Simulation of Surfactant Flooding in the Presence of Dissolved and Free Gas Accounting for the Dynamic Effect of Pressure and Oil Composition on Microemulsion Phase Behavior

Trouillaud, Adrien; Patacchini, Leonardo; Loubens, Romain de; Moncorgé, Arthur

doi:10.2118/169148-ms

Cited by 8 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…Moncorgé et al (2012) presented a framework aimed at integration of new physics for improved recovery process with black-oil and K-value models. Later, Trouillaud et al (2014) simulated the effect of pressure and oil composition on microemulsion phase behavior by coupling a gas/oil/water phase behavior model with a microemulsion phase behavior model.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Four-Phase Flow Model to Simulate Chemical EOR with Gas

Lotfollahi

Varavei

Delshad

et al. 2015

SPE Reservoir Simulation Symposium

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The need for improved models to simulate chemical enhanced oil recovery (CEOR) methods involving either free gas or solution gas has increased in recent years as it has become more common to inject surfactants to recover live oils using surfactant-polymer or alkaline-surfactant-polymer flooding, or to inject gas with the surfactant solution (low-tension gas flooding or foam). A four-phase flow and transport formulation is needed to accurately model these EOR methods. New experimental data are now available to help in the development and validation of such models. In particular, the effect of pressure and solution gas on microemulsion phase behavior is now much better understood because of new and much more systematic experimental data. New low-tension gas or alkali surfactant foam experiments have also recently been published.In this paper, we present a four-phase flow formulation implemented in the numerical reservoir simulator UTCHEM, a compositional model developed specifically to simulate both lab-scale and field-scale chemical EOR. UTCHEM includes a third-order TVD finite-difference method to improve numerical accuracy of the extremely non-linear chemical processes. A black-oil model for oil/water/gas is coupled with the surfactant/oil/water (microemulsion) phase behavior model through a new formulation. The new formulation includes water, oil, gas, surfactant, polymer and electrolyte components in the aqueous, oleic, microemulsion and gas phases. The PVT properties are calculated for each phase using this model. The impact of pressure and solution gas on the optimum salinity and interfacial tension will be discussed.The four-phase flow simulator has been used to model low tension gas flooding taking into account process mechanisms. The results aid in the understanding and interpretation of four-phase flow chemical EOR processes. The simulator can be used to evaluate chemical EOR methods involving solution gas and/or free gas, to scale up lab experiments to the field and to optimize chemical EOR process design for field tests among other applications. The need for a reliable mechanistic simulator has greatly increased due to more field applications of chemical EOR with gas and the expected further increase of this type of EOR.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Four-Phase Flow Model to Simulate Chemical EOR with Gas

Lotfollahi

Varavei

Delshad

et al. 2015

SPE Reservoir Simulation Symposium

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“…Several groups recently modeled live oil behavior including reservoir P and T conditions and gas solution [10,11,13,14,22]. This formulation of Equation (3) has been revisited by Trouillaud et al who expressed the gas molar fraction in terms of ratio of molar gas and oil volumes, and gas to oil ratio [13].…”

Section: Theoretical Sectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…chemistry of surfactants, types of salts, TDS -the amount of total dissolved solids -etc.). Investigations of gas dissolution, pressure and temperature effects on the {brine/formulation/ live oil} microemulsion have already been performed indicating competing effects [10][11][12][13]. Several recent works proposed reviews of these competing effects, for instance when increasing the gas to oil ratio and/or the pressure [10,13,14].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Investigations of gas dissolution, pressure and temperature effects on the {brine/formulation/ live oil} microemulsion have already been performed indicating competing effects [10][11][12][13]. Several recent works proposed reviews of these competing effects, for instance when increasing the gas to oil ratio and/or the pressure [10,13,14]. Works report that optimal salinity decreases as gas is added to a crude oil at high pressure [12,15] while authors, as Cottin et al indicated slight increase of S* [16].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Equivalent Alkane Carbon Number of Live Crude Oil: A Predictive Model Based on Thermodynamics

Creton

Mougin

2016

Oil Gas Sci. Technol. – Rev. IFP Energies nouvelles

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-We took advantage of recently published works and new experimental data to propose a model for the prediction of the Equivalent Alkane Carbon Number of live crude oil (EACNlo) for EOR processes. The model necessitates the a priori knowledge of reservoir pressure and temperature conditions as well as the initial gas to oil ratio. Additionally, some required volumetric properties for hydrocarbons were predicted using an equation of state. The model has been validated both on our own experimental data and data from the literature. These various case studies cover broad ranges of conditions in terms of API gravity index, gas to oil ratio, reservoir pressure and temperature, and composition of representative gas. The predicted EACNlo values reasonably agree with experimental EACN values, i.e. determined by comparison with salinity scans for a series of n-alkanes from nC 8 to nC 18 . The model has been used to generate high pressure high temperature data, showing competing effects of the gas to oil ratio, pressure and temperature. The proposed model allows to strongly narrow down the spectrum of possibilities in terms of EACNlo values, and thus a more rational use of equipments.Résumé -Développement d'un modèle pour prédire l'alcane équivalent d'une huile vive -En se basant sur de récents travaux de la littérature ainsi que sur de nouvelles données expérimentales, nous proposons un modèle permettant de prédire l'EACNlo (Equivalent Alkane Carbon Number of live crude oil) -alcane équivalent d'une huile vive (pétrole brut contenant des gaz dissous) -dans des contextes de recherche de tensioactifs pour des activités EOR. Pour mettre en oeuvre ce modèle, il faut s'assurer de la connaissance des conditions de pression et de température dans le réservoir et du rapport gaz sur huile. En outre, des propriétés volumétriques d'hydrocarbures nécessaires pour alimenter le modèle, sont estimées par l'utilisation d'équations d'état. La validation de notre modèle a été réalisée à partir de données expérimentales de la littérature et nos propres données obtenues pour des pétroles bruts. Ces différents cas d'études couvrent de larges gammes en termes de degrés API, de rapports gaz sur huile, de pressions et températures en condition de fond (réservoir) et de compositions pour le gaz représentatif. L'utilisation du modèle conduit à des valeurs d'EACNlo en accord avec les valeurs expérimentales, i.e. obtenues par comparaisons avec des analyses de salinités sur des séries d'alcanes linéaires de nC 8 à nC 18 . Le modèle a ensuite été utilisé pour générer des prédictions et ainsi étudier l'impact sur les prédictions des conditions de pressions et de températures et de la nature du gaz. Le modèle permet de restreindre la gamme de valeurs d'EACNlo et ainsi une meilleure utilisation des équipements expérimentaux.

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