Experimental investigation on improving steam sweep efficiency by novel particles in heavy oil reservoirs

Liu, Huiqing; Wang, Yanwei; Zheng, Aiping; Sun, Xianqiang; Dong, Xiaohu; Li, Dandan; Zhang, Qichen

doi:10.1016/j.petrol.2020.107429

Cited by 18 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 45 publications

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“…From the results of the injection experiments, the high-permeability sand-packs have better injection performance than the low-permeability sand-packs. The injected WMEG particles can easily migrate to the high permeability formation, while WMEG particles can only remain at the end face of a low permeability formation . When steam is injected, WMEG particles can expand rapidly in the in-depth part of the high permeability formation, thus forming a strong plugging effect on the steam channel.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Research and Application Progress of Wet-Phase Modified Expandable Graphite as a Steam Plugging Agent in Heavy Oil Reservoirs

Zhao

Cheng-lin

et al. 2022

Energy Fuels

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Wet-phase modified expandable graphite (WMEG) particles have been successfully developed for in-depth steam channeling control in heavy oil reservoirs. WMEG particles can expand 4 to 7 times in a wet-phase environment and form a worm-like structure at steam temperature. The sand-pack flowing experiments demonstrated that WMEG particles have good injection, steam erosion resistance, and selective plugging capacity characteristics. By directly plugging and bridge plugging after expansion, WMEG particles can effectively plug steam channels. This paper also analyzes the EOR potential of WMEG particles through oil displacement experiments, proving that WMEG particles can further enhance oil recovery of heavy oil reservoirs. To better explain the steam plugging mechanism, the energy changes during WMEG particle expansion were also analyzed. The release of gas at different stages is the source of energy for WMEG particle expansion. WMEG particles have been successfully applied to 12 wells of four typical heavy oilfields in China. The results from these applications confirm that the injection of WMEG particles is an effective steam channeling control treatment. The success of these oilfield tests can also serve as a reference for similar steam injection heavy oilfields.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Research and Application Progress of Wet-Phase Modified Expandable Graphite as a Steam Plugging Agent in Heavy Oil Reservoirs

Zhao

Cheng-lin

et al. 2022

Energy Fuels

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“…At the seventh cycle, the steam proportion of the second zone has reached 53% and the fifth zone did not absorb steam. During the injection strategies determination of the plugging agent, the literature proposed that the multi-stage plugging method can effectively solve the problem of steam channeling, which provided guidance to the field injection process [25]. At the eigth cycle, the optimized plugging agent, HTP, was injected into the formation, and the steam profile after that was encouragingly improved [3].…”

Section: Field Application Performancementioning

confidence: 99%

Experimental Investigation of Steam Conformance Evolution in Vertical-CSS and Optimization of Profile Improvement Agents

Guo

2022

Applied Sciences

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Production performance of heavy oil deposits in Xinjiang oilfield developed by vertical-well cyclic steam stimulation (CSS) is increasingly challenged by reservoir heterogeneity, which is comprised of original sedimental heterogeneity and steam-induced heterogeneity. In order to understand the impacts of sedimental heterogeneity and high-speed steam injection to steam conformance, and strategies to maximize steam swept volume, a series of experiments were designed and implemented. Three-tube coreflooding experiments were performed to study the steam displacement dynamics under heterogeneous conditions, and a high-temperature plugging agent was developed. The coreflooding experiments indicate that the injection conformance deteriorates once the steam breakthrough occurs in a high-permeability tube, leaving the oil in the medium and low permeability tubes being surpassed. The optimized plugging agent could resist high temperatures over 260 °C and its compressive strength was 13.14 MPa, which is higher than maximal steam injection pressure. The plugging rate of high permeability core was greater than 99.5% at 220–280 °C with a breakthrough pressure gradient over 25 MPa/m. The field test validated its profile improvement feasibility with cyclic oil, 217.6% of the previous cycle. The plugging agent optimized in this study has significant potential for similar heterogeneous reservoirs.

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“…Experiments indicate that a surfactant foam mixed with nanoparticles has better stability and heavy oil development capacity . In the process of oil reservoir development, nanoparticles can significantly optimize the sweep efficiency of foam, which further improves the foam flooding effect under reservoir conditions . Among various kinds of nanoparticles, SiO 2 particles are the most widely used material.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microscopic Mechanical Model Analysis and Visualization Investigation of SiO₂ Nanoparticle/HPAM Polymer Foam Liquid Film Displacing Heavy Oil

et al. 2022

Langmuir

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In this paper, the microscopic mechanisms and macroscopic characteristics of polymer/nanoparticle foam flooding in a heavy oil reservoir environment were studied. Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) surfactant was used as the foaming agent, and the foam was prepared by a combination of partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide (HPAM) polymer and SiO2 nanoparticles. By performing experiments with the microscopic model, the foam flooding dynamics in the heavy oil reservoir were simulated. Based on the experiments, the formula model was established to evaluate the physicochemical effects between the foam liquid film and oil surface. Finally, the macroscopic characteristics of foam flooding were studied by performing oil displacement experiments with a 2D visual model. The microscopic experiments demonstrated that the foam liquid film could exert multiple actions, such as adsorption, stretching, and cutting on the heavy oil in the reservoir pores. These actions were accompanied by force changes between the foam and heavy oil, and the addition of polymer and nanoparticles further strengthened them. The calculations of the formula model indicated that the polymer and nanoparticles amplified the force between the foam liquid film and heavy oil by 1.95 and 2.2 times, respectively. The 2D visual model experiments suggested that foam flooding could further develop heavy oil after water flooding through its liquid film effects, and the oil recovery efficiency increased from 42.43 to 57.82%. In addition, the polymer and nanoparticles further optimized the oil displacement effect of the foam liquid film, which made the oil recovery efficiency reach 64.77–68.16%.

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Experimental investigation on improving steam sweep efficiency by novel particles in heavy oil reservoirs

Cited by 18 publications

References 45 publications

Research and Application Progress of Wet-Phase Modified Expandable Graphite as a Steam Plugging Agent in Heavy Oil Reservoirs

Research and Application Progress of Wet-Phase Modified Expandable Graphite as a Steam Plugging Agent in Heavy Oil Reservoirs

Experimental Investigation of Steam Conformance Evolution in Vertical-CSS and Optimization of Profile Improvement Agents

Microscopic Mechanical Model Analysis and Visualization Investigation of SiO₂ Nanoparticle/HPAM Polymer Foam Liquid Film Displacing Heavy Oil

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Experimental investigation on improving steam sweep efficiency by novel particles in heavy oil reservoirs

Cited by 18 publications

References 45 publications

Research and Application Progress of Wet-Phase Modified Expandable Graphite as a Steam Plugging Agent in Heavy Oil Reservoirs

Research and Application Progress of Wet-Phase Modified Expandable Graphite as a Steam Plugging Agent in Heavy Oil Reservoirs

Experimental Investigation of Steam Conformance Evolution in Vertical-CSS and Optimization of Profile Improvement Agents

Microscopic Mechanical Model Analysis and Visualization Investigation of SiO2 Nanoparticle/HPAM Polymer Foam Liquid Film Displacing Heavy Oil

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Product

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Microscopic Mechanical Model Analysis and Visualization Investigation of SiO₂ Nanoparticle/HPAM Polymer Foam Liquid Film Displacing Heavy Oil