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A Pore-Scale Investigation of Residual Oil Distributions and Enhanced Oil Recovery Methods

Author

Listed:
  • Yaohao Guo

    (Research Centre of Multiphase Flow in Porous Media, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao 266580, China)

  • Lei Zhang

    (Research Centre of Multiphase Flow in Porous Media, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao 266580, China)

  • Guangpu Zhu

    (Research Centre of Multiphase Flow in Porous Media, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao 266580, China)

  • Jun Yao

    (Research Centre of Multiphase Flow in Porous Media, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao 266580, China)

  • Hai Sun

    (Research Centre of Multiphase Flow in Porous Media, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao 266580, China)

  • Wenhui Song

    (Research Centre of Multiphase Flow in Porous Media, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao 266580, China)

  • Yongfei Yang

    (Research Centre of Multiphase Flow in Porous Media, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao 266580, China)

  • Jianlin Zhao

    (Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland)

Abstract

Water flooding is an economic method commonly used in secondary recovery, but a large quantity of crude oil is still trapped in reservoirs after water flooding. A deep understanding of the distribution of residual oil is essential for the subsequent development of water flooding. In this study, a pore-scale model is developed to study the formation process and distribution characteristics of residual oil. The Navier–Stokes equation coupled with a phase field method is employed to describe the flooding process and track the interface of fluids. The results show a significant difference in residual oil distribution at different wetting conditions. The difference is also reflected in the oil recovery and water cut curves. Much more oil is displaced in water-wet porous media than oil-wet porous media after water breakthrough. Furthermore, enhanced oil recovery (EOR) mechanisms of both surfactant and polymer flooding are studied, and the effect of operation times for different EOR methods are analyzed. The surfactant flooding not only improves oil displacement efficiency, but also increases microscale sweep efficiency by reducing the entry pressure of micropores. Polymer weakens the effect of capillary force by increasing the viscous force, which leads to an improvement in sweep efficiency. The injection time of the surfactant has an important impact on the field development due to the formation of predominant pathway, but the EOR effect of polymer flooding does not have a similar correlation with the operation times. Results from this study can provide theoretical guidance for the appropriate design of EOR methods such as the application of surfactant and polymer flooding.

Suggested Citation

  • Yaohao Guo & Lei Zhang & Guangpu Zhu & Jun Yao & Hai Sun & Wenhui Song & Yongfei Yang & Jianlin Zhao, 2019. "A Pore-Scale Investigation of Residual Oil Distributions and Enhanced Oil Recovery Methods," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(19), pages 1-16, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:12:y:2019:i:19:p:3732-:d:272167
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    5. Gunde, Akshay C. & Bera, Bijoyendra & Mitra, Sushanta K., 2010. "Investigation of water and CO2 (carbon dioxide) flooding using micro-CT (micro-computed tomography) images of Berea sandstone core using finite element simulations," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 35(12), pages 5209-5216.
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    Cited by:

    1. Fang, Yujia & Yang, Erlong & Guo, Songlin & Cui, Changyu & Zhou, Congcong, 2022. "Study on micro remaining oil distribution of polymer flooding in Class-II B oil layer of Daqing Oilfield," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 254(PC).
    2. Qiong Wang & Xiuwei Liu & Lixin Meng & Ruizhong Jiang & Haijun Fan, 2020. "The Numerical Simulation Study of the Oil–Water Seepage Behavior Dependent on the Polymer Concentration in Polymer Flooding," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(19), pages 1-19, October.
    3. Tao Ning & Meng Xi & Bingtao Hu & Le Wang & Chuanqing Huang & Junwei Su, 2021. "Effect of Viscosity Action and Capillarity on Pore-Scale Oil–Water Flowing Behaviors in a Low-Permeability Sandstone Waterflood," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(24), pages 1-30, December.
    4. Tomasz A. Prokop & Grzegorz Brus & Janusz S. Szmyd, 2021. "Microstructure Evolution in a Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Stack Quantified with Interfacial Free Energy," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(12), pages 1-14, June.
    5. Hai Sun & Lian Duan & Lei Liu & Weipeng Fan & Dongyan Fan & Jun Yao & Lei Zhang & Yongfei Yang & Jianlin Zhao, 2019. "The Influence of Micro-Fractures on the Flow in Tight Oil Reservoirs Based on Pore-Network Models," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(21), pages 1-17, October.
    6. Marcin Kremieniewski, 2022. "Improving the Efficiency of Oil Recovery in Research and Development," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(12), pages 1-7, June.
    7. Guo, Yaohao & Liu, Fen & Qiu, Junjie & Xu, Zhi & Bao, Bo, 2022. "Microscopic transport and phase behaviors of CO2 injection in heterogeneous formations using microfluidics," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 256(C).

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