The effect of matrix-fracture permeability contrast on hydrocarbon foam performance in oil-wet carbonate
Abstract view|311|times PDF download|164|times
Abstract
Foam-based enhanced oil recovery methods are becoming instrumental in increasing hydrocarbon production from unconventional reservoirs. However, the efficacy of such techniques is significantly affected by reservoir heterogeneity and adverse wettability conditions. This experimental study addresses such challenges by investigating the effect of fracture-matrix permeability contrast on the effectiveness of foam-based enhanced oil recovery in fractured oil-wet porous systems under reservoir conditions. Fractured oil-wet Minnesota Northern Cream Buff carbonate core samples were employed and fracture permeability was varied using four different mixtures of proppants with varying mesh sizes. An amphoteric surfactant was used as the foaming agent and the aqueous solution was prepared in a synthetic brine of 200,000 ppm salinity. The results showed that foam reduced gas mobility in fractures, diverting gas to the matrix and mobilizing oil toward fractures. The permeability of the fracture showed a significant impact on foam behavior in oil-wet porous systems. It was noted that as the fracture-matrix permeability contrast decreased to a certain ratio, the apparent viscosity of the foam increased, resulting in the enhancement of fracture-matrix interactions and, therefore, higher oil recovery. However, further reduction in this ratio resulted in a significant decline in foam strength. The optimal fracture-matrix permeability contrast was determined when using 100 wt.% of 100 mesh sand, enabling the creation of small and durable bubbles, which notably restricted gas movement and led to higher oil recovery. The results confirm that foam can be a viable and effective alternative to traditional gas injection methods in fractured carbonates with oil-wet characteristics.
Document Type: Original article
Cited as: Youssif, M. I., Sharma, K. V., Goual, L., Piri, M. The effect of matrix-fracture permeability contrast on hydrocarbon foam performance in oil-wet carbonate. Advances in Geo-Energy Research, 2024, 13(3): 176-192. https://doi.org/10.46690/ager.2024.09.04
Keywords
Full Text:
PDFReferences
Aarra, M. G., Skauge, A., Solbakken, J., et al. Properties of N2- and CO2-foams as a function of pressure. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, 2014, 116: 72-80.
Aboahmed, A. K., Youssif, M. I., Piri, M., et al. Graphene quantum dot-stabilized foam for enhanced oil recovery. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 2023a, 62(33): 13260-13273.
Aboahmed, A. K., Youssif, M. I., Piri, M., et al. Nanofluid-based foam for enhanced oil recovery in fractured carbonates. Energy & Fuels, 2023b, 37(23): 18772-18784.
Afzali, S., Ghamartale, A., Rezaei, N., et al. Mathematical modeling and simulation of water-alternating-gas (WAG) process by incorporating capillary pressure and hysteresis effects. Fuel, 2020, 263: 116362.
Afzali, S., Rezaei, N., Zendehboudi, S. A comprehensive review on enhanced oil recovery by water alternating gas (WAG) injection. Fuel, 2018, 227: 218-246.
Allan, J., Sun, S. Controls on recovery factor in fractured reservoirs: Lessons learned from 100 fractured fields. Paper SPE 84590 Presented at the SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, Denver, Colorado, 5-8 October, 2003.
Aveyard, R., Binks, B. P., Fletcher, P. D. I., et al. Entry and spreading of alkane drops at the air/surfactant solution interface in relation to foam and soap film stability. Journal of the Chemical Society, Faraday Transactions, 1993, 89(24): 4313-4321.
Bashir, A., Haddad, A. S. Sherratt, J., et al. An investigation of viscous oil displacement in a fractured porous medium using polymer-enhanced surfactant alternating foam flooding. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, 2022, 212: 110280.
Burchette, T. P. Carbonate rocks and petroleum reservoirs: A geological perspective from the industry. Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 2012, 370: 17-37.
Chen, P., Mohanty, K. Surfactant-enhanced oil recovery from fractured oil-wet carbonates: Effects of low IFT and wettability Alteration. Paper SPE 173797 Presented at the SPE International Symposium on Oilfield Chemistry, The Woodlands, Texas, USA, 13-15 April, 2015.
Clarke, A., Howe, A. M., Mitchell, J., et al. How viscoelastic-polymer flooding enhances displacement efficiency. SPE Journal, 2016, 21(3): 675-687.
Davidson, D. A., Snowdon, D. M. Beaver river middle devonian carbonate: Performance review of a high-relief, fractured gas reservoir with water influx. Journal of Petroleum Technology, 1978, 30(12): 1672-1678.
Dominguez, G. C. Carbonate Reservoir Characterization: A Geologic-Engineering Analysis, Part I. New York, USA, Elsevier, 1992.
Dordzie, G., Dejam, M. Enhanced oil recovery from fractured carbonate reservoirs using nanoparticles with low salinity water and surfactant: A review on experimental and simulation studies. Advances in Colloid and Interface Science, 2021, 293: 102449.
Elfeel, M. A., Al-Dhahli, A., Geiger, S., et al. Fracture-matrix interactions during immiscible three-phase flow. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, 2016, 143: 171-186.
Enick, R. M., Olsen, D., Ammer, J., et al. Mobility and conformance control for CO2 EOR via thickeners, foams, and gels-A literature review of 40 years of research and pilot tests. Paper SPE 154122 Presented at the SPE Improved Oil Recovery Symposium, Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA, 14-18 April, 2012.
Farzaneh, S. A., Sohrabi, M. A review of the status of foam applications in enhanced oil recovery. Paper SPE 164917 Presented at the EAGE Annual Conference & Exhibition Incorporating SPE, London, UK, 10-13 June, 2013.
Fernø, M. A. Enhanced oil recovery in fractured reservoirs, in Introduction to Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) Processes and Bioremediation of Oil-Contaminated Sites, edited by L. Romero-Zerón, IntechOpen, Rijeka, pp. 89-110, 2012.
Fitch, P. J. R. Heterogeneity in the petrophysical properties of carbonate reservoirs. Leicester, University of Leicester, 2011.
Guerriero, V., Mazzoli, S., Iannace, A., et al. A permeability model for naturally fractured carbonate reservoirs. Marine and Petroleum Geology, 2013, 40: 115-134.
Haugen, A., Fernø, M. A., Graue, A., et al. Experimental study of foam flow in fractured oil-wet limestone for enhanced oil recovery. Paper SPE 129763 Presented at the SPE Improved Oil Recovery Symposium, Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA, 24-28 April, 2010.
Haugen, A., Fernø, M. A., Graue, A., et al. Experimental study of foam flow in fractured oil-wet limestone for enhanced oil recovery. SPE Reservoir Evaluation & Engineering, 2012, 15(2): 218-228.
Haugen, A., Mani, N., Svenningsen, S., et al. Miscible and immiscible foam injection for mobility control and EOR in fractured oil-wet carbonate rocks. Transport in Porous Media, 2014, 104: 109-131.
Ibrahim, A. F., Emrani, A., Nasraldin, H. Stabilized CO2 foam for EOR applications. Paper CMTC 486215 Presented at the Carbon Management Technology Conference, Houston, Texas, USA, 17-20 July, 2017.
Janssen, M. T. G., Mutawa, A. S., Pilus, R. M., et al. Foamassisted chemical flooding for enhanced oil recovery: Effects of slug salinity and drive foam strength. Energy & Fuels, 2019a, 33(6): 4951-4963.
Janssen, M. T. G., Zitha, P. L. J., Pilus, R. M. Oil recovery by alkaline/surfactant/foam flooding: Effect of drive-foam quality on oil-bank propagation. SPE Journal, 2019b, 24(6): 2758-2775.
Johns, R. T. Oil recovery, in Encyclopedia of Energy, edited by C. J. Cleveland, Elsevier Science, Boston, pp. 701-713, 2004.
Karimaie, H., Darvish, G. R., Lindeberg, E., et al. Secondary and tertiary gas injection in fractured carbonate rock: Experimental study. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, 2008, 62(1-2): 45-51.
Karimova, M., Kashiri, R., Pourafshary, P., et al. A Review of wettability alteration by spontaneous imbibition using low-salinity water in naturally fractured reservoirs. Energies, 2023, 16(5): 2373.
Kong, D., Gao, Y., Sarma, H., et al. Experimental investigation of immiscible water-alternating-gas injection in ultrahigh water-cut stage reservoir. Advances in Geo-Energy Research, 2021a, 5(2): 139-152.
Kong, D., Lian, P., Zheng, R., et al. Performance demonstration of gas-assisted gravity drainage in a heterogeneous reservoir using a 3D scaled model. RSC Advances, 2021b, 11: 30610-30622.
Kovscek, A. R., Radke, C. J. Fundamentals of foam transport in porous media, in Foams: Fundamentals and Applications in The Petroleum Industry, edited by L. L. Schramm, American Chemical Society, New York, pp. 115-163, 1994.
Kovscek, A. R., Tretheway, D. C., Persoff, P., et al. Foam flow through a transparent rough-walled rock fracture. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, 1995, 13(2): 75-86.
Lake, L. W. Enhanced Oil Recovery. Bergen, USA, Prentice Hall, 1989. Le Van, S., Sharma, K. V., Hanamertani, A. S., et al. Methane foam performance in oil-wet unconsolidated porous media: A systematic experimental investigation at reservoir conditions. Fuel, 2023, 344: 128002.
Le Van, S., Sharma, K. V., Piri, M. The effects of wettability and permeability on hydrocarbon foam performance in unconsolidated porous media: An experimental investigation at elevated pressure and temperature conditions. Fuel, 2024, 359: 130379.
Le Van, S., Youssif, M. I., Hanamertani, A. S., et al. Methane foam performance evaluation in water-wet unconsolidated porous media: A systematic experimental investigation at elevated pressure and temperature conditions. Journal of Natural Gas Science and Engineering, 2022, 108: 104835.
Liang, F., Sayed, M., Al-Muntasheri, G. A., et al. A comprehensive review on proppant technologies. Petroleum, 2016, 2(1): 26-39.
Li, H., Huang, B. A new permeability model of fracture containing proppants. Journal of Natural Gas Science and Engineering, 2022, 104: 104661.
Mannhardt, K., Novosad, J. J., Schramm, L. L. Foam/oil interactions at reservoir conditions. Paper SPE 39681 Presented at the SPE/DOE Improved Oil Recovery Symposium, Tulsa, Oklahoma, 19-22 April, 1998.
Mitchell, J., Lyons, K., Howe, A. M., et al. Viscoelastic polymer flows and elastic turbulence in three-dimensional porous structures. Soft Matter, 2016, 12: 460-468.
Moore, C. H., Wade, W. J. Natural fracturing in carbonate reservoirs, in Developments in Sedimentology (Volumn 67), edited by C. H. Moore, and W. J. Wade, Elsevier, New York, pp. 285-300, 2013.
Nikolov, A. D., Wasan, D. T., Huang, D. W., et al. The effect of oil on foam stability: mechanisms and implications for oil displacement by foam in porous media. Paper SPE 15443 Presented at the SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, New Orleans, Louisiana, 5-8 October, 1986.
Panfili, P., Cominelli, A. Simulation of miscible gas injection in a fractured carbonate reservoir using an embedded discrete fracture model. Paper SPE 171830 Presented at the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference, Abu Dhabi, UAE, 10-13 November, 2014.
Pang, Z., Lyu, X., Zhang, F., et al. The macroscopic and microscopic analysis on the performance of steam foams during thermal recovery in heavy oil reservoirs. Fuel, 2018, 233: 166-176.
Park, H., Park, Y., Lee, Y., et al. Efficiency of enhanced oil recovery by injection of low-salinity water in barium-containing carbonate reservoirs. Petroleum Science, 2018, 15: 772-782.
Piri, M. Recirculating, constant backpressure core flooding apparatus and method. US8683858B2, 2014.
Piri, M., Saraji, S., Hanamertani, A. S., et al. Foaming agents, gas mobility control agents, methods, and systems for enhanced oil recovery. US20230303912A1, 2023.
Prud’homme, R. K., Khan, S. A. Foams: Theory, Measurements and Applications. New York, USA, Routledge, 1996.
Qin, Z., Arshadi, M., Piri, M. Micro-scale experimental investigations of multiphase flow in oil-wet carbonates. I. In situ wettability and low-salinity waterflooding. Fuel, 2019, 257: 116014.
Ramlan, A. S., Zin, R. M., Abu Bakar, N. F., et al. Recent progress on proppant laboratory testing method: Characterisation, conductivity, transportation, and erosivity. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, 2021, 205: 108871.
Rashid, F., Hussein, D., Lorinczi, P., et al. The effect of fracturing on permeability in carbonate reservoir rocks. Marine and Petroleum Geology, 2023, 152: 106240.
Risal, A. R., Manan, M. A., Yekeen, N., et al. Experimental investigation of enhancement of carbon dioxide foam stability, pore plugging, and oil recovery in the presence of silica nanoparticles. Petroleum Science, 2019, 16: 344-356.
Roncoroni, M. A., Romero, P., Montes, J., et al. Enhancement of a foaming formulation with a zwitterionic surfactant for gas mobility control in harsh reservoir conditions. Petroleum Science, 2021, 18(5): 1409-1426.
Rossen, W. R. Minimum pressure gradient for foam flow in porous media: Effect of interactions with stationary lamellae. Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 1990, 139(2): 457-468.
Rossen, W. R. Foams in enhanced oil recovery, in Foams: Theory, Measurements, and Applications, edited by R. K. Prud’homme and S. A. Khan, Routledge, New York, pp. 413-464, 1996.
Saint-Jalmes, A. Physical chemistry in foam drainage and coarsening. Soft Matter, 2006, 2: 836-849.
Sayedakram, N. I., Mamora, D. Simulation study on surfactant-polymer flood performance in fractured carbonate reservoir. Paper SPE 149106 Presented at the SPE/DGS Saudi Arabia Section Technical Symposium and Exhibition, Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia, 15-18 May, 2011.
Schramm, L. L. Foams: Fundamentals and Applications in the Petroleum Industry. Washington, DC, USA, Advances in Chemistry, 1992.
Sedaghat, M. H., Ghazanfari, M. H., Parvazdavani, M., et al. Experimental investigation of microscopic/macroscopic efficiency of polymer flooding in fractured heavy oil fivespot systems. Journal of Energy Resources Technology, 2013, 135(3): 032901.
Shafiei, A., Dusseault, M. B., Kosari, E., et al. Natural fractures characterization and in situ stresses inference in a carbonate reservoir-an integrated approach. Energies, 2018, 11(2): 312.
Shedid, S. A. Influences of fracture orientation on oil recovery by water and polymer flooding processes: An experimental approach. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, 2006, 50(3-4): 285-292.
Sheikha, H., Pooladi-Darvish, M. The effect of pressure-decline rate and pressure gradient on the behavior of solution-gas drive in heavy oil. SPE Reservoir Evaluation & Engineering, 2009, 12(3): 390-398.
Simjoo, M., Andrianov, A., Talanana, M., et al. Novel insight into foam mobility control. SPE Journal, 2013, 18(3): 416-427.
Singh, R., Mohanty, K. K. Synergistic stabilization of foams by a mixture of nanoparticles and surfactants. Paper SPE 169126 Presented at the SPE Improved Oil Recovery Symposium, Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA, 12-16 April, 2014.
Singh, R., Mohanty, K. K. Synergy between nanoparticles and surfactants in stabilizing foams for oil recovery. Energy & Fuels, 2015, 29(2): 467-479.
Skopintsev, A. M., Dontsov, E. V., Baykin, A. N., et al. The influence of heterogeneous proppant pack on fracture closure and productivity. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, 2022, 214: 110494.
Sofla, S. J. D., Pouladi, B., Sharifi, M., et al. Experimental and simulation study of gas diffusion effect during gas injection into naturally fractured reservoirs. Journal of Natural Gas Science and Engineering, 2016, 33: 438-447.
Solbakken, J. S. Experimental studies of N2-and CO2-foam properties in relation to enhanced oil Recovery applications. Bergen, University of Bergen, 2001.
Turta, A. T., Singhal, A. K. Field foam applications in enhanced oil recovery projects: Screening and design aspects. Journal of Canadian Petroleum Technology, 2002, 41(10): PETSOC-02-10-14.
Van Golf-Racht, T. D. Naturally-fractured carbonate reservoirs, in Developments in Petroleum Science (Volumn 44, Part 2), edited by Chilingarian, G. V., Mazzullo, S. J. and Rieke, H. H., Elsevier, New York, pp. 683-771, 1996.
Wang, X., Mohanty, K. Improved oil recovery in fractured reservoirs by strong foams stabilized by nanoparticles. Energy & Fuels, 2021, 35(5): 3857-3866.
Xie, C., Lv, W., Wang, M. Shear-thinning or shear-thickening fluid for better EOR? A direct pore-scale study. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, 2018, 161: 683- 691.
Yao, X., Yi, P., Zhao, G., et al. A study of the stability mechanism of the dispersed particle gel three-phase foam using the interfacial dilational rheology method. Materials, 2018, 11(5): 699.
Youssif, M. I. In-situ Foam Generation: A superior method for enhanced oil recovery in unconventional fractured reservoirs, in Innovations in Enhanced and Improved Oil Recovery-New Advances, edited by Zoveidavianpoor, M., Intechopen, London, pp. 101-122, 2023.
Youssif, M. I., Sharma, K. V., Goual, L., et al. Experimental evaluation of foam-assisted gas injection in proppant-packed fractured oil-wet carbonate. Energy & Fuels, 2024b, 38(4): 3032-3056.
Youssif, M. I., Sharma, K. V., Piri, M. Hydrocarbon gas foam injection in fractured oil-wet carbonate samples: An experimental investigation of the effect of fracture-matrix permeability contrast on oil recovery. Paper SPE 212736 Presented at the SPE Canadian Energy Technology Conference and Exhibition, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, 15-16 March, 2023.
Youssif, M. I., Sharma, K. V., Shoukry, A. E., et al. Methane foam performance evaluation in fractured oil-wet carbon ate systems at elevated pressure and temperature conditions. Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering, 2024a, 12(3): 112444.
Zaeri, M. R., Hashemi, R., Shahverdi, H., et al. Enhanced oil recovery from carbonate reservoirs by spontaneous imbibition of low salinity water. Petroleum Science, 2018, 15: 564-576.
Zheng, X., Chen, M., Hou, B., et al. Effect of proppant distribution pattern on fracture conductivity and permeability in channel fracturing. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, 2017, 149: 98-106.
Zhu, T., Ogbe, D. O., Khataniar, S. Improving the foam performance for mobility control and improved sweep efficiency in gas flooding. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 2004, 43(15): 4413-4421.
Zhu, T., Strycker, A., Raible, C. J., et al. Foams for mobility control and improved sweep efficiency in gas flooding improved oil recovery. Paper SPE 39680 Presented at the SPE/DOE Improved Oil Recovery Symposium, Tulsa, Oklahoma, 19-22 April, 1998.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.46690/ager.2024.09.04
Refbacks
- There are currently no refbacks.
Copyright (c) 2024 The Author(s)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.