The mechanisms of thermal solidification agent promoting steam diversion in heavy oil reservoirs

At high cycles of steam huff&puff,oil distribution in reservoirs becomes stronger heterogeneity due to steam channeling.Thermal solidification agent can be used to solve this problem.Its solution is a lowviscosity liquid at normal temperature,but it can be solidified above 80℃.The plugging degree is up to 99%at 250℃.The sweep efficiency reaches 59.2%,which is 7.3%higher than pure steam injection.In addition,simultaneous injection of viscosity reducer and/or nitrogen foams can further enhance oil recovery.The mechanism of this technology depends on its strong plugging ability,which changes the flowing pattern of steam to effectively mobilize remaining oil.Viscosity reducer and nitrogen foams further expand the sweep range and extends the effective period.Therefore,thermal solidification agent can plug steam channeling paths and adjust steam flowing direction to significantly enhance oil recovery at high cycles of steam huff&puff.

An Integrated Optimization Method for CO_(2) Pre-Injection during Hydraulic Fracturing in Heavy Oil Reservoirs

CO_(2) pre-injection during hydraulic fracturing is an important method for the development of medium to deep heavy oil reservoirs.It reduces the interfacial tension and viscosity of crude oil,enhances its flowability,maintains reservoir pressure,and increases reservoir drainage capacity.Taking the Badaowan Formation as an example,in this study a detailed three-dimensional geomechanical model based on static data from well logging interpretations is elaborated,which can take into account both vertical and horizontal geological variations and mechanical characteristics.A comprehensive analysis of the impact of key construction parameters on Pre-CO_(2) based fracturing(such as cluster spacing and injection volume),is therefore conducted.Thereafter,using optimized construction parameters,a non-structured grid for dynamic development prediction is introduced,and the capacity variations of different production scenarios are assessed.On the basis of the simulation results,reasonable fracturing parameters are finally determined,including cluster spacing,fracturing fluid volume,proppant concentration,and well spacing.

Surface-functionalized cellulose nanocrystals(CNC)and synergisms with surfactant for enhanced oil recovery in low-permeability reservoirs

Nanocellulose,a natural polymeric nanomaterial,has attracted significant attention in enhanced oil recovery(EOR)applications due to its abundance,nanoscale,high oil-water interfacial adsorption ef-ficiency.In this study,surface-functionalized cellulose nanocrystals(SF-CNCs)were prepared via hy-drochloric acid hydrolysis and chemical modification,with adaptable nanosize and considerable dispersion stability in low-permeability reservoirs.The SF-CNCs were structurally characterized by FT-IR,Cryo-TEM,which have a diameter of 5-10 nm and a length of 100-200 nm.The SF-CNC dispersions possessed higher stability and stronger salt-tolerance than those of corresponding CNC dispersions,due to the strong hydrophilicity of the sulfonic acid group.It was synergistically used with a non-ionic surfactant(APG1214)to formulate a combined flooding system(0.1 wt%SF-CNC+0.2 wt%APG1214).The combined flooding system exhibits strong emulsification stability,low oil-water interfacial tension of o.03 mN/m,and the ability to alter the wettability for oil-wetting rocks.Furthermore,the combined system was_able to provide an optimum EOR efficiency of 20.2%in low-permeability cores with 30.13×10^(-3)μm^(2).Notably.it can enlarge the sweep volume and increase the displacement efficiency simultaneously.Overall,the newly formulated nanocellulose/surfactant combined system exhibits a remarkable EoR performance in low-permeability reservoirs.

Necessity and feasibility of improving the residual resistance factor of polymer flooding in heavy oil reservoirs

The efficiency of water flooding in heavy oil reservoirs would be improved by increasing the viscosity of the displacing phase, but the sweep efficiency is not of significance due to the low mobility of the vicious oil. On the basis of mobility control theory, increasing the residual resistance factor not only reduces the water-oil mobility ratio but also decreases the requirement for viscosity enhancement of the polymer solution. The residual resistance factor caused by hydrophobic associating polymer solution is higher than that caused by polyacrylamide solution in brine containing high concentrations of calcium and magnesium ions. The results of numerical simulations show that the polymer flooding efficiency improved by increasing the residual resistance factor is far better than that by only increasing solution viscosity. The recovery factor of heavy oil reservoirs （70 mPa·s） can be enhanced by hydrophobic associating polymer solution of high residual resistance factor （more than 3） and high effective viscosity （24 mPa·s）. Therefore, increasing the residual resistance factor of the polymer solution not only decreases the requirement for the viscosity of polymer solution injected into heavy oil reservoirs but also is favorable to enhanced oil recovery during polymer flooding.

Research into polymer injection timing for Bohai heavy oil reservoirs

Polymer flooding has been proven to effectively improve oil recovery in the Bohai Oil Field. However, due to high oil viscosity and significant formation heterogeneity, it is necessary to further improve the displacement effectiveness of polymer flooding in heavy oil reservoirs in the service life of offshore platforms. In this paper, the effects of the water/oil mobility ratio in heavy oil reservoirs and the dimensionless oil productivity index on polymer flooding effectiveness were studied utilizing rel- ative permeability curves. The results showed that when the water saturation was less than the value, where the water/oil mobility ratio was equal to 1, polymer flooding could effectively control the increase of fractional water flow, which meant that the upper limit of water/oil ratio suitable for polymer flooding should be the value when the water/oil mobility ratio was equal to 1. Mean while, by injecting a certain volume of water to create water channels in the reservoir, the polymer flooding would be the most effective in improving sweep efficiency, and lower the fractional flow of water to the value corresponding to △Jmax. Considering the service life of the platform and the polymer mobility control capacity, the best polymer injection timing for heavy oil reservoirs was optimized. It has been tested for reservoirs with crude oil viscosity of 123 and 70 mPa s, the optimum polymer flooding effec- tiveness could be obtained when the polymer floods were initiated at the time when the fractional flow of water were 10 % and 25 %, respectively. The injection timing range for polymer flooding was also theoretically analyzed for the Bohai Oil Field utilizing which provided methods for effectiveness. relative permeability curves, improving polymer flooding

Characteristics and mechanisms of supercritical CO_(2) flooding under different factors in low-permeability reservoirs

In recent years,supercritical CO_(2)flooding has become an effective method for developing lowpermeability reservoirs.In supercritical CO_(2)flooding different factors influence the mechanism of its displacement process for oil recovery.Asynchronous injection-production modes can use supercritical CO_(2)to enhance oil recovery but may also worsen the injection capacity.Cores with high permeability have higher oil recovery rates and better injection capacity,however,gas channeling occurs.Supercritical CO_(2)flooding has a higher oil recovery at high pressure levels,which delays the occurrence of gas channeling.Conversely,gas injection has lower displacement efficiency but better injection capacity at the high water cut stage.This study analyzes the displacement characteristics of supercritical CO_(2)flooding with a series of experiments under different injection and production parameters.Experimental results show that the gas breakthrough stage has the fastest oil production and the supercritical CO_(2)injection capacity variation tendency is closely related to the gas-oil ratio.Further experiments show that higher injection rates represent significant ultimate oil recovery and injection index,providing a good reference for developing low-permeability reservoirs.

Discussion on the sweep efficiency of hybrid steam-chemical process in heavy oil reservoirs: An experimental study

Non-condensable gas(NCG),foam and surfactant are the three commonly-used additives in hybrid steam-chemical processes for heavy oil reservoirs.Their application can effectively control the steam injection profile and increase the sweep efficiency.In this paper,the methods of microscale visualized experiment and macroscale 3D experiment are applied to systematically evaluate the areal and vertical sweep efficiencies of different hybrid steam-chemical processes.First,a series of static tests are performed to evaluate the effect of different additives on heavy oil properties.Then,by a series of tests on the microscale visualized model,the areal sweep efficiencies of a baseline steam flooding process and different follow-up hybrid EOR processes are obtained from the collected 2D images.Specifically,they include the hybrid steam-N_(2)process,hybrid steam-N2/foam process,hybrid steam-surfactant process and hybrid steam-N2/foam/surfactant process(N2/foam slug first and steam-surfactant co-injection then).From the results of static tests and visualized micromodels,the pore scale EOR mechanisms and the difference between them can be discussed.For the vertical sweep efficiencies,a macroscale 3D experiment of steam flooding process and a follow-up hybrid EOR process is conducted.Thereafter,combing the macroscale 3D experiment and laboratory-scaled numerical simulation,the vertical and overall sweep efficiencies of different hybrid steam-chemical processes are evaluated.Results indicate that compared with a steam flooding process,the areal sweep efficiency of a hybrid steam-N2process is lower.It is caused by the high mobility ratio in a steam-N2-heavy oil system.By contrast,the enhancement of sweep efficiency by a hybrid steam-N2/foam/surfactant process is the highest.It is because of the high resistance capacity of NCG foam system and the performance of surfactant.Specifically,a surfactant can interact with the oil film in chief zone and reduce the interfacial energy,and thus the oil droplets/films formed during steam injection stage are unlocked.For NCG foam,it can plug the chief steam flow zone and thus the subsequent injected steam is re-directed.Simultaneously,from the collected 2D images,it is also observed that the reservoir microscopic heterogeneity can have an important effect on their sweep efficiencies.From the 3D experiment and laboratory-scaled numerical simulation,it is found that a N2/foam slug can increase the thermal front angle by about 150 and increase the vertical sweep efficiency by about 26%.Among the four processes,a multiple hybrid EOR process(steam-N2/foam/surfactant process) is recommended than the other ones.This paper provides a novel method to systematically evaluate the sweep efficiency of hybrid steam-chemical process and some new insights on the mechanisms of sweep efficiency enhancement are also addressed.It can benefit the expansion of hybrid steam-chemical processes in the post steamed heavy oil reservoirs.

CO2 assisted steam flooding in late steam flooding in heavy oil reservoirs

To improve the oil recovery and economic efficiency in heavy oil reservoirs in late steam flooding,taking J6 Block of Xinjiang Oilfield as the research object,3D physical modeling experiments of steam flooding,CO2-foam assisted steam flooding,and CO2 assisted steam flooding under different perforation conditions are conducted,and CO2-assisted steam flooding is proposed for reservoirs in the late stage of steam flooding.The experimental results show that after adjusting the perforation in late steam flooding,the CO2 assisted steam flooding formed a lateral expansion of the steam chamber in the middle and lower parts of the injection well and a development mode for the production of overriding gravity oil drainage in the top chamber of the production well;high temperature water,oil,and CO2 formed stable low-viscosity quasi-single-phase emulsified fluid;and CO2 acted as a thermal insulation in the steam chamber at the top,reduced the steam partial pressure inside the steam chamber,and effectively improved the heat efficiency of injected steam.Based on the three-dimensional physical experiments and the developed situation of the J6 block in Xinjiang Oilfield,the CO2 assisted steam flooding for the J6 block was designed.The application showed that the CO2 assisted steam flooding made the oil vapor ratio increase from 0.12 to 0.16 by 34.0%,the oil recovery increase from 16.1%to 21.5%,and the final oil recovery goes up to 66.5%compared to steam flooding after perforation adjustment.

Investigating Improved Oil Recovery in Heavy Oil Reservoirs

Primary production mechanisms do not recover an appreciable fraction of the hydrocarbon initially in place (HIIP). Practical knowledge has shown that, at the point when the natural energy in a heavy oil reservoir is nearly or altogether depleted, the recovery factor does not exceed about 20%. Some heavy oil reservoirs do not produce at all by natural drive mechanisms. This often necessitates adopting a production improvement strategy to augment recovery. Prior to implementing an improved oil recovery method (either secondary or tertiary) in the field, it is very important to investigate its potential for success. Reservoir simulation is a part of a continuous learning process used to gain insight into the feasibility and applicability of improved oil recovery methods. In this project, GEM compositional reservoir simulator has been used to study the efficiencies of different improved oil recovery strategies, ranging from waterflooding to solvent injection. The drainage volume investigated is a hypothetical box-shaped heavy oil reservoir composed of three distinct permeable layers.

Study on Productivity Model of Herringbone-Like Laterals Wells and Optimization of Morphological Parameters Considering Threshold Pressure Gradient in Heavy Oil Reservoirs

Compared with conventional well, herringbone-like laterals wells can increase the area of oil release, and can reduce the number of wellhead slots of platforms,?and?also can greatly improve the development efficiency. Based on threshold pressure gradient in heavy oil reservoir,?and?the applied principle of mirror reflection and superposition, the pressure distribution equation of herringbone-like laterals wells is obtained in heavy oil reservoir. Productivity model of herringbone-like laterals wells is proposed by reservoir-wellbore steady seepage. The example shows that the productivity model is great accuracy?to?predict the productivity of herringbone-like laterals wells. The model is used to analyze the branching length, branching angle, branching symmetry, branching position and spacing and their effects on productivity of herringbone-like laterals wells. The principle of optimizing the well shape of herringbone-like laterals wells is proposed.

Study on the connectivity of heavy oil reservoirs by ultraviolet spectrum technique in the western part of the QHD32-6 oilfield

As a new method,the ultraviolet spectrum technique is applied to studying the connectivity of biodegradable heavy oil reservoirs.The similarity of crude oils can be judged according to the extinction coefficient(E) because aromatic hydrocarbons and non-hydrocarbons have conjugated bonds and obvious absorption in the ultraviolet range,and different materials have different characteristics and additives.The relationship diagram is made in terms of the extinction coefficients(E) of the samples by taking E as the Y-axis and wavelength as the X-axis.The connectivity of oil reservoirs is estimated according to the curve positions and characteristic fingerprints of the samples.The connectivity of part of the reservoirs in the western part of the QHD32-6 oilfield was studied with this method.The results showed that the connectivity of samples from wells F7 and F8 in the Nm-2 oil reservoir zone is good,that of samples from wells F17 and F20 in the Nm-1 oil reservoir zone also is good,and that of samples from wells F17,F19,and F20 is poor.

Study on Optimal Water ControlMethods for Horizontal Wells in Bottom Water Clastic Rock Reservoirs

The segmented water control technology for bottom water reservoirs can effectively delay the entry of bottom water and adjust the production profile.To clarify the impact of different methods on horizontal well production with different reservoir conditions and to provide theoretical support for the scientific selection of methods for bottom water reservoirs,a numerical simulation method is presented in this study,which is able to deal with wellbore reservoir coupling under screen tube,perforation,and ICD(Inflow Control Device)completion.Assuming the geological characteristics of the bottom-water conglomerate reservoir in the Triassic Formation of the Tahe Block 9 as a test case,the three aforementioned completion methods are tested to predict the transient production characteristics.The impact of completion parameters,reservoir permeability,bottom-water energy,and individual well control on the time to encounter water in horizontal wells(during a water-free production period)is discussed.A boundary chart for the selection of completion methods is introduced accordingly.The results show that the optimized ICD completion development effect for heterogeneous reservoirs is the best,followed by optimized perforation completion.Permeability is the main factor affecting the performances of completion methods,while bottom water energy and single well controlled reserves have a scarce impact.The average permeability of the reservoir is less than 500 mD,and ICD has the best water control effect.If the permeability is greater than 500 mD,the water control effect of perforation completion becomes a better option.

Petrophysical parameters inversion for heavy oil reservoir based on a laboratory-calibrated frequency-variant rock-physics model

Heavy oil has high density and viscosity, and exhibits viscoelasticity. Gassmann's theory is not suitable for materials saturated with viscoelastic fluids. Directly applying such model leads to unreliable results for seismic inversion of heavy oil reservoir. To describe the viscoelastic behavior of heavy oil, we modeled the elastic properties of heavy oil with varying viscosity and frequency using the Cole-Cole-Maxwell (CCM) model. Then, we used a CCoherent Potential Approximation (CPA) instead of the Gassmann equations to account for the fluid effect, by extending the single-phase fluid condition to two-phase fluid (heavy oil and water) condition, so that partial saturation of heavy oil can be considered. This rock physics model establishes the relationship between the elastic modulus of reservoir rock and viscosity, frequency and saturation. The viscosity of the heavy oil and the elastic moduli and porosity of typical reservoir rock samples were measured in laboratory, which were used for calibration of the rock physics model. The well-calibrated frequency-variant CPA model was applied to the prediction of the P- and S-wave velocities in the seismic frequency range (1–100 Hz) and the inversion of petrophysical parameters for a heavy oil reservoir. The pre-stack inversion results of elastic parameters are improved compared with those results using the CPA model in the sonic logging frequency (∼10 kHz), or conventional rock physics model such as the Xu-Payne model. In addition, the inversion of the porosity of the reservoir was conducted with the simulated annealing method, and the result fits reasonably well with the logging curve and depicts the location of the heavy oil reservoir on the time slice. The application of the laboratory-calibrated CPA model provides better results with the velocity dispersion correction, suggesting the important role of accurate frequency dependent rock physics models in the seismic prediction of heavy oil reservoirs.

The Research and Applications of Remaining Oil Potential Tapping in High Watered Stage for Heavy Oil Reservoir in Bohai

S oil field is a typical of water injection development of heavy oil reservoir in Bohai, and the formation of crude oil viscosity is 42 - 284 mPa?s. Due to the formation of crude oil viscosity, the oil field development gradually faces a series of problems as rapid rise of water cut, rapid decline of output, high water cut of oil wells and others. In order to improve the effect of oilfield development, it is necessary to increase the output of the oilfield by adjusting wells for the potential in the oilfield. However, due to the high cost of drilling, operation and testing of offshore oilfields, offshore oilfields require more elaborate description of residual oil and adjustment wells. With the continuous downturn in international oil prices and the lack of new testing data in old oilfields, it is urgent to re-use the existing data in oilfields through innovative methods to achieve a detailed description of the remaining oil in the oilfields and improve the precision research of indexing wells and ensure the reliable implementation of adjustment wells. Based on the existing dynamic data of S oilfield, this paper proposes a new method to quantitatively evaluate water flooding coefficient by using tracer theory to establish tracer data, and quantitatively evaluates the vicinity of the fault by means of image reflection and potential superposition and find the residual oil in the imperfect area of the well network, combined with the numerical simulation method to realize the fine description of remaining oil and improve the research precision of the adjustment well. Through the research in this paper, S oilfield has proposed to location of six adjustment wells which has implemented two. The production confirmed that the method of this paper has some reliability, while the method of heavy oil in the high water cut stage of residual oil fine description. The research of enhanced oil recovery in the stage has certain guiding significance for heavy oil reservoirs.

Study on Remaining Oil at High Water Cut Stage of the Offshore Strong Bottom Water Reservoir

C oilfield is a heavy oil field developed by horizontal wells and single sand body in Bohai oilfield. The edge and bottom water of the reservoir is active and the natural energy development mode is adopted. The comprehensive water cut of the oilfield was 95.3%, which had entered the stage of high water cut oil production. Some reservoirs were limited by crude oil viscosity and oil column height. Under the condition of existing development well pattern, some reserves were not produced or the degree of production was low, and the degree of well control was not high, so there is room for tapping the potential of remaining oil. This paper studied the rising law of water ridge of horizontal wells in bottom water reservoir by reservoir engineering method, and guided the infilling limit of horizontal wells in bottom water reservoir. At the same time, combined with the research results of fine reservoir description, the geological model was established, the numerical simulation was carried out, and the distribution law of remaining oil was analyzed. Through this study, we could understand the law of water flooding and remaining oil in the high water cut period of bottom water heavy oil reservoir, so as to provide guidance for the development strategy of this type of reservoir in the high water cut period.

The Calculation of Heating Radius and Determination of Parameters in Heavy Oil Steam Stimulation

在稠油吞吐过程中,加热半径是热采中的重要指标,对注汽参数和生产制度起到了指导性作用。运用能量守恒原理,从热量注入方面考虑了蒸汽相变释放的气化潜热,从热量损失方面考虑井筒热量损失和顶底盖层热量损失,最终得到了新的加热半径计算公式。计算结果表明,加热半径受注汽参数、焖井时间、储层参数等因素影响,并系统阐述了岩层各物性参数的计算及选择方法。最后通过实例验证了该方法的计算值和试井解释出的值较为相符,为现场实际应用提供了可靠的方法。

A new method to optimize the fracture geometry of a frac-packed well in unconsolidated sandstone heavy oil reservoirs

The worldwide proven recoverable reserves of conventional oil are less than the amount of the heavy oil.Owing to weakly consolidated formation,sand production is an important problem encountered during oil production in heavy oil reservoirs,for which frac-pack technique is one of the most common treatments.Hence,how to obtain the optimal fracture geometry is the key to increasing well production and preventing sand.Due to the faultiness that current optimization of the fracture geometry only depends on well productivity,fracture-flow fraction was used to describe the contribution of the fracture collecting and conducting fluids from the reservoir.The higher the fracture-flow fraction,the more likely bilinear flow pattern occurs,thus leading to smaller flow resistance and better results in oil productivity and sand prevention.A reservoir numerical simulation model was established to simulate the long-term production dynamic of a fractured well in rectangular drainage areas.In order to reach the aim of increasing productivity meanwhile preventing sand,a new method based on Unified Fracture Design was developed to optimize the fracture geometry.For a specific reservoir and a certain amount of proppant injected to the target layer,there exits an optimal dimensionless fracture conductivity which corresponds to the maximum fracture-flow fraction,accordingly we can get the optimal fracture geometry.The formulas of the optimal fracture geometry were presented on square drainage area conditions,which are very convenient to apply.Equivalent Proppant Number was used to eliminate the impact of aspect ratios of rectangular drainage area,then,the same method to optimize the fracture geometry as mentioned for square drainage areas could be adopted too.

Numerical simulation investigations of the applicability of THAI in situ combustion process in heavy oil reservoirs underlain by bottom water

The presence of a bottom water(BW)layer in heavy oil reservoirs can present substantial problems for efficient oil recovery for all recovery techniques.Hence,it is necessary to know how particular production processes are affected by different BW layer thicknesses,and how standard production procedures can be adapted to handle such reservoirs.Toe-to-heel air injection(THAI)is a thermally efficient process,generating in situ energy in the reservoir by burning a fraction of the oil-in-place as coke and has the potential to economically and environmentally friendly work in reservoirs with BW layer.However,to ascertain that,studies are needed first.These are conducted via numerical simulations using commercial reservoir thermal simulator,CMG STARS.This work has shown that the shape of the combustion zone in THAI remains forward-leaning even in the presence of a BW layer,indicating that the process is stable,and that there is no oxygen bypassing of the combustion front.However,the oil recovery rate is highly negatively affected by how large the thickness of the BWzone is,and the severity of such effect is determined to be proportional to the thickness of the BW layer.This study also shows that there is a period of low oil production rate which corresponds to mobilised oil displacement into the BW zone which in turn causes a surge in water production rate.The practical implication of this is that prolonged period of low oil production rates will expose companies and/or investors to higher risk due to the oil market volatility.In this study,it is also revealed that the height of the mobilised oil that is displaced into the BW zone equates to that of the displaced and replaced water thereby implying that when the BW layer thickness is 50%that of the oil layer(OL),less than 50%of the mobilised oil will be recovered when the entire reservoir is swept by the combustion front.Therefore,conclusively,applying the THAI process in its conventional form in reservoirs containing bottom water is not recommended,and as a result,a new strategy is needed to enhance process economics by improving the oil production and hence recovery rates.

稠油油藏蒸汽-空气复合火驱特征分析及参数优化

针对常规火驱存在热利用率低和高黏油启动慢的问题,以新疆红浅1井区稠油油藏为例,利用数值模拟模型对比了常规火驱和蒸汽-空气复合火驱的驱油特性和燃烧特性,通过对复合火驱各区带的温度、含油饱和度等参数进行分析,探究了蒸汽-空气复合火驱协同增效作用,并对蒸汽-空气复合火驱的注入参数进行了优化。结果表明:提产增效的主要机理是湿蒸汽吸收已燃区中滞留的热量变为过热蒸汽,并被高速流动的空气携带穿过燃烧前缘,使冷油区原油黏度大幅度降低,在提高驱油效率的同时增大了蒸汽冷凝带的宽度、燃烧波及体积和火线推进速度;注入参数的优化能提高复合火驱的开发效果,水气比越大,产能越高,而采用段塞注入会降低产能,为满足经济效益开发,最佳水气比应为3.0×10^(-3)m^(3)/m^(3)左右,最佳注汽段塞间隔应为90~120 d。该研究成果对火驱油藏提高开发效果具有借鉴意义。