, water and surfactant）, such as surfactants, solvents, temperature, pressure, and mixing conditions were investigated. Results showed that non-ionic surfactants（like bitumen emulsifier）, and solvents（such as mixed xylene, AW-400, and AW-402）, injection of additives, applying pressure, and mixing operations had a positive effect on reduction of emulsion viscosity. All experiments were carried out with sludge obtained from crude oil storage tanks at Kharg Island,Iran.

The impact of connate water saturation and salinity on oil recovery and CO2 storage capacity during carbonated water injection in carbonate rock

Carbonated water injection(CWI)is known as an efficient technique for both CO2 storage and enhanced oil recovery(EOR).During CWI process,CO2 moves from the water phase into the oil phase and results in oil swelling.This mechanism is considered as a reason for EOR.Viscous fingering leading to early breakthrough and leaving a large proportion of reservoir un-swept is known as an unfavorable phenomenon during flooding trials.Generally,instability at the interface due to disturbances in porous medium promotes viscous fingering phenomenon.Connate water makes viscous fingers longer and more irregular consisting of large number of tributaries leading to the ultimate oil recovery reduction.Therefore,higher in-situ water content can worsen this condition.Besides,this water can play as a barrier between oil and gas phases and adversely affect the gas diffusion,which results in EOR reduction.On the other hand,from gas storage point of view,it should be noted that CO2 solubility is not the same in the water and oil phases.In this study for a specified water salinity,the effects of different connate water saturations(Swc)on the ultimate oil recovery and CO2 storage capacity during secondary CWI are being presented using carbonate rock samples from one of Iranian carbonate oil reservoir.The results showed higher oil recovery and CO2 storage in the case of lower connate water saturation,as 14%reduction of Swc resulted in 20%and 16%higher oil recovery and CO2 storage capacity,respectively.

Pore-scale mechanisms and characterization of light oil storage in shale nanopores:New method and insights

A new method is proposed to analyze the pore-scale mechanisms and characterization of light oil storage in shale nanopores,which is based on the Hydrocarbon Vapor Adsorption(HVA)and Pore Calculation Model(PCM).First,the basic principle of the HVA-PCM method is introduced,and the experimental/mathematical analysis processes are given.Then,the HVA-PCM method is applied to shale samples to analyze the mechanisms and characterization of light oil storage in shale nanopores.The results provide insights into the pore-scale oil storage mechanisms,oil storage structure,oil film thickness,oil distribution within different sized pores,and the oil storage state.Finally,the advantages and limitations of the HVA-PCM method are discussed,and suggestions for further improvement are proposed.Overall,the HVA-PCM method is a powerful tool for extracting quantitative information on the light oil storage in shale nanopores.

Norwegian oil and gas storage in rock caverns-Technology based on experience from hydropower development

Underground storage in rock caverns is widely used in Norway for many different petroleum products,such as crude oil,fuel,propane and butane.Basically,the caverns for such storages are unlined,i.e.containment is ensured without using any steel lining or membrane.The main basis for the storage technology originates from the extensive hydropower development in Norway.As part of this activity,about 4500 km of tunnels and shafts have been excavated,and around 200 large powerhouse caverns have been constructed.The hydropower tunnels are mainly unlined,with hydrostatic water pressure on unlined rock of up to 1000 m.Some of the projects also include air cushion chambers with volumes of up to 1×10^(5)m^(3)and air pressure up to 7.7 MPa.Many lessons which are valuable also for underground oil and gas storage have been learnt from these projects.For a storage project to become successful,systematic,well planned design and ground investigation procedures are crucial.The main steps of the design procedure are first to define the optimum location of the project,and then to optimize orientation,shape/geometry and dimensions of caverns and tunnels.As part of the procedure,ground investigations have to be carried out at several steps integrated with the progress of design.The investigation and design procedures,and the great significance of these for the project to become successful will be discussed.Case examples of oil and gas storage in unlined rock caverns are given,illustrating the relevancy of experience from high-pressure hydropower projects for planning and design of unlined caverns for oil and gas storage.

Assessing the Viability of Gandhar Field in India’s Cambay Basin for CO_(2) Storage

Our research is centered on the Gandhar oil field, which was discovered in 1983, where daily oil production has declined significantly over the years. The primary objective was to evaluate the feasibility of carbon dioxide(CO_(2)) storage through its injection into the siliciclastic reservoirs of Ankleshwar Formation. We aimed to obtain high-resolution acoustic impedance data to estimate porosity employing model-based poststack seismic inversion. We conducted an analysis of the density and effective porosity in the target zone through geostatistical techniques and probabilistic neural networks. Simultaneously, the work also involved geomechanical analysis through the computation of pore pressure and fracture gradient using well-log data, geological information, and drilling events in the Gandhar field. Our investigation unveiled spatial variations in effective porosity within the Hazad Member of the Ankleshwar Formation, with an effective porosity exceeding 25% observed in several areas, which indicates the presence of well-connected pore spaces conducive to efficient CO_(2) migration. Geomechanical analysis showed that the vertical stress(Sv) ranged from 55 MPa to 57 MPa in Telwa and from 63.7 MPa to 67.7 MPa in Hazad Member. The pore pressure profile displayed variations along the stratigraphic sequence, with the shale zone, particularly in the Kanwa Formation, attaining the maximum pressure gradient(approximately 36 MPa). However, consistently low pore pressure values(30-34 MPa) considerably below the fracture gradient curves were observed in Hazad Member due to depletion. The results from our analysis provide valuable insights into shaping future field development strategies and exploration of the feasibility of CO_(2) sequestration in Gandhar Field.

The Features of Acoustic Bathymetry of Sludge in Oil Storage Tanks

The features of acoustic bathymetry of sludge in crude oil tanks are considered. Different parameters of crude oil and sludge which are important for the selection of acoustic parameters such as sound speed, the acoustic impedances of “oil-sludge” boundaries and sound attenuation are analyzed and compared with experimental data. The main sources of errors of sludge volume estimation are discussed.

Investigation of flue gas water-alternating gas (flue gas–WAG) injection for enhanced oil recovery and multicomponent flue gas storage in the post-waterflooding reservoir

Flue gas fooding is one of the important technologies to improve oil recovery and achieve greenhouse gas storage.In order to study multicomponent fue gas storage capacity and enhanced oil recovery(EOR)performance of fue gas water-alternating gas(fue gas-WAG)injection after continuous waterfooding in an oil reservoir,a long core fooding system was built.The experimental results showed that the oil recovery factor of fue gas-WAG fooding was increased by 21.25%after continuous waterfooding and fue gas-WAG fooding could further enhance oil recovery and reduce water cut signifcantly.A novel material balance model based on storage mechanism was developed to estimate the multicomponent fue gas storage capacity and storage capacity of each component of fue gas in reservoir oil,water and as free gas in the post-waterfooding reservoir.The ultimate storage ratio of fue gas is 16%in the fue gas-WAG fooding process.The calculation results of fue gas storage capacity showed that the injection gas storage capacity mainly consists of N_(2) and CO_(2),only N_(2) exists as free gas phase in cores,and other components of injection gas are dissolved in oil and water.Finally,injection strategies from three perspectives for fue gas storage,EOR,and combination of fue gas storage and EOR were proposed,respectively.

Progress and prospect of carbon dioxide capture, utilization and storage in CNPC oilfields

The development history of carbon capture,utilization and storage for enhanced oil recovery(CCUS-EOR)in China is comprehensively reviewed,which consists of three stages:research and exploration,field test and industrial application.The breakthrough understanding of CO_(2) flooding mechanism and field practice in recent years and the corresponding supporting technical achievements of CCUS-EOR project are systematically described.The future development prospects are also pointed out.After nearly 60 years of exploration,the theory of CO_(2) flooding and storage suitable for continental sedimentary reservoirs in China has been innovatively developed.It is suggested that C7–C15 are also important components affecting miscibility of CO_(2) and crude oil.The mechanism of rapid recovery of formation energy by CO_(2) and significant improvement of block productivity and recovery factor has been verified in field tests.The CCUS-EOR reservoir engineering design technology for continental sedimentary reservoir is established.The technology of reservoir engineering parameter design and well spacing optimization has been developed,which focuses on maintaining miscibility to improve oil displacement efficiency and uniform displacement to improve sweep efficiency.The technology of CO_(2) capture,injection and production process,whole-system anticorrosion,storage monitoring and other whole-process supporting technologies have been initially formed.In order to realize the efficient utilization and permanent storage of CO_(2),it is necessary to take the oil reservoir in the oil-water transition zone into consideration,realize the large-scale CO_(2) flooding and storage in the area from single reservoir to the overall structural control system.The oil reservoir in the oil-water transition zone is developed by stable gravity flooding of injecting CO_(2) from structural highs.The research on the storage technology such as the conversion of residual oil and CO_(2) into methane needs to be carried out.

Investigation of gravity influence on EOR and CO_(2) geological storage based on pore-scale simulation

Gravity assistance is a critical factor influencing CO_(2)-Oil mixing and miscible flow during EOR and CO_(2)geological storage.Based on the Navier-Stokes equation,component mass conservation equation,and fluid property-composition relationship,a mathematical model for pore-scale CO_(2) injection in oilsaturated porous media was developed in this study.The model can reflect the effects of gravity assistance,component diffusion,fluid density variation,and velocity change on EOR and CO_(2) storage.For nonhomogeneous porous media,the gravity influence and large density difference help to minimize the velocity difference between the main flow path and the surrounding area,thus improving the oil recovery and CO_(2) storage.Large CO_(2) injection angles and oil-CO_(2) density differences can increase the oil recovery by 22.6% and 4.2%,respectively,and increase CO_(2) storage by 37.9% and 4.7%,respectively.Component diffusion facilitates the transportation of the oil components from the low-velocity region to the main flow path,thereby reducing the oil/CO_(2) concentration difference within the porous media.Component diffusion can increase oil recovery and CO_(2) storage by 5.7% and 6.9%,respectively.In addition,combined with the component diffusion,a low CO_(2) injection rate creates a more uniform spatial distribution of the oil/CO_(2) component,resulting in increases of 9.5% oil recovery and 15.7% CO_(2) storage,respectively.This study provides theoretical support for improving the geological CO_(2) storage and EOR processes.

Key issues in water sealing performance of underground oil storage caverns: Advances and perspectives

Water sealing performance is important for underground water-sealed oil storage(UWSOS).The key issues concerning water sealing performance mainly include the permeability of fractured rock mass(FRM),water-sealed safety(WSS),water curtain performance,and prediction and control of water inflow.This paper reviews the progress of above four key issues on water sealing performances.First,the permeability of an FRM is the basis of water sealing performance,and several commonly used permeability test methods and spatial variation characteristics of permeability are outlined.Second,the current water sealing criteria are compared,and the evaluation methods of WSS are summarized.Third,the design parameters and efficiency evaluation of water curtain systems(WCSs)are introduced.The water inflow of oil storage caverns(OSCs)can reflect the water sealing effect,and the prediction methods and control measures of water inflow are also summarized.Finally,the advantages and disadvantages of the current research are discussed,and the potential research directions are pointed out,such as optimization of water sealing criteria and FRM model,quantitative evaluation of WCS efficiency,accurate prediction of water inflow,and improvement of grouting technology.

Source,Process and End Treatment Technology of Volatile Organic Compounds in Oil Storage

Oil storage is a source of volatile organic compounds( VOCs). Volatile organic compounds can cause different damages to the environment,animals and plants. Therefore, it is important to control the discharge of VOCs in oil storage. In this paper,the control technology of sources of VOCs pollution in oil storage was analyzed from the source,process and end treatment,and measures for the prevention and control of VOCs pollution in oil storage were proposed.

Design and operation problems related to water curtain system forunderground water-sealed oil storage caverns

The underground water-sealed storage technique is critically important and generally accepted for the national energy strategy in China. Although several small underground water-sealed oil storage caverns have been built in China since the 1970s, there is still a lack of experience for large-volume underground storage in complicated geological conditions. The current design concept of water curtain system and the technical instruction for system operation have limitations in maintaining the stability of surrounding rock mass during the construction of the main storage caverns, as well as the long-term stability. Although several large-scale underground oil storage projects are under construction at present in China, the design concepts and construction methods, especially for the water curtain system, are mainly based on the ideal porosity medium flow theory and the experiences gained from the similar projects overseas. The storage projects currently constructed in China have the specific features such as huge scale, large depth, multiple-level arrangement, high seepage pressure, complicated geological conditions, and high in situ stresses, which are the challenging issues for the stability of the storage caverns. Based on years’ experiences obtained from the first large-scale （millions of cubic meters） underground water-sealed oil storage project in China, some design and operation problems related to water curtain system during project construction are discussed. The drawbacks and merits of the water curtain system are also presented. As an example, the conventional concept of “filling joints with water” is widely used in many cases, as a basic concept for the design of the water curtain system, but it is immature. In this paper, the advantages and disadvantages of the conventional concept are pointed out, with respect to the long-term stability as well as the safety of construction of storage caverns. Finally, new concepts and principles for design and construction of the underground water-sealed oil storage caverns are proposed.

Prediction of the Mooring Force of a 2-D Floating Oil Storage Tank

A Constrained Interpolation Profile （CIP）-based model is developed to predict the mooring force of a two-dimensional floating oil storage tank under wave conditions, which is validated against to a newly performed experiment. In the experiment, a box-shaped floating oil storage apparatus is used. Computations are performed by an improved CIP-based Cartesian grid model, in which the THINC/SW scheme （THINC： tangent of hyperbola for interface capturing; SW： Slope Weighting）, is used for interface capturing. A multiphase flow solver is adopted to treat the water-air-body interactions. The Immersed Boundary Method （IBM） is implemented to treat the body surface. Main attention is paid to the sum force of mooring line and velocity field around the body. It is found that the sum force of the mooring line increases with increasing wave amplitude. The body suffers from water wave impact and large body motions occur near the free surface. The vortex occurs near the sharp edge, i.e., the sharp bottom comers of the float- ing oil storage tank and the vortex shedding can be captured by the present numerical model. The present model could be further improved by including turbulence model which is currently under development. Comparison between the computational mooring forces and the measured mooring forces is presented with a reasonable agreement. The developed numerical model can predict the mooring line forces very well.

Research on Performance Optimization of Phase Change Thermal Storage Electric Heating Device

At present, the main heating method for reducing crude oil viscosity is electric heating, and the all-day electric heating method has the problems of high energy consumption and high cost. In order to meet the needs of environmental protection and industrial production, a new type of phase change thermal storage electric heating device was designed by combining the crude oil viscosity reduction heating method with valley price and phase change materials. The results indicate that as the inlet flow rate of the working fluid increases, the outlet temperature continuously decreases. And when the outlet temperature rises to 10?C, the inlet flow rate of the device can meet the flow range of 1.413 - 2.120 m3/h. At the same time, the addition of foam nickel makes the internal temperature of PCM more uniform, and the internal temperature of PCM decreases with the decrease of porosity of foam metal. By increasing the number of electric heating rods and reducing the power of individual electric heating rods, the structure of the device was optimized to significantly improve local high-temperature phenomena. The use of this device can maintain high heat exchange efficiency and reduce production costs.

Investigation of Internal Turret Mooring System for Oil Production Storage Vessels

The internal turret mooring system for oil production storage vessels is a developing type ofoffshore floating production system suitable for deep water and harsh environmental application. In this paper, some achievements in our research work are presented. The description includes: dynamic analysis of mooring system, research on performance of turret assembly, influence of vessel dimensions and hull forms on mooring performance, model tests under combined action of environmental forces in basin, and hull structural strength analysis.

Design of Mooring System for Oil Storage Vessels

The floating oil storage system has been proposed as a new facility for Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) in China. Mooring is one of the key technologies to ensure the safety, reliability, and performance of the oil storage system. This paper describes the concept, analysis, design and reliability of the mooring system. For mooring system design of these oil vessels, analysis is essential of the behavior of the vessel in connection with mooring facilities of nonlinear resilience. A nonlinear mathematical model for analyzing a moored vessel is established and solved. Some results of numerical simulations are presented. Assessment of the safety regarding the mooring system in terms of failure probability is carried out. Another simulation model for calculating the failure probability of the mooring system is proposed. The design parameters that have an influence on the characteristics of the failure probability have been identified. The simulation results,show that the mooring system has an annual reliability value of 0.999998. The proposed simulation method is proved to be effective in quantitative evaluation of the safety of the mooring system for floating oil storage vessels.

Study on Improving Storage Stability of Marine Engine Oil

According to the conductivity test results,it is found that oil conductivity increases with an increasing additive content,and the turbidity of engine oil is also augmented with an increasing additive content.After testing the turbidity and stability of oils containing the typical conventional calcium sulfonate,the overbased calcium sulfonate and the mixture of the above two calcium sulfonates,the results show that at the same amount of additives used,the oil with a higher turbidity demonstrated a worse stability.A nonionic dispersant that was added into lube oils at a definite concentration could improve the detergent compatibility.For this reason,the sediment volume in three kinds of oils all decreased obviously,resulting in successful improvement of storage stability of marine engine oils.