Journal of Canadian Petroleum Technology
Volume 51,
Number 5,
September 2012,
pp. 383-392
Summary
In this work, a series of solvent- and water-injection scenarios were
conducted on horizontal five-spot glass micromodels that were saturated
initially with heavy oil. Sandstone and limestone rock look-alike and network
patterns with different pore structures were used in the experiments. The
results show that the ultimate oil recovery of a water-alternating-solvent
(WAS) scheme was greater than that of a simultaneously
water-alternating-solvent (SWAS) scheme, and the efficiency of a solvent-soak
scheme also offers a greater recovery. Likewise, the WAS scheme resulted in
greater oil recovery when compared with continuous solvent injection (CSI),
with the same amount of solvent consumption. Furthermore, some pore-scale
phenomena, such as viscous fingering, diffusion of solvents into heavy oil, and
localized entrapment of oil and solvent because of heterogeneity and/or water
blockage, are also illustrated. The results of this work can be helpful for
better understanding and verification of flow transport and pore-scale events
during different solvent-based-injection scenarios in heavy-oil reservoirs.
© 2012. Society of Petroleum Engineers
View full textPDF
(
2 KB
)
History
- Original manuscript received:
24 March 2009
- Meeting paper published:
17 June 2009
- Revised manuscript received:
18 November 2011
- Manuscript approved:
11 January 2012
- Published online:
31 July 2012
- Version of record:
5 September 2012
View Cart
