Effects of noncondensable gas injection on oil recovery by steamflooding

Conference · Tue Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1983 · Soc. Pet. Eng. AIME, Pap.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5571442

Hong, K C; Ault, J W

A compositional steam injection simulator was used to study the effects of noncondensable gas injection on oil recovery by steamflooding. Steamflooding oil recoveries resulting from injection of various mixtures of gas and steam were investigated for both light and heavy oil reservoirs. The results indicate that noncondensable gas injection with steam can significantly accelerate production early in the life of a typical heavy oil project, but the cumulative recovery over a five-year steam injection period is about the same as that obtainable with steam injection alone. The early production increase was seen to result mainly from the additional sweep of the reservoir provided by the injected gas. In a typical light oil reservoir, the injection of noncondensable gas was seen to accelerate the oil recovery due to increased volume of the displacing gas phase and lowering of the oil viscosity by gas that became dissolved in oil. There also was a small (6 to 7%) permanent increase in oil recovery over a five-year steam injection period. This increase probably is attributable to enhanced steam distillation and viscosity reduction of the oil by oil soluble gas.

• Research Organization: Chevron Oil Field Research Co.
• OSTI ID: 5571442
• Report Number(s): CONF-830312-
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Soc. Pet. Eng. AIME, Pap.; (United States) Journal Volume: SPE 11702
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020300* -- Petroleum-- Drilling & Production
ANALOG SYSTEMS
DISPERSIONS
DRILLING
ENERGY SOURCES
ENHANCED RECOVERY
FLUID INJECTION
FLUIDS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
FUNCTIONAL MODELS
GASES
MIXTURES
OIL WELLS
OPERATION
PETROLEUM
PRODUCTION
RECOVERY
SIMULATION
SIMULATORS
STEAM INJECTION
STIMULATION
THERMAL RECOVERY
VISCOSITY
WELL DRILLING
WELL STIMULATION
WELLS