Effect of fines migration on oil recovery from carbonate rocks
Abstract view|154|times PDF download|45|times Supplements download|26|times
Abstract
We perform single-phase and two-phase flooding on Edwards Brown rock samples. The single-phase injection was of seawater or CaCl2 brine, at successive salinities 0.63, 0.21, 0.07, 0.05, and 0 mol/L (distilled water). For CaCl2 brine experimental run, no significant fines migration or permeability decrease is observed. For seawater experimental run, distilled water injection is found to bring about the highest concentration of produced fines and most of the permeability decrease, with the ultimate permeability decrease being 99.94%. Therefore, distilled water injection is used to stimulate fines migration in the following two-phase experimental runs. Two-phase experiments are performed on four Edwards Brown rock samples using seawater or CaCl2 brine as the aqueous phase, and Soltrol® 130 or crude oil as the oleic phase. Rock samples are initially fully saturated with 0.63 mol/L of the selected aqueous solution. This is followed by injecting the selected oil at a constant rate for at least 20 pore volumes to displace brine. Next, selected brine is injected to displace oil, and finally distilled water. For CaCl2 brine, distilled water injection is found to recover no additional oil of either type of oil. However, for seawater, the fines production observed during distilled water injection is found to reduce water relative permeability by two orders of magnitude when Soltrol® 130 is used and by three orders of magnitude when crude oil is used. The seawater experimental runs also brought about additional oil recovery during distilled water injection: 18% when Soltrol® 130 is used and 3.4% when crude oil is used. This last result can be attributed to the plugging of pores due to fines migration, which can divert further injected water into previously unswept pores.
Document Type: Original article
Cited as: Almutairi, A., Saira, S., Wang, Y., Le-Hussain, F. Effect of fines migration on oil recovery from carbonate rocks. Advances in Geo-Energy Research, 2023, 8(1): 61-70. https://doi.org/10.46690/ager.2023.04.06
Keywords
References
Al-Bayati, A., Karunarathne, C. I., Al Jehani, A. S., et al. Wettability alteration during low-salinity water flooding. Energy & Fuels, 2022, 36(2): 871-879.
Almutairi, A., Othman, F., Ge, J., et al. Modified johnson-bossler-naumann method to incorporate capillary pressure boundary conditions in drainage relative permeability estimation. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, 2022, 210: 110064.
Alotaibi, M. B., Cha, D., Alsofi, A. M., et al. Dynamic interactions of inorganic species at carbonate/brine interfaces: An electrokinetic study. Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects, 2018, 550: 222-235.
Al-Sarihi, A., Russell, T., Bedrikovetsky, P., et al. Fines stabilization by ca ions and its effect on lsw injection. Energy & Fuels, 2019, 33(11): 10775-10786.
Bedrikovetsky, P. Mathematical Theory of Oil and Gas Recovery: With Applications to Ex-ussr Oil and Gas Fields. Dordrecht, Netherlands, Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1993.
Bedrikovetsky, P., Caruso, N. Analytical model for fines migration during water injection. Transport in Porous Media, 2014, 101(2): 161-189.
Bedrikovetsky, P., Zeinijahromi, A., Badalyan, A., et al. Prediction and management of fines migration for oil and gas production. Becти гaзовой нayки, 2018, 5(37): 192-200.
Brady, P. V., Morrow, N. R., Fogden, A., et al. Electrostatics and the low salinity effect in sandstone reservoirs. Energy & Fuels, 2015, 29(2): 666-677.
Chen, Y., Ubaidah, A., Elakneswaran, Y., et al. Detecting ph and Ca2+ increase during low salinity waterflooding in carbonate reservoirs: Implications for wettability alteration process. Journal of Molecular Liquids, 2020, 317: 114003.
Christiansen, R. L. Two-phase Flow Through Porous Media: Theory, Art and Reality of Relative Permeability and Capillary Pressure. R. L. Christiansen, Golden, Colo., 2001.
Du, Y., Mehmani, A., Xu, K., et al. Microfluidic diagnostics of the impact of local microfracture connectivity on hydrocarbon recovery following water injection. Water Resources Research, 2020, 56(7): e2019WR026944.
El-Dessouky, H. T., Ettouney, H. M. Fundamentals of Salt Water Desalination. Amsterdam, Netherlands, Elsevier Science B. V., 2002.
Fogden, A., Kumar, M., Morrow, N. R., et al. Mobilization of fine particles during flooding of sandstones and possible relations to enhanced oil recovery. Energy & Fuels, 2011, 25(4): 1605-1616.
Ge, J., Saira, Smith, B., et al. Laboratory comparison of tertiary N2, CH4, and CO2 injection into an inland oil field sample. Fuel, 2022, 324: 124635.
Ge, J., Zhang, X., Liu, J., et al. Influence of capillary pressure boundary conditions and hysteresis on CO2-water relative permeability. Fuel, 2022, 321: 124132.
Gorucu, S. E., Dang, C., Nghiem, L., et al. Modeling and optimization of low salinity waterflood with fines transport. Paper SPE 195901 Presented at SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, Calgary, Canada, 30 September-2 October, 2019.
Green, D. W., Willhite, G. P. Enhanced Oil Recovery. Texas, USA, Society of Petroleum Engineers, 1998.
Grolimund, D., Borkovec, M. Release of colloidal particles in natural porous media by monovalent and divalent cations. Journal of Contaminant Hydrology, 2006, 87(3): 155-175.
Guo, Z., Kang, N., Le-Hussain, F. An NMR-assisted laboratory investigation of coal fines migration in fracture proppants during single-phase water production. Fuel, 2023, 343: 127926.
Hao, J., Mohammadkhani, S., Shahverdi, H., et al. Mechanisms of smart waterflooding in carbonate oil reservoirs- A review. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, 2019, 179: 276-291.
Hussain, F., Cinar, Y., Bedrikovetsky, P. A semi-analytical model for two phase immiscible flow in porous media honouring capillary pressure. Transport in Porous Media, 2012, 92: 187-212.
Hussain, F., Zeinijahromi, A., Bedrikovetsky, P., et al. An experimental study of improved oil recovery through fines-assisted waterflooding. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, 2013, 109: 187-197.
Jerauld, G. R., Lin, C. Y., Webb, K. J., et al. Modeling low-salinity waterflooding. SPE Reservoir Evaluation & Engineering, 2008, 11(6): 1000-1012.
Katende, A., Sagala, F. A critical review of low salinity water flooding: Mechanism, laboratory and field application. Journal of Molecular Liquids, 2019, 278: 627-649.
Lager, A., Webb, K. J., Black, C. J. J., et al. Low salinity oil recovery-An experimental investigation1. Petrophysics-The SPWLA Journal of Formation Evaluation and Reservoir Description, 2008, 49(1): 28-35.
Lebedeva, E., J. Senden, T. J., Knackstedt, M., et al. Improved oil recovery from tensleep sandstone-Studies of brine-rock interactions by micro-CT and AFM. Paper Presented at 15th European Symposium on Improved Oil Recovery, Paris, France, 27-29 April, 2009.
Lemon, P., Zeinijahromi, A., Bedrikovetsky, P., et al. Effects of injected-water salinity on waterflood sweep efficiency through induced fines migration. Journal of Canadian Petroleum Technology, 2011, 50(9): 82-94.
Liu, C., Zhang, L., Li, Y., et al. Effects of microfractures on permeability in carbonate rocks based on digital core technology. Advances in Geo-Energy Research, 2022, 6(1): 86-90.
Martys, N. S., Hagedorn, J. G., Goujon, D., et al. Largescale simulations of single-and multicomponent flow in porous media. Paper Presented at SPIE’s International Symposium on Optical Science, Engineering, and Instrumentation, 18-23 July, 1999.
Moghadasi, R., Rostami, A., Hemmati-Sarapardeh, A. Application of nanofluids for treating fines migration during hydraulic fracturing: Experimental study and mechanistic understanding. Advances in Geo-Energy Research, 2019, 3(2): 198-206.
Mohammadi, M., Mahani, H. Direct insights into the pore-scale mechanism of low-salinity waterflooding in carbonates using a novel calcite microfluidic chip. Fuel, 2020, 260: 116374.
Mokhtari, R., Anabaraonye, B. U., Afrough, A., et al. Experimental investigation of low salinity water-flooding in tight chalk oil reservoirs. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, 2022, 208: 109282.
Mokhtari, R., Ayatollahi, S., Fatemi, M. Experimental investigation of the influence of fluid-fluid interactions on oil recovery during low salinity water flooding. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, 2019, 182: 106194.
Nande, S. B., Patwardhan, S. D. A review on low salinity waterflooding in carbonates: Challenges and future perspective. Journal of Petroleum Exploration and Production Technology, 2022, 12(4): 1037-1055.
RezaeiDoust, A., Puntervold, T., Strand, S., et al. Smart water as wettability modifier in carbonate and sandstone: A discussion of similarities/differences in the chemical mechanisms. Energy & Fuels, 2009, 23(9): 4479-4485.
Rivet, S. M., Lake, L. W., Pope, G. A. A coreflood investigation of low-salinity enhanced oil recovery. Paper SPE 134297 Prensented at SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, Florence, Italy, 19-22 September, 2010.
Sheng, J. J. Critical review of low-salinity waterflooding. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, 2014, 120: 216-224.
Sohrabi, M., Mahzari, P., Farzaneh, S. A., et al. Novel insights into mechanisms of oil recovery by use of low-salinity-water injection. SPE Journal, 2017, 22(2): 407-416.
Tetteh, J. T., Brady, P. V., Barati Ghahfarokhi, R. B. Review of low salinity waterflooding in carbonate rocks: Mechanisms, investigation techniques, and future directions. Advances in Colloid and Interface Science 2020, 284: 102253.
Wang, Y., Almutairi, A. L. Z., Bedrikovetsky, P., et al. In-situ fines migration and grains redistribution induced by mineral reactions-Implications for clogging during water injection in carbonate aquifers. Journal of Hydrology, 2022, 614: 128533.
Wang, Y., Bedrikovetsky, P., Yin, H., et al. Analytical model for fines migration due to mineral dissolution during CO2 injection. Journal of Natural Gas Science and Engineering, 2022, 100: 104472.
Wang, Z., Li, H., Lan, X., et al. Formation damage mechanism of a sandstone reservoir based on micro-computed tomography. Advances in Geo-Energy Research, 2021, 5(1): 25-38.
Wang, Y., Yu, M., Bo, Z., et al. Effect of temperature on mineral reactions and fines migration during low-salinity water injection into berea sandstone. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, 2021, 202: 108482.
Yildiz, H. O., Morrow, N. R. Effect of brine composition on recovery of moutray crude oil by waterflooding. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, 1996, 14(3): 159- 168.
Yousef, A., Al-Saleh, S., Al-Jawfi, M. Improved/enhanced oil recovery from carbonate reservoirs by tuning injection water salinity and ionic content. Paper SPE 154076 Presented at SPE Improved Oil Recovery Symposium, Tulsa, Oklahoma, 2012.
Yu, M., Zeinijahromi, A., Bedrikovetsky, P., et al. Effects of fines migration on oil displacement by low-salinity water. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, 2019, 175: 665-680.
Zahid, A., Shapiro, A., Skauge, A. Experimental studies of low salinity water flooding in carbonate reservoirs: A new promising approach. Paper SPE 155625 Presented at SPE EOR Conference at Oil and Gas West Asia, Muscat, Oman, 16-18 April, 2012.
Zeinijahromi, A., Lemon, P., Bedrikovetsky, P. Effects of induced fines migration on water cut during waterflooding. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, 2011, 78(3): 609-617.
Zhang, L., Wang, Y., Miao, X., et al. Geochemistry in geologic CO2 utilization and storage: A brief review. Advances in Geo-Energy Research, 2019, 3(3): 304-313.
Zhang, T., Li, Y., Li, C., et al. Effect of salinity on oil production: Review on low salinity waterflooding mechanisms and exploratory study on pipeline scaling. Oil & Gas Science and Technology-Revue d’IFP Energies nouvelles, 2020, 75: 50.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.46690/ager.2023.04.06
Refbacks
- There are currently no refbacks.
Copyright (c) 2023 The Author(s)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.