Field scale numerical modeling of low temperature air injection with propane for heavy-oil recovery from naturally fractured reservoirs

Mayorquin-Ruiz, Jose Ramon; Babadagli, Tayfun; Garza, Fernando Rodriguez de la

doi:10.1016/j.fuel.2015.07.073

Cited by 5 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 24 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…It was noticed that DSC runs at experimental pressures were not needed. Mayorquin-Ruiz et al found that the pressure had a greater effect in the HTO region than in the LTO regions. A similar oxidation behavior with variations in the pressure was reported by Li et al Modeling of oxidation behavior at higher pressures is recommended in future studies.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…( 6) Air (oxygen) reacts with both matrix oil and fracture oil; oxygen in the fracture is diffused freely to fracture oil in the absence of the matrix. (7) From the upscaling study based on different matrix sizes, a noninteger exponent is obtained from the logarithmic relationship between the time to reach RF = 10% and the matrix size. These exponents are defined for different temperatures and types of gas.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Optimal Design of Low-Temperature Air Injection with Propane for Efficient Recovery of Heavy Oil in Deep Naturally Fractured Reservoirs: Experimental and Numerical Approach

Mayorquin-Ruiz

Babadagli

2016

Energy Fuels

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Low-temperature air/solvent injection (LTASI) can be a possibility if injected air/solvent into a fractured reservoir diffuses into the matrix effectively to oxidize oil in it while reducing its viscosity by temperature and solvent dissolution. However, early breakthrough of air with partial consumption of oxygen as a result of the highly conductive nature of the reservoirs is a concern. Once it is controlled by a proper injection scheme and consumption of air injected through efficient diffusion into the matrix, low-temperature air injection (LTAI) can be an alternative technique for heavy-oil recovery from deep naturally fractured reservoirs (NFRs). Limited number of studies on light oils showed that this process was highly dependent upon the oxygen diffusion coefficient and matrix permeability. In this process, oil production is governed by drainage and stripping of light oil components, which have a greater effect on recovery than the swelling of oil. In the present study, static laboratory tests were performed that complement previously published experimental data, by immersing heavy-oil-saturated porous media into air-filled reactors to determine critical parameters on recovery, such as the diffusion coefficient. A data acquisition system was established for continuous monitoring of the pressure at different temperatures. Also analyzed was the possibility of hydrocarbon gas additive to air, minimizing the oil viscosity increase created by oxidation reactions. On the basis of core-scale experimental results, a numerical simulation model of air diffusion into a single matrix was created to obtain the diffusion coefficient through matching of laboratory results. Then, sensitivity runs were performed for different matrix sizes and composition of injected gas (air and hydrocarbon). Additionally, a scaling-up study was performed to obtain an approximate production time for different matrix block sizes and temperatures. It is imperative that enough timing is required for the diffusion process before injected air filling to fracture network breakthrough. This implies that huff-and-puff-type injection is an option as opposed to continuous injection of air. The optimal design and duration of the cycles were also tested experimentally and numerically for a single matrix case.

show abstract

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 97%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%