Computer modeling and simulation for undersaturated primary drive recovery mechanism

Abstract

The focus of this article is to test the capability of a three-dimensional undersaturated numerical reservoir simulator developed for prediction of actual field performance cases. The simulator development employs unconditional stable Crank-Nicolson second order in time approximation discretization scheme and preconditioned conjugate gradient iterative solver for the derived fluid flow equation. Furthermore, formation volume factor as a function of cell pressure is computed at each time step until bubble-point pressure is reached. The reservoir model is then coupled with a horizontal wellbore model in the simulator by placing a well optimally at the center of its drainage volume. The numerical simulation results show that the numerical solutions improve significantly with the addition of grid blocks. Graphical visualization surface and contour map plots show rapid and continuous average reservoir pressure depletion with time for an earliest possible determination and characterization of primary drive mechanisms. The rate of pressure depletion and recovery factor estimation (1.52%) are the two main characteristics used to identify depletion drive or rock and liquid expansion drive as the best-fit prospective drive for the reservoir model. The total cumulative production of 170,000 stock-tank barrels (MSTB) recovered in 1390 days is in agreement with the field data used. Sensitivity analyses with the numerical simulator illustrated the key impact of reservoir parameters on pressure depletion with less computational expensiveness. Finally, material balance incremental (0.995) and cumulative (1.005) error checks validate the simulator robustness within an acceptable tolerance limit.

New Trends in Biosurfactants: From Renewable Origin to Green Enhanced Oil Recovery Applications

“…The oil recovery process involves three stages: primary, secondary, and tertiary recovery. The primary and secondary recovery processes use conventional technologies, including natural energy, water/gas injection, and gas injection, to extract crude oil from the reservoirs [ 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 ]. Several studies show that the primary process only recovers 10–20% of the total oil in the reservoirs.…”

Methods Used to Estimate Reservoir Pressure Performance: A Review

“…Since reservoir pressure varies as fluids are produced, it should be identified by a name specific to the measurement period. The reservoir pressure for a brandnew field at the moment of discovery when no production is taking place is referred to as the initial reservoir pressure, whereas for a field with prior production history, it is referred to as the average reservoir pressure (Gyan et al, 2019). The average reservoir pressure indicates how much gas, oil, or water remains in a reservoir at any particular moment during the production stage.…”

“…An effective hydrocarbon recovery strategy involves taking natural reservoir energy into account. However, many reservoir engineers have adopted strategies to investigate the reservoir performance and enhance its recovery factor: the ratio of the produced hydrocarbons to the original oil in place (Gyan et al, 2019). Based on the preceding information, estimating the pressure behavior under the present and anticipated future strategies is necessary to acquire a more accurate knowledge of the reservoir's behavior and thus aid in constructing a comprehensive field development plan.…”