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Improved Efficiency of Miscible C02 Floods and Enhanced Prospects for C02 Flooding Heterogeneous Reservoirs

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/1610· OSTI ID:1610

The PRRC-modified DOE pseudomiscible reservoir simulator MASTER was used to conduct a systematic investigation of CO2 flooding using horizontal wells in conjunction with foam. We evaluated the effects of horizontal well radius, length, and location on oil recovery through our testing. This work is necessary to provide field predictions for the use of foam and/or horizontal wells. A number of coreflood tests were performed to examine the effect of foam on oil recovery in heterogeneous porous media. Two coaxial composite cores were used to simulate layered formation systems. The first, an isolated coaxial composite core, was used to simulate a layered formation system of which the layers were not in communication. The second, in capillary contact, simulated layers in communication. Preliminary results suggest that oil displacement is more efficient when surfactant solution is used with CO2 to form CO2-foam. Results from both systems indicate the potential of using foam for improving oil recovery in heterogeneous porous media. Since injectivity loss is a problem in a number of gas injection projects, a preliminary investigation of injectivity loss in WAG was performed. A number of tests were carried out to investigate injectivity loss, indicating that for a given rock the injectivity loss depends on oil saturation in the core during WAG flooding. Higher loss was found in cores with high in-situ oil saturations. No injectivity loss was observed with the naturally fractured carbonate core.

Research Organization:
Federal Energy Technology Center, Morgantown, WV, and Pittsburgh, PA
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
DOE Contract Number:
FG26-97BC15047
OSTI ID:
1610
Report Number(s):
DE-FG26-97BC15047--04; ON: DE00001610
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English