Phase Change Tracking Approach to Predict Timing of Condensate Formation and Its Distance from the Wellbore in Gas Condensate Reservoirs

Onoabhagbe, Benedicta Bilotu; Gomari, Sina Rezaei; Russell, Paul; Ugwu, Johnson; Ubogu, Blessing Tosin

doi:10.3390/fluids4020071

Cited by 4 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…1 Natural gas reservoirs represent important sources of energy around the world; they provide more than 30% of the consumed energy. 2,3 However, several problems can encounter the supply of natural gas. In gas condensate reservoirs, condensate banking is one of the most critical problems that occur due to the reservoir depletion and reduce the gas recovery.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Natural gas is considered as one of the cleanest types of fossil fuels and one of the most eligible energy sources . Natural gas reservoirs represent important sources of energy around the world; they provide more than 30% of the consumed energy. , However, several problems can encounter the supply of natural gas. In gas condensate reservoirs, condensate banking is one of the most critical problems that occur due to the reservoir depletion and reduce the gas recovery. − During gas production, the reservoir pressure may decrease below the dew point pressure, and then a significant amount of the condensate liquid will develop and accumulate around the production well .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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New Chemical Treatment for Permanent Removal of Condensate Banking from Different Gas Reservoirs

et al. 2019

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Condensate banking represents a challenging problem in producing the hydrocarbon from tight gas reservoirs. The accumulation of liquid condensates around the production well can significantly impair the gas flow rate. Gas injection and hydraulic fracturing are the common techniques used to avoid the condensate development by maintaining the reservoir pressure above the dew point curve. However, these treatments are associated with high operational costs and large initial investment. This study presents a new chemical treatment for removing the condensate banking using thermochemical solutions. The presented treatment can cause a permanent impact on the treated formations. Chemicals are injected to react downhole and generate in situ pressure and heat in certain conditions. The generated pressure can raise the gas pressure above the dew point, and the generated heat can change the phase of the liquid condensate to gas. Kinetic analysis indicates that thermochemical fluids can increase the temperature and heat by 85 °C and 369 kJ/mol, respectively. In addition, the impact of clay content on the efficiency of thermochemical treatment was studied using coreflooding experiments. A condensate removal of more than 60% was achieved using the huff and puff injection mode. A good correlation between the rock permeability and the condensate removal efficiency was observed. Higher condensate removal was obtained for the rock samples with high permeability values. Moreover, the presence of clay minerals in the treated rock showed a minor impact on the condensate removal, indicating that the injected chemicals are able to stabilize the clay minerals and avoid clay damage. This research shows that thermochemical treatment can remove more than 60% of the condensate damage for different types of tight sandstones. Huff and puff treatment was found to be a very practical approach to diminish the condensate banking from different sandstone rocks. Also, this work confirms that thermochemical treatment can be applied in the clayey formation for removing the condensate blockage without affecting the clay stability or inducing clay damage. Ultimately, this study introduces a new chemical treatment in the gas industry, and the used chemicals are effective, environmentally friendly, and not expensive.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

New Chemical Treatment for Permanent Removal of Condensate Banking from Different Gas Reservoirs

et al. 2019

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“…This paper describes research extending the work by Bilotu Onoabhagbe et al [25] in using proposed tracking approach to predict condensation behaviour in a gas condensate reservoir with different permeability variables. Furthermore, a sensitivity study was performed on one of the major flow parameters to verify the reliability of the proposed approach.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 95%

“…Bilotu Onoabhagbe et al [25] developed a novel approach to the tracking of the timing and location of condensation formation in a gas condensate reservoir. The study involved a compositional study of changes in hydrocarbon components over time from the reservoir to the near wellbore.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Application of Phase Change Tracking Approach in Predicting Condensate Blockage in Tight, Low, and High Permeability Reservoirs

Onoabhagbe¹,

Russell²,

Ugwu³

et al. 2020

Energies

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Prediction of the timing and location of condensate build-up around the wellbore in gas condensate reservoirs is essential for the selection of appropriate methods for condensate recovery from these challenging reservoirs. The present work focuses on the use of a novel phase change tracking approach in monitoring the formation of condensate blockage in a gas condensate reservoir. The procedure entails the simulation of tight, low and high permeability reservoirs using global and local grid analysis in determining the size and timing of three common regions (Region 1, near wellbore; Region 2, condensate build-up; and Region 3, single-phase gas) associated with single and two-phase gas and immobile and mobile gas condensate. The results show that permeability has a significant influence on the occurrence of the three regions around the well, which in turn affects the productivity of the gas condensate reservoir studied. Predictions of the timing and location of condensate in reservoirs with different permeability levels of 1 mD to 100 mD indicate that local damage enhances condensate formation by 60% and shortens the duration of the immobile phase by 45%. Meanwhile, the global change in permeability increases condensate formation by 80% and reduces the presence of the immobile phase by 60%. Finally, this predictive approach can help in mitigating condensate blockage around the wellbore during production.

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Retrograde condensation in natural porous media: An in situ experimental investigation

2022

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Complex in situ behavior of fluids during a retrograde condensation process is experimentally investigated in a miniature sandstone core sample. Two depletion experiments were conducted with various pressure decline rates using a three-component synthetic gas mixture with a dew point of 3610 psi. A state-of-the-art miniature core-flooding system integrated with a high-resolution micro-computed tomography scanner was employed to acquire pore-scale evidence of condensate nucleation, growth, accumulation, and mobilization in a natural porous medium under different depletion conditions. Analysis of pore-scale fluid occupancy maps demonstrates the formation of discrete nuclei of the condensate in pore throats and crevices as the pressure drops slightly below the dew point. The in situ fluid configurations show that a greater pressure drawdown rate significantly increases the condensate growth and accumulation. The results also illustrate the occurrence of condensate-to-gas imbibition displacements, i.e., snap-off and piston-like events, and the consequent trapping of the gas phase in the pore space. As the pore pressure is reduced, the condensate droplets are found to connect to each other through wetting layers, whereas the large gas clusters are continuously fragmented into smaller globules with reduced hydraulic connectivities. This effect was more pronounced in the case of the high depletion rate experiment. Furthermore, the condensate banking was not completely eliminated (through evaporation) by re-injecting the gas phase. This implies that in the development of a gas condensate reservoir, condensate dropout and banking should be minimized in the first place by, for instance, producing at lower pressure drawdown rates.

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Phase Change Tracking Approach to Predict Timing of Condensate Formation and Its Distance from the Wellbore in Gas Condensate Reservoirs

Cited by 4 publications

References 30 publications

New Chemical Treatment for Permanent Removal of Condensate Banking from Different Gas Reservoirs

New Chemical Treatment for Permanent Removal of Condensate Banking from Different Gas Reservoirs

Application of Phase Change Tracking Approach in Predicting Condensate Blockage in Tight, Low, and High Permeability Reservoirs

Retrograde condensation in natural porous media: An in situ experimental investigation

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