Title: Displacement mechanisms of air injection for IOR in low permeability light oil reservoirs

Authors: Justin Ezekiel; Shaoran Ren; Liang Zhang; Yuting Wang; Yanmin Liu; Junyu Deng; Guibin Wang

Addresses: Geothermal Energy and Geofluids Group, Department of Earth Sciences, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland ' School of Petroleum Engineering, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao 266580, China ' School of Petroleum Engineering, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao 266580, China ' PetroChina Huabei Oilfield Company, China ' School of Petroleum Engineering, China University of Petroleum (East China), East China, Qingdao 266580, China ' School of Petroleum Engineering, China University of Petroleum (East China), East China, Qingdao 266580, China ' Liaohe Oilfield Company, PetroChina, Xinglongtai District, Panjin City, Liaoning Province, China

Abstract: Air injection into light oil reservoirs has been proven to be a valuable improved oil recovery (IOR) process and is being successfully implemented worldwide in many oilfields. It specially offers unique technical and economic opportunities for tertiary or secondary oil recovery in light oil reservoirs with low permeability in which conventional water injection techniques have been unsuccessful and/or uneconomical. This paper provides a comprehensive overview on the oxidation and IOR process of air injection into low permeability light oil reservoir based on detailed analysis of some field projects and the results of laboratory testing and reservoir simulation of a typical light oil reservoir, the Q131 Block. The reaction mechanisms of low temperature oxidation (LTO) and high temperature oxidation (HTO or in-situ combustion) are particularly addressed in this study. Air flooding displacement efficiency experiment was carried out without water injection, and an oil recovery of more than 40% of hydrocarbon pore volume (HCPV) was observed. A series of high-pressure oxidation experiments using the typical light oil were conducted in the temperature range of 98°C to 180°C. The results showed high oxidation and carbon dioxide (CO2) conversion rates, which are both favourable in terms of oxygen consumption. A conceptual full field compositional reservoir simulation model of the targeted low permeability block was also used to examine the reaction schemes, thermal effect of LTO reactions and IOR mechanisms. [Received: March 22, 2014; Accepted: February 7, 2016]

Keywords: air injection; low temperature oxidation; LTO; in-situ combustion; improved oil recovery; IOR; low permeability; light oil reservoir.

DOI: 10.1504/IJOGCT.2017.085987

International Journal of Oil, Gas and Coal Technology, 2017 Vol.16 No.1, pp.1 - 26

Accepted: 07 Feb 2016
Published online: 21 Aug 2017 *

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