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Enhanced oil recovery through water imbibition in fractured reservoirs using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance
Abstract
Conventional waterflooding methods of oil recovery are difficult to apply when reservoirs show evidence of natural fractures, because injected water advances through paths of high permeability, and oil trapped in the rock matrix system is not displaced. Oil existing in these reservoirs could be recovered by the imbibition displacement technique which is an alternative oil recovery method. This research was conducted to evaluate oil recovery using unadulterated or carbonated water imbibition in homogeneous and fractured (isolated and multiple) rock samples. Rock properties such as porosity, permeability, and initial oil saturation of the rock samples were measured. Experimental work was carried out in homogeneous and longitudinal fractured, Indiana Limestone rock samples. Homogeneous rock samples had a simulated transverse fracture (macro-fracture) in front of the imbibition face, while the fractured rock samples had one or two additional longitudinal symmetrical induced fractures to simulate a n-iicro-fracture system. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NNM) sets of longitudinal and transverse profiles and images were recorded to visualize and quantify changes in fluid saturation inside the rock samples during the imbibition displacement tests. NMR oil saturation profiles show that the percent of original oil in place (OOIP) recovered from the rock matrix system was not always uniform throughout the rock samples. As would be expected, the dramatic changes in oil saturation took place close to the imbibition faces. Unadulterated and carbonated water imbibition cumulative oil recovery curves exhibited an exponential relationship between time and recovery, until maximum oil production was reached and oil recovery became insensitive. Carbonated water imbibition increased oil recovery especially at earlier times. Additionally, carbonated water imbibition significantly reduced the recovery time when compared with the time to recover the same percent of oil by unadulterated water imbibition. Ultimate oil recovery from the matrix-fracture system is directly proportional to the area available for water imbibition. Therefore, the presence of macro-and microfractures increases the oil production potential. Unadulterated water imbibition is more effective than carbonated water imbibition to enhance oil recovery from micro-fractured systems. On the other hand, carbonated water imbibition is more efficient in macro-fractured systems.
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Citation
Hervas Ordonez, Rafael Alejandro (1994). Enhanced oil recovery through water imbibition in fractured reservoirs using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance. Master's thesis, Texas A&M University. Available electronically from https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /ETD -TAMU -1994 -THESIS -H5776.
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