Evaluation of the Effect of Low Salinity Waterflooding for 26 Fields in Wyoming

Thyne, Geoffrey D.; Gamage, Pubudu

doi:10.2118/147410-ms

Cited by 40 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…Although fines migration is no longer thought to be a major mechanism for LSW wettability alteration [16 • ,38,24,5], it may be important in certain cases. In a few laboratory experiments, LSE is observed only in cores where there is fines migration [25,40]. It is unclear why in these studies, DLE and the chemical mechanisms do not improve the oil recovery unless fines are also produced.…”

Section: Limitations Of Dle and The Chemical Mechanismsmentioning

confidence: 97%

Thin liquid films in improved oil recovery from low-salinity brine

Myint

Firoozabadi

2015

Current Opinion in Colloid & Interface Science

270

214

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Low-salinity waterflooding is a relatively new method for improved oil recovery that has generated much interest. It is generally believed that low-salinity brine alters the wettability of oil reservoir rocks towards a wetting state that is optimal for recovery. The mechanism(s) by which the wettability alteration occurs is currently an unsettled issue. This paper reviews recent studies on wettability alteration mechanisms that affect the interactions between the brine/oil and brine/rock interfaces of thin brine films that wet the surface of reservoir rocks. Of these mechanisms, we pay particular attention to double-layer expansion, which is closely tied to an increase in the thickness and stability of the thin brine films. Our review examines studies on both sandstones and carbonate rocks. We conclude that the thin-brine-film mechanisms provide a good qualitative, though incomplete, picture of this very complicated problem. We give suggestions for future studies that may help provide a more quantitative and complete understanding of low-salinity waterflooding.

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Section: Limitations Of Dle and The Chemical Mechanismsmentioning

confidence: 97%

Thin liquid films in improved oil recovery from low-salinity brine

Myint

Firoozabadi

2015

Current Opinion in Colloid & Interface Science

270

214

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“…Other than using high salinity reservoir water, extensive laboratory experiments ( Thyne and Gamage, 2011) have confirmed the advantages of using low salinity brine as an injected fluid on the oil recovery for both secondary and tertiary modes. LSW has received increasing attention in the oil industry and is currently indentified as an important EOR technique as it shows more advantages than conventional chemical EOR methods in terms of chemical costs, environmental impact, and field process implementation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

CO2 Low Salinity Water Alternating Gas: A New Promising Approach for Enhanced Oil Recovery

Dang

Nghiem²,

Chen

et al. 2014

SPE Improved Oil Recovery Symposium

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It has been recognized that there are significant advantages on combining low salinity waterflooding (LSW) with other enhanced oil recovery (EOR) techniques such as polymer or low tension surfactant flooding. This paper proposes a novel concept of low salinity water-alternating-CO 2 (CO 2 LSWAG) injection under CO 2 miscible displacement conditions. While LSW is an emerging EOR method based on alteration of wettability from oil-wet to water-wet conditions, WAG is a proven method for improving gas flooding performance by controlling the gas mobility. Therefore, LSWAG injection promotes the synergy of the mechanisms underlying these methods (i.e., ion-exchange, wettability alteration, and CO 2 miscible displacement and mobility control) that further enhances oil recovery and overcomes the late production problem frequently encountered in the conventional WAG. These features are demonstrated in this work based on a field case study. To investigate the advantages of CO 2 LSWAG, a comprehensive ion exchange model associated with geochemical processes has been developed and coupled to the multi-phase multi-component flow equations in an equation-of-state compositional simulator. Laboratory core flood simulations of different CO 2 LSWAG schemes are conducted to understand the combined effects of solubility of CO 2 in brine, dissolution of carbonate minerals, ion exchange, and wettability alteration. CO 2 LSWAG performance is then evaluated on a field scale through an innovative workflow that includes geological modeling, multiphase multi component reservoir flow modeling and process optimization. The simulation results indicate that CO 2 LSWAG has the highest oil recovery compared to conventional high salinity waterflood, high salinity WAG, and low salinity waterflood. A number of geological realizations are generated to assess the geological uncertainty effect, in particular clay distribution uncertainties, on CO 2 LSWAG efficiency. Finally, CO 2 LSWAG injection strategies are optimized by identifying key WAG parameters. The proposed workflow demonstrates the synergy between CO 2 WAG and LSW. Built in a robust reservoir simulator, it serves as a powerful tool for screening, design, optimization, and uncertainty assessment of the process performance from laboratory to and field scales. CO 2 LSWAG is a promising EOR technique as it not only combines the benefits of CO 2 injection and low salinity water floods but also promotes the synergy between these processes through the interactions between geochemical reactions associated with CO 2 injection, ion exchange process, and wettability alteration. This paper demonstrates the merits of this process through modeling, optimization and uncertainty assessment. IntroductionThe modification of the injected brine composition could improve the oil recovery factor of conventional waterflooding up to 38% (Web et al., 2004), leading to a new concept of optimal injection brine composition for waterflooding. Other than using high salinity reservoir water

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“…It was reported that the oil recovery trend in historical data appeared to increase as the salinity ratios decreased, which corroborated laboratory corefloods using Berea outcrop material. Similarly, from a large dataset of waterflooding in Wyoming fields available in public records, Thyne et al [221] published a comprehensive evaluation of historical low saline brine injection in 26 fields and compared with laboratory corefloods. In contrast to Robertson [220], they found no correlation between dilution and oil recovery.…”

Section: Sandstone Reservoirsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Brine-Dependent Recovery Processes in Carbonate and Sandstone Petroleum Reservoirs: Review of Laboratory-Field Studies, Interfacial Mechanisms and Modeling Attempts

2018

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Brine-dependent recovery, which involves injected water ionic composition and strength, has seen much global research efforts in the past two decades because of its benefits over other oil recovery methods. Several studies, ranging from lab coreflood experiments to field trials, indicate the potential of recovering additional oil in sandstone and carbonate reservoirs. Sandstone and carbonate rocks are composed of completely different minerals, with varying degree of complexity and heterogeneity, but wettability alteration has been widely considered as the consequence rather than the cause of brine-dependent recovery. However, the probable cause appears to be as a result of the combination of several proposed mechanisms that relate the wettability changes to the improved recovery. This paper provides a comprehensive review on laboratory and field observations, descriptions of underlying mechanisms and their validity, the complexity of the oil-brine-rock interactions, modeling works, and comparison between sandstone and carbonate rocks. The improvement in oil recovery varies depending on brine content (connate and injected), rock mineralogy, oil type and structure, and temperature. The brine ionic strength and composition modification are the two major frontlines that have been well-exploited, while further areas of investigation are highlighted to speed up the interpretation and prediction of the process efficiency.

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Evaluation of the Effect of Low Salinity Waterflooding for 26 Fields in Wyoming

Cited by 40 publications

References 34 publications

Thin liquid films in improved oil recovery from low-salinity brine

Thin liquid films in improved oil recovery from low-salinity brine

CO2 Low Salinity Water Alternating Gas: A New Promising Approach for Enhanced Oil Recovery

Brine-Dependent Recovery Processes in Carbonate and Sandstone Petroleum Reservoirs: Review of Laboratory-Field Studies, Interfacial Mechanisms and Modeling Attempts

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