Appraisal of the HORSE CREEK Air Injection Project Performance

Clara, Cedric Pierre Raymond; Zelenko, V.; Schirmer, Patrick; Tom, Wolter

doi:10.2118/49519-ms

Cited by 11 publications

(3 citation statements)

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“…Historically, successful light oil air injection projects mainly include Buffalo, Medicine Pole Hills Unit (MPHU), Horse Creek, Coral Creek and Hackberry fields [1][2][3][4][5]. Field experiences and project design that indicate spontaneous low temperature oxidation (LTO) can lead to in-situ combustion, which may occur in fields with relatively high reservoir temperature 194 -flooding; 6) the creation of thermally generated microfractures in the reservoir; and 7) crude oil viscosity reduction by thermal effects [16][17][18][19][20][21][22].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Numerical modeling on air injection in a light oil reservoir: Recovery mechanism and scheme optimization

Jia

Sheng

2016

Fuel

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Air injection in light oil reservoirs is a promising enhanced oil recovery (EOR) method because of its wide availability, low cost, and ability to stimulate subterranean oil combustion. However, oil recovery mechanisms and physical processes for air injection in conventional light oil reservoirs are still not well understood. An improved understanding of air injection mechanism in conventional light oil reservoirs is provided in this paper. We use the reservoir simulation approach to study air injection in a light oil reservoir. Effects of O 2 mole concentration, activation energy, intake air temperature, geological structure and development scheme on the well performance of air injection are examined. The driving mechanism of thermal effect is revealed through the observation of oil rate fluctuating and dynamic temperature distribution. We present the evidence of the "bulldozing effect (or pore blocking)" for air injection in a light oil reservoir which shows the sudden decrease of gas relative permeability. The effect has the potential of redirecting gas flow to improve sweep efficiency. Analysis of influence factors from this work indicates that the oil recovery factor is sensitive to O 2 content in air and geological structure of the reservoir. The performance with gas injected updip is better than that downdip. It is insensitive to intake air temperature or activation energy in the reaction scheme favoring a generation of more H 2 O, insoluble CO and CH 4 .

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Numerical modeling on air injection in a light oil reservoir: Recovery mechanism and scheme optimization

Jia

Sheng

2016

Fuel

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“…The earlier one began in 1963 in Sloss field in Nebraska USA 11 , and then followed by a few projects in North and South Dakota of the Williston basin USA [12][13][14][15][16] . The most notable air injection project could be the Buffalo field pilot started in 1979, in which air was injected as a secondary recovery technique in one reservoir and compared with water injection in another similar reservoir.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Feasibility Study of Air Injection for IOR in Low Permeability Oil Reservoirs of XinJiang Oilfield China

Hou¹,

Ren²,

Wang³

et al. 2010

Proceedings of International Oil and Gas Conference and Exhibition in China

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XinJiang oilfield is located in the Northwest of China, in which large oil reserves have been discovered in reservoirs with very low permeability (<14×10 -3 μm 2 ). These reservoirs are featured with light oil in moderate depth, high reservoir pressure, but relatively low reservoir temperature (65~78 o C) and low oil viscosity (<10mPa•s). Primary production and limited water flooding experience have shown that the recovery factor in these reservoirs is very low due to lack of reservoir energy and poor water injectivity. Gas injection has been optioned as an alternative secondary or tertiary technique to maintain reservoir pressure and/or increase sweeping and displacement efficiency. In this study, the feasibility of air injection via a low temperature oxidation (LTO) process has been studied. Laboratory experiments were focused on LTO characteristics of oil samples at low temperature range and core flooding using air at various reservoir conditions. Reservoir simulation studies were conducted in order to predict the reservoir performance under the air injection scheme and to optimize the operational parameters. The oxygen consumption rates at reservoir temperature and IOR potentials at different reservoir conditions were assessed for a number of selected reservoirs in the region. A pilot project has been designed based on experimental data, reservoir simulation results and field experience of air injection gained in other regions of China. Issues related to safety and corrosion control during air injection and the project economics were also addressed in the paper.

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“…Results being relevant to the Ekofisk case can be found in the literature from field studies [2][3][4][5] , analog field examples [6][7][8][9][10][11] and various studies on the air injection process [12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19] . However, there is no experience reported in open literature for air injection offshore in low permeable chalk reservoirs.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation of Air Injection as an IOR Method for the Giant Ekofisk Chalk Field

Stokka

Oesthus

Frangeul³

2005

All Days

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TX 75083-3836, U.S.A., fax 01-972-952-9435. AbstractThe Ekofisk fractured chalk reservoir located in the North Sea south-west of Norway has been exploited successfully for more than three decades, largely due to injection of sea water. In a study concluded in 2004, air injection was evaluated as a method for additional hydrocarbon recovery beyond the secondary waterflood recovery. Supported by the European Commission through the fifth framework program, the Ekofisk Field owners joined forces with leading European research institutes and a contractor to investigate the potential of air injection as a cost effective IOR method. Through screening studies, extensive laboratory experiments, reservoir simulations, design of processing facilities and project feasibility evaluations, an extensive knowledge base of the air injection process for light oil fractured reservoirs was established.In the present paper technical results will be presented. Recovery mechanisms related to an air injection process in a fractured light oil reservoir have been studied through laboratory experiments and reservoir modeling. The laboratory experiments verified air injection as a potential IOR method for a light oil fractured chalk field. Laboratory experiments were performed in order to study kinetic properties such as activation energies and ignition temperatures. In addition, diffusion coefficients were estimated through laboratory experiments and verified by numerical simulations. Potential weakening of the chalk due to heat and CO 2 was evaluated based on laboratory experiments and geo-mechanical modeling. Combustion tube experiments were conducted in order to study propagation of the combustion front through porous media.Finally, a field scale air injection feasibility study was performed.The outcome of this study, including an evaluation of potential production benefits and main cost items involved in an air injection project, is presented.

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Appraisal of the HORSE CREEK Air Injection Project Performance

Abstract: This paper was prepared for presentation at the 8th Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference held in Abu Dhabi, U.A.E., 11-14 October 1998.

Cited by 11 publications

References 0 publications

Numerical modeling on air injection in a light oil reservoir: Recovery mechanism and scheme optimization

Numerical modeling on air injection in a light oil reservoir: Recovery mechanism and scheme optimization

Feasibility Study of Air Injection for IOR in Low Permeability Oil Reservoirs of XinJiang Oilfield China

Evaluation of Air Injection as an IOR Method for the Giant Ekofisk Chalk Field

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