Linear oil displacement by the emulsion entrapment process
Lack of mobility control is a major impediment to successful EOR, especially for high-viscosity oils. This paper presents experimental and theoretical results for continuous, linear, secondary oil displacement using dilute, stable suspensions of oil drops. The major hypothesis is that the oil/water (O/W) emulsion provides microscopic mobility control through entrapment or local permeability reduction not through viscosity-ratio improvement. To describe the displacement process, previous emulsion filtration theory is extended to longer cores and to two-phase flow. Agreement between theory and experiment is satisfactory for continuous secondary oil displacement with 1- to 2-..mu..m (1 to 2-micron) diameter drops of volume concentrations up to 5% in unconsolidated sandpacks with permeabilities ranging from 1 to 3 ..mu..m/sup 2/ (1 to 3 darcies). Dilute suspensions of stable oil drops in water also are successful in diverting flow in parallel-coreflooding to the lower-permeability core; therefore, they provide macroscopic mobility control.
- Research Organization:
- Univ. of California
- OSTI ID:
- 6418237
- Journal Information:
- SPEJ, Soc. Pet. Eng. J.; (United States), Journal Name: SPEJ, Soc. Pet. Eng. J.; (United States) Vol. 24:3; ISSN SSPJD
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Linear oil displacement by the emulsion entrapment process
Energy production research, Volume I. Monthly progress report for November 1984
Related Subjects
020300* -- Petroleum-- Drilling & Production
DISPERSIONS
DROPLETS
ENHANCED RECOVERY
FILTRATION
FLUID FLOW
FLUID INJECTION
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
MICROEMULSION FLOODING
MISCIBLE-PHASE DISPLACEMENT
OIL WELLS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PARTICLES
PERMEABILITY
QUANTITY RATIO
RECOVERY
SAND
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SUSPENSIONS
SWEEP EFFICIENCY
TWO-PHASE FLOW
VISCOSITY
WATER
WELLS