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A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "H1: Petroleum Engineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (23 August 2022) | Viewed by 19337

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Dr. Dmitriy A. Martyushev

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Department of Oil and Gas Technologies, Perm National Research Polytechnic University, 614990 Perm, Russia
Interests: well testing; carbonate reservoirs; acid treatment; EOR methods; hydraulic fracturing; acidizing; fractured reservoirs
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Dear Colleagues,

Over the past 15–20 years, there has been a sharp decrease in the average size of reserves in new oil and gas fields by four times. The share of large deposits among newly discovered ones decreased from 15% to 10%. The reservoir properties of the productive horizons and the qualitative composition of the fluids saturating them have significantly deteriorated. In most regions, hydrocarbon resources have already been explored to a depth of 2500–3000 meters, and many of them have been exploited for a long time. The high depletion of reserves is an inevitable consequence of the water cut of the produced products and a decrease in well production rates. This is why the use of traditional technologies not only reduces the competitiveness of the economy but also makes it impossible to use oil and gas reserves in the future.

The key to overcoming the problems oil production is using the latest and best world achievements in drilling techniques and technologies, to create our own highly efficient technical and technological solutions. The task of increasing the flow rate of wells in conditions of declining production is acute for most of the oil-producing countries of the world. This is why the arsenal of applied techniques and technologies for enhanced oil recovery and commissioning of residual oil reserves is constantly being improved.

Dr. Dmitriy A. Martyushev
Guest Editor

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Keywords

polymer flooding
smart water
hydraulic fracturing
fractured reservoirs

Published Papers (10 papers)

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Research

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21 pages, 3895 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Hybrid Carbonated Engineered Water as EOR Solution for Oil-Wet Carbonate Formation

by Bisweswar Ghosh, Alibi Kilybay, Nithin Chacko Thomas, Mohammed Haroun, Md Motiur Rahman and Hadi Belhaj

Energies 2022, 15(21), 7889; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en15217889 - 24 Oct 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1076

Abstract

Carbonated water has proven advantages over conventional CO₂ injection in terms of arresting free CO₂ mobility, low-pressure injection, lower volume requirement, and higher efficiency. The term “engineered water” is designated to selective ion-spiked injection water with the advantage of the ion-exchange reactions with the rock minerals and releasing trapped oil. This article investigated the synergic effect of dissolved CO₂ and engineered water for oil recovery and understanding inner mechanisms. Recovery efficiencies were evaluated through coreflood studies, which revealed that the hybrid water could recover 6–10% more oil than engineered water and about 3% more than carbonated water. HP-HT pendant-drop studies show the insignificance of IFT reduction. Wettability change from oil wet to near-water wet is attributed as a significant factor. The dissolution of Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺ and deposition of SO₄²⁻ observed in coreflooding may have a significant contribution to oil recovery. Pore enlargement evidenced in NMR-PSD and NMR-ICP results support this claim. The study confirmed that the EWI-CWI hybrid technique could be a promising EOR method, eliminating the requirement for high-pressure injection, the problems of gravity segregation, and the early breakthrough of CO₂. It can also be an effective EOR solution, providing a significant cost advantage and higher oil recovery in addition to the environmental benefits of CO₂ sequestration. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) Methods)

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13 pages, 4369 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Evaluation of OKRA (Abelmoschus esculentus) Macromolecular Solution for Enhanced Oil Recovery in Kazakhstan Carbonate Reservoir

by Azza Hashim Abbas, Obinna Markraphael Ajunwa, Birzhan Mazhit, Dmitriy A. Martyushev, Kamel Fahmi Bou-Hamdan and Ramzi A. Abd Alsaheb

Energies 2022, 15(18), 6827; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en15186827 - 18 Sep 2022

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 1792

Abstract

Natural polymers have been investigated as part of the endeavors of green chemistry practice in the oil field. However, natural polymer studies are still preliminary. The current study examines okra’s (natural polymer) efficiency for polymer flooding, particularly in Kazakhstan. The evaluation targets the heavy oil trapped in carbonate reservoirs. SEM and FTIR were used to characterize morphology and chemical composition. A rheology study was conducted under different shear rates for three plausible concentrations: 1 wt.%, 2 wt.% and 5 wt.%. The core flooding was challenged by the low porosity and permeability of the core. The results showed that okra’s size is between 150–900 μm. The morphology can be described by rod-like structures with pores and staking as sheet structures. The FTIR confirmed that the solution contains a substantial amount of polysaccharides. During the rheology test, okra showed a proportional relationship between the concentration and viscosity increase, and an inversely proportional relationship with the shear rate. At reservoir temperature, the viscosity reduction was insignificant, which indicated good polymer stability. Okra showed shear-thinning behavior. It was fitted to the Ostwald–de Waele power-law model by a (90–99)% regression coefficient. The findings confirm okra’s pseudo-plasticity, and that it is proportional to the solution concentration. The incremental oil recovery was 7%. The flow was found to be restricted due to the mechanical entrapment resulting from the large molecule size and the low porosity–permeability of the system. This study proves that the dominating feature of natural polysaccharide derivatives is their applicability to moderate reservoir conditions. The current study is a positive attempt at natural polymer application in Kazakhstan and similar field conditions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) Methods)

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16 pages, 4501 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Strategies of SAGD Start-Up by Downhole Electrical Heating

by Yongbin Wu, Zhaocheng Yang, Zhi Yang and Chao Wang

Energies 2022, 15(14), 5135; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en15145135 - 15 Jul 2022

Viewed by 1371

Abstract

The SAGD start-up process normally circulates steam in both the injector and producer, which consumes a large amount of steam, requires the high cost of high-temperature-produced liquid treatment, and unavoidably results in preferential communication in heterogeneous reservoirs. In order to achieve uniform preheat and full steam chamber development in SAGD wellpairs, downhole electrical heating to start up SAGD was proposed and investigated in this study using physical and numerical simulation approaches. Two 3-D scaled physical experiments were designed and implemented to investigate the feasibility and heating characteristics of such a method. Numerical simulation was conducted using an SAGD sector model with typical field properties to design the preheating process, optimize key operational parameters, and formulate the soak strategy to determine the SAGD conversion timing. The experimental results indicate that electrical heating outperforms steam circulation in achieving the uniform thermal communication in heterogeneous reservoirs, which is challenged in the conventional steam circulation process. The preheating process and operational parameters of electrical heating were formulated and optimized, which include wellbore pre-flush, wellbore saturation by heat conduction fluid, electrical heating, and replacement of heat conduction fluid periodically. Surveillance of temperature difference along the horizontal section while powering off electrical heating intermittently is optimized to be the SAGD conversion timing determination strategy. Based on the combination results of scaled physical simulation and pilot wellpair numerical simulation, full heat communication and steam chamber development are achieved along the horizontal length by electrical preheating, and the oil recovery factor of the pilot wellpair is enhanced by 14.8%, indicating encouraging potentials in heavy oil and bitumen development. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) Methods)

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12 pages, 3666 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Theoretical Study on the Micro-Flow Mechanism of Polymer Flooding in a Double Heterogeneous Oil Layer

by Huiying Zhong, Yuanyuan He, Xin Zhao and Xiaojuan Peng

Energies 2022, 15(9), 3236; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en15093236 - 28 Apr 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1208

Abstract

Critical issues in the development of oil fields include the differences in the layer properties as well as serious interlayer conflicts and disturbances that can lead to the formation of a preferential flow pathway. In order to understand the interlayer disturbance mechanism between the heterogeneous oil layers, mathematical models of the polymer, and oil two-phase micro-flow in porous media are established based on the Navier-Stokes equation. The phase-field method is used to track the two-phase interface during the displacement process. Then, the influences of wettability, injection modes, and permeability contrasts on the front length coefficient and the displacement efficiency are studied. The results showed that when the rock surface is water-wet (oil-wet), the polymer displaced the low (high) permeability layer first, and the interlayer breakthrough is obvious in the early stages of displacement. After the front broke through, the water-wet (oil-wet) rocks began to displace the high (low) permeability layer, and the preferential flow pathway is formed, which slowed the subsequent polymer flooding. When the rock surface is oil-wet, the perforation degree of the inlet had a greater effect on the micro-oil displacement efficiency. The micro-oil displacement efficiency of the full perforation and commingling production model is 26.21% and 37.75% higher than that of the separate-layer injection and commingling production, as well as the partial perforation and commingling production-injection models, respectively. The larger the permeability contrast, the more obvious the interlayer breakthrough. This study reveals the influence of different wettability characteristics, injection modes, and permeability contrasts on the front length coefficient and the displacement efficiency in a micro-heterogeneous model and provides an important theoretical basis for the formulation of enhanced oil recovery schemes for heterogeneous oil layers. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) Methods)

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16 pages, 6720 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Pressure Measurements for Monitoring CO₂ Foam Pilots

by Metin Karakas, Zachary Paul Alcorn, Fred Aminzadeh and Arne Graue

Energies 2022, 15(9), 3035; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en15093035 - 21 Apr 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1340

Abstract

This study focuses on the use of pressure measurements to monitor the effectiveness of foam as a CO₂ mobility control agent in oil-producing reservoirs. When it is applied optimally, foam has excellent potential to improve reservoir sweep efficiency, as well as CO₂ utilization and storage, during CO₂ Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) processes. In this study, we present part of an integrated and novel workflow involving laboratory measurements, reservoir modeling and monitoring. Using the recorded bottom-hole pressure data from a CO₂ foam pilot study, we demonstrate how transient pressures could be used to monitor CO₂ foam development inside the reservoir. Results from a recent CO₂ foam pilot study in a heterogeneous carbonate field in Permian Basin, USA, are presented. The injection pressure was used to evaluate the development of foam during various foam injection cycles. A high-resolution radial simulator was utilized to study the effect of foam on well injectivity, as well as on CO₂ mobility in the reservoir during the surfactant-alternating gas (SAG) process. Transient analysis indicated constant temperature behavior during all SAG cycles. On the other hand, differential pressures consistently increased during the surfactant injection and decreased during the subsequent CO₂ injection periods. Pressure buildup during the periods of surfactant injection indicated the development of a reduced mobility zone in the reservoir. The radial model proved to be useful to assess the reservoir foam strength during this pilot study. Transient analysis revealed that the differential pressures during the SAG cycles were higher than the pressures observed during the water-alternating gas (WAG) cycle which, in turn, showed foam generation and reduced CO₂ mobility in the reservoir. Although pressure data are a powerful indicator of foam strength, additional measurements may be required to describe the complex physics of in situ foam generation. In this pilot study, it appeared that the reservoir foam strength was weaker than that expected in the laboratory. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) Methods)

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17 pages, 10024 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Estimation of Seismic Wave Attenuation from 3D Seismic Data: A Case Study of OBC Data Acquired in an Offshore Oilfield

by Fateh Bouchaala, Mohammed Y. Ali, Jun Matsushima, Youcef Bouzidi, Mohammed S. Jouini, Eric M. Takougang and Aala A. Mohamed

Energies 2022, 15(2), 534; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en15020534 - 12 Jan 2022

Cited by 31 | Viewed by 2184

Abstract

Previous studies performed in Abu Dhabi oilfields, United Arab Emirates, revealed the direct link of seismic wave attenuation to petrophysical properties of rocks. However, all those studies were based on zero offset VSP data, which limits the attenuation estimation at one location only. This is due to the difficulty of estimating attenuation from 3D seismic data, especially in carbonate rocks. To overcome this difficulty, we developed a workflow based on the centroid frequency shift method and Gabor transform which is optimized by using VSP data. The workflow was applied on 3D Ocean Bottom Cable seismic data. Distinct attenuation anomalies were observed in highly heterogeneous and saturated zones, such as the reservoirs and aquifers. Scattering shows significant contribution in attenuation anomalies, which is unusual in sandstones. This is due to the complex texture and heterogeneous nature of carbonate rocks. Furthermore, attenuation mechanisms such as frictional relative movement between fluids and solid grains, are most likely other important causes of attenuation anomalies. The slight lateral variation of attenuation reflects the lateral homogeneous stratigraphy of the oilfield. The results demonstrate the potential of seismic wave attenuation for delineating heterogeneous zones with high fluid content, which can substantially help for enhancing oil recovery. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) Methods)

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14 pages, 4194 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Technology for Improving the Efficiency of Fractured Reservoir Development Using Gel-Forming Compositions

by Dmitry Mardashov, Victor Duryagin and Shamil Islamov

Energies 2021, 14(24), 8254; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en14248254 - 08 Dec 2021

Cited by 22 | Viewed by 2123

Abstract

Increasing the field development efficiency of fractured reservoirs is a contemporary issue. This paper presents fundamental and exploratory research results in this field using modern high-tech experimental equipment from the “Arctic” Scientific Centre at the Saint Petersburg Mining University. Oil reserves in fractured reservoirs are enormous; however, they are classified as hard-to-recover. The before-mentioned reservoirs require a specific approach when selecting technologies to improve the efficiency of their development. In this paper, as a solution to the problem under discussion, we propose the use of a physicochemical method of developing fractured reservoirs based on the injection of a water shut-off agent to exclude highly permeable water-conducting fractures from the drainage process. This technology makes it possible to effectively include and develop previously undrained reservoir areas by directly controlling their filtration properties with the use of new highly efficient and ecologically safe chemical reagents and process fluids. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) Methods)

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Review

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28 pages, 5329 KiB

Open AccessReview

A Comprehensive Review on Utilizing Nanomaterials in Enhanced Oil Recovery Applications

by Jamil Fadi El-Masry, Kamel Fahmi Bou-Hamdan, Azza Hashim Abbas and Dmitriy A. Martyushev

Energies 2023, 16(2), 691; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en16020691 - 06 Jan 2023

Cited by 24 | Viewed by 2547

Abstract

Chemicals are a pivotal part of many operations for the oil and gas industry. The purpose of chemical application in the subsurface reservoir is to decrease the mobility ratio between the displaced fluid and the displacing one or to increase the capillary number. These have been the favorable mechanisms for Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR). Recently, it became a mainstay with EOR researchers looking for effective and efficient materials that can be economically feasible and environmentally friendly. Therefore, when the development of chemicals reached a peak point by introducing nanosized materials, it was of wondrous interest in EOR. Unlike other sizes, nanoparticles display distinct physical and chemical properties that can be utilized for multiple applications. Therefore, vast amounts of nanoparticles were examined in terms of formulation, size effect, reservoir condition, viscosity, IFT, and wettability alteration. When a holistic understanding of nanoparticles is aimed, it is necessary to review the recent studies comprehensively. This paper reviews the most recently published papers for nanoparticles in oil in general, emphasizing EOR, where most of these publications are between the years 2018 and 2022. It covers a thorough comparison of using nanoparticles in different EOR techniques and the expected range of oil recovery improvements. Moreover, this paper highlights the gaps existing in the field-scale implementation of NPs in EOR and opens space for research and development. The findings of this review paper suggest that the selection of the best NPs type for an EOR application is critical to the reservoir rock properties and conditions, reservoir fluids type, EOR mechanism, chemicals type (surfactant/polymer/alkaline), chemicals concentration used in the flooding process, and NPs properties and concentration. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) Methods)

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33 pages, 1916 KiB

Open AccessReview

Fundamentals and Recent Progress in the Flow of Water-Soluble Polymers in Porous Media for Enhanced Oil Recovery

by Mohsen Mirzaie Yegane, Pouyan E. Boukany and Pacelli Zitha

Energies 2022, 15(22), 8575; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en15228575 - 16 Nov 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2243

Abstract

Due to increased energy demand, it is vital to enhance the recovery from existing oilfields. Polymer flooding is the most frequently used chemical enhanced oil recovery (cEOR) method in field applications that increases the oil sweep and displacement efficiencies. In recent years, there has been growing interest to assess the use of polymer flooding in an increasing number of field applications. This is due to the improved properties of polymers at high-salinity and high-temperature conditions and an increased understanding of the transport mechanisms of water-soluble polymers in porous media. In this review, we present an overview of the latest research into the application of polymers for cEOR, including mechanisms of oil recovery improvement and transport mechanisms in porous media. We focus on the recent advances that have been made to develop polymers that are suitable for high-salinity and high-temperature conditions and shed light on new insights into the flow of water-soluble polymers in porous media. We observed that the viscoelastic behavior of polymers in porous media (e.g., shear thickening and elastic turbulence) is the most recently debated polymer flow mechanism in cEOR applications. Moreover, advanced water-soluble polymers, including hydrophobically modified polymers and salt- and temperature-tolerant modified polyacrylamides, have shown promising results at high-salinity and high-temperature conditions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) Methods)

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38 pages, 7617 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperEditor’s ChoiceReview

Literature Review of Hybrid CO₂ Low Salinity Water-Alternating-Gas Injection and Investigation on Hysteresis Effect

by Shijia Ma and Lesley A. James

Energies 2022, 15(21), 7891; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en15217891 - 24 Oct 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1684

Abstract

Low salinity water injection (LSWI) is considered to be more cost-effective and has less environmental impacts over conventional chemical Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) methods. CO₂ Water-Alternating-Gas (WAG) injection is also a leading EOR flooding process. The hybrid EOR method, CO₂ low salinity (LS) WAG injection, which incorporates low salinity water into CO₂ WAG injection, is potentially beneficial in terms of optimizing oil recovery and decreasing operational costs. Experimental and simulation studies reveal that CO₂ LSWAG injection is influenced by CO₂ solubility in brine, brine salinity and composition, rock composition, WAG parameters, and wettability. However, the mechanism for increased recovery using this hybrid method is still debatable and the conditions under which CO₂ LSWAG injection is effective are still uncertain. Hence, a comprehensive review of the existing literature investigating LSWI and CO₂ WAG injection, and laboratory and simulation studies of CO₂ LSWAG injection is essential to understand current research progress, highlight knowledge gaps and identify future research directions. With the identified research gap, a core-scale simulation study on hysteresis effect in CO₂ LSWAG injection is carried out. The results indicate different changing trend in oil recovery due to the impact of salinity on hysteresis and excluding of hysteresis effect in CO₂ LSWAG injection simulation and optimization might lead to significant errors. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) Methods)

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