Modeling the Effectiveness of Polymer flooding for Enhancing Oil Recovery compared to Water flooding and the Effect of Reservoir Characteristics on their Sweep Efficiency
Abstract
The world has relied on the use of oil as its main source of energy for decades, whether it is to fuel the vehicles or to heat homes or to power industries; with the continuous increase in the global demand of oil, it is essential to work on maximizing oil production capabilities. Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) technologies are employed to improve sweep efficiency in oil reservoirs and increase oil recovery. Polymer flooding is an EOR technique that aims to increase the viscosity of water being injected to lower its mobility and displace more oil towards the production wells.
The purpose of this research is to investigate the effectiveness of polymer flooding in oil displacement, compared to water flooding and to examine the impact of reservoir characteristics on sweep efficiency, including reservoir porosity and reservoir permeability. An open source reservoir simulator has been used to model polymer flooding to evaluate its effect on oil recovery and compare it to pure water flooding, as well as investigate the effect of some reservoir characteristics such as porosity and permeability on oil recovery. Results will include changes in reduced oil saturation, reduced water saturation, and pressure for each injection process.
Conclusions deduced from the results obtained demonstrate more efficient oil recovery using polymer flooding when compared to pure water flooding. Polymer flooding may take longer time to flow due to being more viscous; however, eventually, it achieves more oil displacement towards the production wells. As for the reservoir characteristics, the higher porosity showed slower changes in oil saturation, water saturation and pressure, since it is initially storing more fluid as compared to the smaller pores, which are faster to drain out. The higher permeability demonstrated faster flow as oil saturation, water saturation and pressure changes were faster since more oil was getting displaced easily and fast. Polymer flooding demonstrated the same change in saturation and pressure for the different porosity and permeability but at a slower pace.
Subject
Enhanced Oil RecoveryPolymer Flooding
Waterflooding
Reservoir Simulation
Matlab Reservoir Simulator
Citation
Maklad, Mirna Alaa Mahmoud Taha (2020). Modeling the Effectiveness of Polymer flooding for Enhancing Oil Recovery compared to Water flooding and the Effect of Reservoir Characteristics on their Sweep Efficiency. Master's thesis, Texas A&M University. Available electronically from https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /192790.