Study for Improving the In-Situ Combustion of Venezuela Extra-Heavy Crude Oil Using Unconventional Additive

Abstract

Venezuela has considerable heavy oil reserves; in consequence the evaluation of the potential technologies to be applied for its exploitation is required. Heavy and extra heavy crude oil reservoirs are produced initially using its primary energy. However, depending on the viscosity the production in other reservoirs will be directly by enhanced thermal processes. One of the thermal technologies that have been studied for more than three decades worldwide is the in situ combustion process. In the last ten years the use of additives has been important to promote the upgrading of the produced oil. Combustion process with additives has shown some advantages with respect to conventional combustion: (1) oil production increases, (2) faster combustion front, and (3) higher temperatures during the combustion. The main goal in the present work is to evaluate an additive for in situ combustion process in order to enhance it. Inexpensive waste stream was used as additive for upgrading the produced crude oil. The experimental methodology used is based first; in to introduce the additive in 2/3 of the total of the porous media, then the void space into the cell is completed with porous media without additive. After, the system is preheating, following by air injection applied into the porous media during the entire combustion test. Once the combustion front will face the additive, it acquires faster velocities and the front stability was reached quicker than during conventional combustion test. The results obtained with the additive shows the production of lighter compounds. It is a promising opportunity to exploit and to produce the Venezuelan heavy crude oil reserves. In consequence, it will be possible to get oil with more value in the market.

Investigating the Influence of Heavy Oil Recovery by In Situ Combustion during Air Injection as EOR Technique

“…Whereas, the light components are silent at high pressure of 12850 KPa. By great number of moles existing in the reactor, there is dilution effect [12] hence, produced the small level of products by increasing the pressure of 12850 KPa in experiment. From the results, it is concluded that the products distribution is insufficient and does not act ideally.…”

Computational Calculation of Gas and Water Properties: Part 2

“…Even though the temperature variations exists within the reservoir, but still it is assumed that isothermal conditions prevails for simplicity, which is specially missleading in case of high-temperature reservoirs and in case of thermal recovery processes, such as hot water injection, steam injection, and in situ combustion (Boone and Bharatha, 1995;Nath, 2005;Doraiah et al, 2007;Mendoza et al, 2010). During thermal recoveries the temperature variations can be drastic.…”

Workflow of the In Situ Combustion EOR Method in Venezuela: Challenges and Opportunities

“…Air injection or in situ combustion (ISC) is one of the oldest thermal enhanced oil recovery (tEOR) methods evaluated in highly viscous oil reservoirs worldwide, − and in Venezuela it has been considered as a highly potential method for increasing oil production for more than 6 decades, − , the first experience being at the end of the 50s in a deposit of the Lake Maracaibo Basin. ,, …”

“…1 Thermal 2−6 and thermo-chemical IOR (hybrid) have been the most suitable methods to recover bituminous oils in Venezuela, in zones without significant risk of water production from aquifers. 1,7 Air injection or in situ combustion (ISC) is one of the oldest thermal enhanced oil recovery (tEOR) methods evaluated in highly viscous oil reservoirs worldwide, 8−13 and in Venezuela it has been considered as a highly potential method for increasing oil production for more than 6 decades, [14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21]23 the first experience being at the end of the 50s in a deposit of the Lake Maracaibo Basin. 15,19,22 ISC is an advantageous technique over steam flooding in terms of water consumption (for steam generation) and greenhouse gases emissions.…”