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Laboratory investigation of novel oil recovery method for carbonate reservoirs

Abstract

This paper described a core flooding laboratory study conducted using composite rock samples from a carbonate reservoir. The aim of the study was to investigate the impact of salinity and ionic composition on oil, brine and rock interactions. Experimental parameters and procedures were designed to replicate reservoir conditions and current field injection practices. Results of the study demonstrated that alterations in the salinity and ionic composition of injected water can have a significant impact on the wettability of the rock surface. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) studies confirmed that injecting different salinity slugs of seawater in carbonate core samples can cause a significant alteration in the surface charges of the rock, and lead to increased interactions with water molecules. The constant reduction of pressure drop across the composite cores with the injection of different diluted versions of water also provided proof of brine, oil and rock alterations. Results of the study indicated that the driving mechanism for waterflooding recovery processes is wettability alteration, which can be triggered by alterations in carbonate rock surface charges, and improvements in the connectivity between rock pore systems that coexist in carbonate rock samples. 41 refs., 8 tabs., 16 figs.
Authors:
Yousef, A A; Al-Saleh, S; Al-Kaabi, A; Al-Jawfi, M [1] 
  1. Saudi Aramco, Riyadh (Saudi Arabia)
Publication Date:
Jul 01, 2010
Product Type:
Conference
Resource Relation:
Conference: The Canadian unconventional resources and international petroleum conference, Calgary, AB (Canada), 19-21 Oct 2010; Other Information: CSUG/SPE 137634; Available on a single CD-ROM occupying 549 MB for viewing with Adobe Reader; Related Information: In: Proceedings of the Canadian unconventional resources and international petroleum conference, [1500] pages.
Subject:
58 GEOSCIENCES; 02 PETROLEUM; PETROLEUM GEOLOGY; OIL FIELDS; ENHANCED RECOVERY; CORE FLOODING SYSTEMS; SALINITY; CARBONATE ROCKS; WETTABILITY; NUCLEAR MAGNETIC RESONANCE; BENCH-SCALE EXPERIMENTS; SURFACE AREA; PRESSURE DROP
Sponsoring Organizations:
Fekete Associates Inc., Calgary, AB (Canada); Halliburton Energy Services, Calgary, AB (Canada); Baker Hughes Inc., Calgary, AB (Canada); Calfrac Well Services Ltd., Calgary, AB (Canada); Nexen Inc., Calgary, AB (Canada); Schlumberger Canada Ltd., Calgary, AB (Canada); Shell, Calgary, AB (Canada); Sproule Associates Ltd., Calgary, AB (Canada) (and others)
OSTI ID:
21390419
Research Organizations:
Society of Petroleum Engineers, Richardson, TX (United States); Canadian Society for Unconventional Gas, Calgary, AB (Canada)
Country of Origin:
Canada
Language:
English
Other Identifying Numbers:
Other: ISBN 978-1-55563-312-7; TRN: CA1006604
Availability:
Available from the Society of Petroleum Engineers, Americas Office, 222 Palisades Creek Drive, Richardson, Texas, 75080-2040, USA
Submitting Site:
CANM
Size:
page(s) 1-35
Announcement Date:
Dec 30, 2010

Citation Formats

Yousef, A A, Al-Saleh, S, Al-Kaabi, A, and Al-Jawfi, M. Laboratory investigation of novel oil recovery method for carbonate reservoirs. Canada: N. p., 2010. Web.
Yousef, A A, Al-Saleh, S, Al-Kaabi, A, & Al-Jawfi, M. Laboratory investigation of novel oil recovery method for carbonate reservoirs. Canada.
Yousef, A A, Al-Saleh, S, Al-Kaabi, A, and Al-Jawfi, M. 2010. "Laboratory investigation of novel oil recovery method for carbonate reservoirs." Canada.
@misc{etde_21390419,
title = {Laboratory investigation of novel oil recovery method for carbonate reservoirs}
author = {Yousef, A A, Al-Saleh, S, Al-Kaabi, A, and Al-Jawfi, M}
abstractNote = {This paper described a core flooding laboratory study conducted using composite rock samples from a carbonate reservoir. The aim of the study was to investigate the impact of salinity and ionic composition on oil, brine and rock interactions. Experimental parameters and procedures were designed to replicate reservoir conditions and current field injection practices. Results of the study demonstrated that alterations in the salinity and ionic composition of injected water can have a significant impact on the wettability of the rock surface. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) studies confirmed that injecting different salinity slugs of seawater in carbonate core samples can cause a significant alteration in the surface charges of the rock, and lead to increased interactions with water molecules. The constant reduction of pressure drop across the composite cores with the injection of different diluted versions of water also provided proof of brine, oil and rock alterations. Results of the study indicated that the driving mechanism for waterflooding recovery processes is wettability alteration, which can be triggered by alterations in carbonate rock surface charges, and improvements in the connectivity between rock pore systems that coexist in carbonate rock samples. 41 refs., 8 tabs., 16 figs.}
place = {Canada}
year = {2010}
month = {Jul}
}