Growth of steam and hot water zones in steam injection

Journal Article · Tue Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1966 · Prod. Mon.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6582630

Farouq Ali, S M

One of the basic factors which must be known in any thermal recovery operation is the percentage of the reservoir volume heated by the injected fluid at any given time. To a large extent, this would determine the oil recovery from the heated portion of the reservoir. Also, the rate of growth of the heat zone would provide an indication to the economic limit of steam or hot water injection operations. This means that at a certain point it may become advisable to curtail hot fluid injection, and drive the existing heat zone with cold water. A graphical method is presented for determining the positions of steam and hot water fronts. The mathematical treatment, on which the method is based, applies to a radial situation, i.e., a single well in a large homogeneous reservoir. However, it can be applied to pattern flooding if a certain amount of caution is exercised with regard to the applicability of radial flow of pattern flooding. For example, it is known that in a 5-spot pattern, the fluid flow is approximately radial, until roughly about 35% of the 5-spot pore volume is injected. First, the heat balance method for determining the heat front positions is presented, and then, the solution for a radial flow system.

• Research Organization: Pennsylvania State Univ
• OSTI ID: 6582630
• Journal Information: Prod. Mon.; (United States), Journal Name: Prod. Mon.; (United States) Vol. 30:3; ISSN PROMA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020300* -- Petroleum-- Drilling & Production
ENERGY SOURCES
ENGINEERING
ENHANCED RECOVERY
FLUID FLOW
FLUID INJECTION
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
HEATING
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
OIL WELLS
PETROLEUM
RECOVERY
RESERVOIR ENGINEERING
STEAM INJECTION
THERMAL RECOVERY
WELLS