SPE Reservoir Evaluation & Engineering
Volume 15,
Number 4,
August 2012,
pp. 436-444
Summary
With the intent of solving problems that emerge at the later stage of
waterflooded reservoirs, we study the feasibility of air-foam flooding of
waterflooded light-oil reservoirs using the method of physical simulation.
Through isothermal combustion experiments, the influence of clay mineral and
foam on low-temperature-oxidation (LTO) reactions is investigated
qualitatively. Then, the quantitative investigation of water saturation on
oxidation rate and O2 consumption rate is discussed. After that,
some dynamic foam displacement experiments are also performed, including the
single-tube displacement experiments of air foam at different water saturations
and enhanced-oil-recovery (EOR) experiments of air-foam flooding in parallel
tubes. In addition, in order to verify the O2 consumption capacity
of the sample oil, a slimtube experiment is conducted. The results show that
the presence of clay minerals could speed the process of the LTO reaction,
while the presence of foam will slow this process. The LTO reaction is not
significantly associated with oil viscosity. The concentration of O2
was near zero when the gas breakthrough occurred. Once the oxidation region
reached the outlet, the concentration of O2 suddenly increased, and
the effect of O2 consumption became worse. G64-38 crude oil performs
better in the process of O2 consumption. The injection of air foam
could effectively plug the high-permeability tube and restart the
low-permeability tube. This paper could be used as a tool for the successful
design of air-foam flooding at a later waterflood stage to enhance crude-oil
recovery in light-oil reservoirs.
© 2012. Society of Petroleum Engineers
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History
- Original manuscript received:
8 November 2011
- Revised manuscript received:
11 April 2012
- Manuscript approved:
13 June 2012
- Published online:
27 July 2012
- Version of record:
7 August 2012
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