Effect of petroleum chemical fraction and residual oil content in saline lacustrine organic-rich shale: A case study from the Paleogene Dongpu Depression of North China

Halite and gypsum minerals in saline shale make the retention mechanism and chemical fractionation of residual oil unique. The Dongpu Depression in North China is a typically saline lacustrine basin with developing halite and gypsum. The effect of gypsum minerals on residual oil content and chemical fractionation remains unclear. In this study, shale samples with different gypsum contents were used in organic geochemical experiments, showing that the high total organic matter (TOC) content and type II kerogen leads to a high residual oil content, as shown by high values of volatile hydrocarbon (S1) and extractable organic matter (EOM). XRD and FE-SEM result indicate that the existence of gypsum in saline shale contributes to an enhanced pore space and a higher residual oil content in comparison to non-gypsum shale. Additionally, the increase in the gypsum mineral content leads to an increase in the saturated hydrocarbon percentage and a decrease in polar components percentage (resins and asphaltene). Furthermore, thermal simulation experiments on low-mature saline shale show that the percentage of saturated hydrocarbons in the residual oil is high and remains stable and that the storage space is mainly mesoporous (> 20 nm) in the oil expulsion stage. However, the saturated hydrocarbons percentage decreases rapidly, and oil exists in mesopores (> 20 nm and < 5 nm) in the gas expulsion stage. In general, gypsum is conducive to the development of pore space, the adsorption of hydrocarbons and the occurrence of saturated hydrocarbon, leading to large quantities of residual oil. The data in this paper should prove to be reliable for shale oil exploration in saline lacustrine basins.

Reservoir heterogeneity controls of CO_(2)-EOR and storage potentials in residual oil zones:Insights from numerical simulations

Residual oil zones(ROZs)have large potential for CO_(2)enhanced oil recovery(EOR)and geologic storage.During CO_(2)injection,the migration of CO_(2)in ROZs controls the performance of both EOR and storage.However,it has not been clearly visualized and understood that how geological heterogeneity factors control the transport of CO_(2)in ROZs.In this study,the oil recovery performance and geologic storage potential during continuous CO_(2)injection in a representative ROZ are studied based on geostatistical modelling and high-fidelity three-phase flow simulation.We examined the influence of autocorrelation length of permeability,global heterogeneity(DykstraeParsons coefficient),and permeability anisotropy on cumulative oil recovery and CO_(2)retention fraction.Simulation results indicate that,as the permeability autocorrelation length increases,the cumulative oil recovery and CO_(2)storage efficiency decrease.This results from the accelerated migration of CO_(2)along high permeability zones(i.e.,gas channeling).The increase in global heterogeneity and permeability anisotropies can lead to low oil recovery and poor CO_(2)sequestration performance,depending on the degree of CO_(2)channeling.The net utilization ratio of CO_(2)(CO_(2)retained/oil produced)unfavorably increases with both autocorrelation length and Dykstra eParsons coefficient,but decreases with the increase in kv/kh.Such a decrease is attributed to enlarged swept volume induced by gravity override.The study provides important implications for fieldscale CO_(2)EOR and storage applications in ROZs.

Utilization mechanism of foam flooding and distribution situation of residual oil in fractured-vuggy carbonate reservoirs

The development of fractured-vuggy carbonate reservoirs is extremely difficult because of the complex fractured-vuggy structure and strong heterogeneity.Foam flooding is a potential enhanced oil recovery(EOR)technology in fractured-vuggy carbonate reservoirs.Based on the similarity criterion,three types of 2D visual physical models of the fractured-vuggy structure were made by laser ablation technique,and a 3D visual physical model of the fractured-vuggy reservoir was made by 3D printing technology.Then the physical analog experiments of foam flooding were carried out in these models.The experimental results show that foam can effectively improve the mobility ratio,control the flow velocity of the fluid in different directions,and sweep complex fracture networks.The effect of foam flooding in fractures can be improved by increasing foam strength and enhancing foam stability.The effect of foam flooding in vugs can be improved by reducing the density of the foam and the interfacial tension between foam and oil.Three types of microscopic residual oil and three types of macroscopic residual oil can be displaced by foam flooding.This study verifies the EOR of foam flooding in the fractured-vuggy reservoir and provides theoretical support for the application of foam flooding in fractured-vuggy reservoirs.

Numerical analysis of water-alternating-CO_(2) flooding for CO_(2)-EOR and storage projects in residual oil zones

Residual oil zones(ROZs)have high residual oil saturation,which can be produced using CO_(2) miscible flooding.At the same time,these zones are good candidates for CO_(2) sequestration.To evaluate the coupled CO_(2)-EOR and storage perfor-mance in ROZs for Water-Alternating-CO_(2)(WAG)flooding,a multi-compositional CO_(2) miscible model with molecular diffusion was developed.The effects of formation parameters(porosity,permeability,temperature),operation parameters(bottom hole pressure,WAG ratio,pore volume of injected water),and diffusion coeffcient on the coupled CO_(2)-EOR and storage were investigated.Five points from the CO_(2) sequestration curve and the oil recovery factor curve were selected to help better analyze coupled CO_(2)-EOR and storage.The results demonstrate that enhanced performance is observed when formation permeability is higher and a larger volume of water is injected.On the other hand,the performance diminishes with increasing porosity,molecular diffusion of gas,and the WAG ratio.When the temperature is around 100℃,coupled CO_(2)-EOR and storage performance is the worst.To achieve optimal miscible flooding,it is recommended to maintain the bottom hole pressure(BHP)of the injection well above 1.2 minimum miscibility pressure(MMP),while ensuring that the BHP of the production well remains sufficiently high.Furthermore,the tapered WAG flooding strategy proves to be profitable for enhanced oil recovery,as compared to a WAG ratio of 0.5:1,although it may not be as effective for CO_(2) sequestration.

CO_(2) gas stripped off membranous residual oil from pore surfaces: Effects of temperature, pressure and wettability

The threshold values of CO_(2) gas stripped off membranous residual oil from the pore walls are not clear under different temperatures, pressures and wettability conditions. The extent to which temperature, pressure and wettability influence CO_(2) flooding for enhancing the recovery of residual oil in membranous formations also remains uncertain. Therefore, further quantitative characterization is entailed. In this study, the molecular dynamics method was employed to explore CO_(2) flooding under different temperatures, pressures and wettability conditions, aiming to enhance the production of membranous residual oil. The results reveal that the interaction energy between CO_(2), decane molecules and pore walls exhibits a decrease with increasing temperature and an increase with increasing pressure, respectively, in distinct wettability scenarios. When the temperature was at or below 363 K and the pressure was not lower than 40 MPa, CO_(2) gas could detach the membranous residual oil from the pore walls in the water-wet systems. When the temperature was equal to 363 K and the pressure remained under 40 MPa, or the temperature surpassed 363 K, CO_(2) gas failed to detach the membranous residual oil from the pore walls in the water-wet systems. For the mixed-wet and oil-wet systems, CO_(2) molecules could not detach the membranous residual oil from the pore walls. The hierarchy of influence regarding temperature, pressure and wettability on the competitive adsorption capacity of CO_(2) and decane molecules on the pore walls emerged as follows: wettability > temperature > pressure. The findings of this study offer valuable insights into the application of CO_(2) gas flooding for the exploitation of membranous residual oil on pore walls.

Assessment of residual oil saturation with time-differentiated variable multiple material balance model

This study aims to improve the evaluation of residual oil saturation in water flooded zones based on the material balance model(MBM)with variable multiple for injected water.We investigated the change patterns of rock-electro parameters during waterflooding through the analysis of displacement tests.Our work differentiated the waterflooding into numerous displacement processes and accordingly propose an improved time-differentiated variable multiple MBM.The calculation results of the improved model are more consistent with the displacement experiment data of cores.Furthermore,the improved method was integrated into the comprehensive interpretation platform of offshore logging to analyze water flooded zones of a well in the A oilfield.As a result,the residual oil saturation calculated is in close agreement with the results of experiments on cores.Our results indicate that the time-differentiation and variable multiplier for injected water can effectively enhance the assessment accuracy of the residual oil saturation of water-flooded zones.

Residual oil evolution based on displacement characteristic curve

The purpose of this study was to determine the displacement and dynamic distribution characteristics of the remaining oil in the two development stages of water flooding and subsequent alkaline surfactant polymer(ASP) flooding. The well pattern types in the water and ASP flooding stages are a longdistance determinant well pattern and short-distance five-point well pattern, respectively. The type A displacement characteristic curve can be obtained using the production data, and the slope of the straight-line section of the curve can reflect the displacement strength of the oil displacement agent. A numerical simulation was carried out based on the geological model. The results revealed that the injected water advances steadily with a large-distance determinant water-flooding well pattern. The single-well water production rate increases monotonically during water flooding. There is a significant positive correlation between the cumulative water-oil ratio and the formation parameter. Differential seepage between the oil and water phases is the main factor causing residual oil formation after water flooding, while the residual oil is still relatively concentrated. The effect of the chemical oildisplacement agent on improving the oil-water two-phase seepage flow has distinct stages during ASP flooding. The remaining oil production is extremely sporadic after ASP flooding.

Experimental investigation of wettability alteration on residual oil saturation using nonionic surfactants: Capillary pressure measurement

Introducing the novel technique for enhancing oil recovery from available petroleum reservoirs is one of the important issues in future energy demands.Among of all operative factors,wettability may be the foremost parameter affecting residual oil saturation in all stage of oil recovery.Although wettability alteration is one of the methods which enhance oil recovery from the petroleum reservoir.Recently,the studies which focused on this subject were more than the past and many contributions have been made on this area.The main objective of the current study is experimentally investigation of the two nonionic surfactants effects on altering wettability of reservoir rocks.Purpose of this work is to change the wettability to preferentially the water-wet condition.Also reducing the residual oil saturation(Sor)is the other purpose of this work.The wettability alteration of reservoir rock is measured by two main quantitative methods namely contact angle and the USBM methods.Results of this study showed that surfactant flooding is more effective in oil-wet rocks to change their wettability and consequently reducing Sor to a low value.Cedar(Zizyphus Spina Christi)is low priced,absolutely natural,and abundantly accessible in the Middle East and Central Asia.Based on the results,this material can be used as a chemical surfactant in field for enhancing oil recovery.

The residual oil distribution regularity of low permeability oilfield

Study on the residual oil distribution regularity is the important thing during the middle and later stage of the oilfield.With understanding and development of oilfield,the research methods of remaining oil are varied.Well block A is a low permeability oilfield and complex relationship between injection wells and production wells.The well pattern has low control of sand body.Based on the characteristics and the geological and dynamic data,technology of integrated 3-D geological modeling with reservoir numerical simulation is ensured to study the residual oil.Finally,deposition facies and flowing units are studied to analyze the residual oil distribution regularity.As a result,the types of residual oil were confirmed and the basis for the following development adjustment of the well block is provided.

Factors influencing oil recovery by surfactant-polymer flooding in conglomerate reservoirs and its quantitative calculation method

This study aims to clarify the factors influencing oil recovery of surfactant-polymer(SP)flooding and to establish a quantitative calculation model of oil recovery during different displacement stages from water flooding to SP flooding.The conglomerate reservoir of the Badaowan Formation in the seventh block of the Karamay Oilfield is selected as the research object to reveal the start-up mechanism of residual oil and determine the controlling factors of oil recovery through SP flooding experiments of natural cores and microetching models.The experimental results are used to identify four types of residual oil after water flooding in this conglomerate reservoir with a complex pore structure:oil droplets retained in pore throats by capillary forces,oil cluster trapped at the junction of pores and throats,oil film on the rock surface,isolated oil in dead-ends of flow channel.For the four types of residual oil identified,the SP solution can enhance oil recovery by enlarging the sweep volume and improving the oil displacement efficiency.First,the viscosity-increasing effect of the polymer can effectively reduce the permeability of the displacement liquid phase,change the oil-water mobility ratio,and increase the water absorption.Furthermore,the stronger the shear drag force of the SP solution,the more the crude oil in a porous medium is displaced.Second,the surfactant can change the rock wettability and reduce the absorption capacity of residual oil by lowering interfacial tension.At the same time,the emulsification further increases the viscosity of the SP solution,and the residual oil is recovered effectively under the combined effect of the above two factors.For the four start-up mechanisms of residual oil identified after water flooding,enlarging the sweep volume and improving the oil displacement efficiency are interdependent,but their contribution to enhanced oil recovery are different.The SP flooding system primarily enlarges the sweep volume by increasing viscosity of solution to start two kinds of residual oil such as oil droplet retained in pore throats and isolated oil in dead-ends of flow channel,and primarily improves the oil displacement efficiency by lowing interfacial tension of oil phase to start two kinds of residual oil such as oil cluster trapped at the junction of pores and oil film on the rock surface.On this basis,the experimental results of the oil displacement from seven natural cores show that the pore structure of the reservoir is the main factor influencing water flooding recovery,while the physical properties and original oil saturation have relatively little influence.The main factor influencing SP flooding recovery is the physical and chemical properties of the solution itself,which primarily control the interfacial tension and solution viscosity in the reservoir.The residual oil saturation after water flooding is the material basis of SP flooding,and it is the second-most dominant factor controlling oil recovery.Combined with the analysis results of the influencing factors and reservoir parameters,the water flooding recovery index and SP flooding recovery index are defined to further establish quantitative calculation models of oil recovery under different displacement modes.The average relative errors of the two models are 4.4%and 2.5%,respectively;thus,they can accurately predict the oil recovery of different displacement stages and the ultimate reservoir oil recovery.

Theoretical analysis of microscopic oil displacement mechanism by viscoelastic polymer solution

The microscopic oil displacement mechanism in viscoelastic polymer flooding is theoretically analyzed with mechanical method.The effects of viscoelasticity of polymer solution on such three kinds of residual oil as in pore throat,in sudden expansion pore path,and in dead end are analyzed.Results show that the critical radius of mobile residual oil for viscoelastic polymer solution is larger than that for viscous polymer solution,which makes the oil that is immobile in viscous polymer flooding displaced u...

Experimental study on the oil production characteristics during the waterflooding of different types of reservoirs in Ordos Basin, NW China

Waterflooding experiments were conducted in micro-models(microscopic scale)and on plunger cores from low permeability,extra-low permeability and ultra-low permeability reservoirs in the Ordos Basin under different displacement pressures using the NMR techniques to find out pore-scale oil occurrence state,oil production characteristics and residual oil distribution during the process of waterflooding and analyze the effect of pore structure and displacement pressure on waterflooding efficiency.Under bound water condition,crude oil mainly occurs in medium and large pores in the low-permeability sample,while small pores and medium pores are the main distribution space of crude oil in extra-low permeability and ultra-low permeability samples.During the waterflooding,crude oil in the medium and large pores of the three types of samples are preferentially produced.With the decrease of permeability of the samples,the waterflooding front sequentially shows uniform displacement,network displacement and finger displacement,and correspondingly the oil recovery factors decrease successively.After waterflooding,the residual oil in low-permeability samples is mainly distributed in medium pores,and appears in membranous and angular dispersed phase;but that in the extra-low and ultra-low permeability samples is mainly distributed in small pores,and appears in continuous phase formed by a bypass flow and dispersed phase.The low-permeability samples have higher and stable oil displacement efficiency,while the oil displacement efficiency of the extra-low permeability and ultra-low permeability samples is lower,but increases to a certain extent with the increase of displacement pressure.

Dynamic evolution characteristics of the “source-reservoir” integration of gray marl and its geological significance to unconventional gas: Insights from pyrolysis experiments

The marl–limestone rhythmic strata of the Permian Maokou Formation have been identified as hosts of unconventional gas reservoirs with “source–reservoir” integration. The lack of research on the pore structure evolution of organic-rich carbonate rock restricts gas exploration of these strata. Here, pyrolysis experiments were performed on the Mao-1 carbonate to simulate hydrocarbon generation, expulsion and diagenesis in gray marl from low maturity to overmaturity. The pore structure of this marl is dominated by mesopores and macropores, and the proportion of macropores increases gradually with temperature. The macropores are mainly pores in the organic matter and shrinkage microcracks. Additionally, micropores and mesopores, dominated by clay mineral interlayer pores and pyrite intergranular pores, are developed in the high mature stage and subsequently compressed in the overmature stage. The main contributors to the specific surface area are micropores and mesopores, which are conducive to natural gas adsorption. After the same pyrolysis treatment, the available porosity of grey marl is higher than that of marine/lacustrine shales, and exhibits an obvious decrease in the low mature–mature stage. These suggest that the abundant residual oil generated blocked the organic and inorganic pores in the gray marl, providing a pivotal material foundation for the gas generation. Micropores and mesopores developed during the high mature stage ensure the gas accumulation and preservation. The above indicate the organic-rich carbonate at the high mature–overmature stage (Ro = 1.7%–2.5%) in the Sichuan Basin may be a favorable exploration horizon for unconventional oil and gas.

Numerical Simulation of Two-Phase Flow in Glutenite Reservoirs for Optimized Deployment in Horizontal Wells

It is known that the pore media characteristics of glutenite reservoirs are different from those of conventional sandstone reservoirs.Low reservoir permeability and naturally developed microfractures make water injection in this kind of reservoir very difficult.In this study,new exploitation methods are explored.Using a real glutenite reservoir as a basis,a three-dimensional fine geological model is elaborated.Then,combining the model with reservoir performance information,and through a historical fitting analysis,the saturation abundance distribution of remaining oil in the reservoir is determined.It is shown that,using this information,predictions can be made about whether the considered reservoir is suitable for horizontal well fracturing or not.The direction,well length,well spacing and productivity of horizontal well are also obtained.

The effect of type waves on vibroseismic implementation of changes properties of rock, oil viscosity, oil compound composition, and enhanced oil recovery

Based on the results of laboratory studies,the frequency of 35 Hz in longitudinal waves and 20 Hz in circular waves is the optimum frequency that can increase the maximum oil recovery.Coreflooding test results before the vibration effect can increase oil production by 51.96%and reduce the residual oil saturation by 59.03%The surprising results when the vibration effect was applied to the coreflooding test method with P wave types continuously succeeded in increasing oil production by 60.54%,inter-mittent P waves by 63.53%and circular waves by 64.76%,while also reducing Sor by 48.49%in continuous P waves,intermittent P waves at 44.81%and C waves at 43.3%,The P wave type vibrational method has an increase in oil gain by 16%,intemittently by 22%,Sor reduction by 18%and 24%,in circular wave oil gain increases by 25%,and Sor decreases by 27%from before the vibration effect given.Besides vibration can change the physical properties of rocks,among others;permeability has increased by 7%using P waves continuously,intermittently by 31%and C waves by 4%;porosity of 5.88%with P waves contin-uously,intermittently of 6.46%and circular waves of 4.63%;grain size before vibration of 45.16 um after vibration using continuous P waves of 42.01μum,intermittently of 4798μum,and circular of 50.46μum;changes in oil composition to contain more alkanes,and lack of aromatic compounds;oil viscosity increased by 3%with continuous P waves,intermittent of 5%,and circular 61%.The new point from this paper is analyzing the vibroseismic effect by using SEM images in terms of the watershed segmentation of the Rabbani algorithm compared to lab results,which have an error rate of under 2%,and a review of oil composition by the GC-MS method.

Displacement and development characteristics of fire flooding of vertical wells in old heavy oil areas

As the vertical-well fire flooding technology is industrially applied in the steam-injection old heavy oil areas of Xinjiang and Liaohe oilfields,its enhanced oil recovery potential is gradually clear.According to laboratory experiment,field test and reservoir engineering,the displacement characteristics of verticalwell fire flooding in the steam-injection old heavy oil areas are systematically investigated.Laboratory experiments and core data show that the vertical-well fire flooding has significantly high flooding ef-ficiency,no residual oil are remained in the firing front sweeping zone,and the lateral sweep efficiency and ultimate recovery can be achieved.The vertical-well fire flooding is a strategic replacement technology to enhance the recovery greatly.Development characteristics and advantages of areal and linear fire flooding are well investigated,and research results are applied in the design of industrial test plan of fire flooding in the Hongqian block,Xinjiang.The research shows that the linear well pattern has advantages of easy construction of ground facilities and management,less well of stage management,simple matching technology and easy achievement of purposeful control for fire front;the areal well pattern has advantages in reducing the air/oil ratio during the fire flooding period,increasing the total recovery rate of reservoirs and reducing the geological and reservoir management risks.To select well patterns of fire flooding,some factors such as geology,reservoir,fluid properties,oil price,and reservoir development degree should be mainly considered.In the Hongqian block,an improved linear well pattern with a combination of new wells and old wells is applied,this not only absorb experiences of linear well pattern pilot test,but also use advantages of areal well pattern.

Synergistic effects and kinetics analysis for co-pyrolysis of vacuum residue and plastics

This study utilizedathermogravimetric analyzer to assess the thermal decomposition behaviors and kinetics properties of vacuum residue(VR)and low-density polyethylene(LDPE)polymers.The kinetic parameters were calculated using the Friedman technique.To demonstrate the interactive effects between LDPE and VR during the co-pyrolysis process,the disparity in mass loss and mass loss rate between the experimental and calculated values was computed.The co-pyrolysis curves obtained through estimation and experimentation exhibited significantdeviations,whichwerei influencedby temperature and mixing ratio.A negative synergistic interaction was observed between LDPE and VR,although this inhibitory effect could be mitigated or eliminated by reducing the LDPE ratio in the mixture and increasing the co-pyrolysistemperature.Theco-pyrolysisprocess resulted in a reduction in carbon residue,which could be attributed to the interaction between LDPE and the heavy fractions,particularly resin and asphaltene,present in VR.These findings align with the pyrolysis behaviors exhibited by the four VR fractions.Furthermore,it was observed that the co-pyrolysis process exhibited lower activation energy as the VR ratio increased,indicating a continuous enhancement in the reactivity of the mixed samples during co-pyrolysis.