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Collaborating Authors
Results
Nanoemulsion Flooding: The Journey to Field Begins
Braccalenti, E. (eni Upstream & Technical Services) | Del Gaudio, L. (eni Upstream & Technical Services) | Belloni, A. (eni Upstream & Technical Services) | Albonico, P. (eni Upstream & Technical Services) | Radaelli, E. (eni Upstream & Technical Services) | Bartosek, M. (eni Upstream & Technical Services) | Masserano, F. (eni Upstream & Technical Services)
Abstract The continuous and growing request of energy worldwide, together with the depletion of the oil and gas resources, lead to an increasing interest to develop and apply EOR techniques in order to improve the production of already exploited reservoirs. In this scenario, current chemical EOR technologies are not yet widely applied, mainly for the high costs associated and high volumes required. "New" technologies and renovated chemical approaches must be implemented in order to make the chemical EOR processes extensively used. Among them, Nanotechnology seems to have an extraordinary potential to change production processes. Taking into account encouraging results recently achieved at laboratory scale using Nanoemulsions and aspiring to the field, the aim of this study was dual: on one hand render nanoemulsions cost effective and attractive for field applications, on the other hand, have a deeper understanding and knowledge of nanoemulsions mechanism of action and effect of on porous media. The two goals have been pursued with an intense formulative work based on a particular "low energy" proprietary method and using both bulk fluid characterizations and core floodings. Particular attention has been reserved to effluents observation and characterization in order to reveal criticalities associated to the application of this technology. A possible key role of the coexistence, in nanoemulsions, of small droplets size, surfactants mixture and solvent has been highlighted. In fact, these factors can favourably impact, in a synergic way, some critical parameters associated to oil recovery such as oil/water interfacial tension, wettability and oil viscosity. Surfactant adsorption/retention as well as rock/nanoemulsion interactions have been also evaluated. The future applicability of nanoemulsion strongly depends on its costs that can be reduced decreasing the amount of surfactants and solvent present in the formulation. This surely has an impact on nanoemulsion intrinsic structure (i.e. average droplet size, surface area) but not necessarily on the efficiency of mobilization of residual oil in porous media. Furthermore, alternative injection approaches can induce additional savings. The next phase foresees studies on injection strategies, the design of an up-scaled nanoemulsion production and nanoemulsion tuning on the basis of specific field parameters in order to render the technology suitable for a SWCTT.
- Energy > Oil & Gas > Upstream (1.00)
- Materials > Chemicals > Commodity Chemicals > Petrochemicals (0.79)
Laboratory Investigation on Synergy Effect of Low Salinity-Polymer Water Injection on Sandstone Porous Media
Moghadasi, L. (Eni SpA) | Pisicchio, P. (Eni SpA) | Bartosek, M. (Eni SpA) | Braccalenti, E. (Eni SpA) | Albonico, P. (Eni SpA) | Moroni, I. (Eni SpA) | Veschi, R. (Eni SpA) | Masserano, F. (Eni SpA) | Scagliotti, S. (Eni SpA) | Del Gaudio, L. (Eni SpA) | De Simoni, M. (Eni SpA)
ABSTRACT Low Salinity water and Polymer injection are as two well known Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) technologies. The concept of Low Salinity Water (LSW) flooding has been documented as a promising water-based enhanced oil recovery method. In the same way, many experimental studies have been proven the effect of Low Salinity Water injection to increase oil recovery by mobilizing the residual oil saturation. So far, the two methods have been deeply studied and tested singularly and their effectiveness in oil recovery has been demonstrated but the synergy between these two techniques is still not clear and needs more investigation. This study presents experimental investigations of the potential effect by injection of Polymer in combination with Low Salinity in the terms of oil recovery in a sandstone reservoir. In this work, we report core-flooding experiments carried out on mixed-wet sandstone core plugs to investigate the efficiency of Low Salinity, Polymer and Low Salinity Polymer (LSP) flooding. The core samples were aged with a crude reservoir oil at 76ยฐC and 90ยฐC for around four weeks before the tests. This EOR combination resulted to enhance recovery efficiency compared to apply Low Salinity or Polymer flooding separately. Consequently, in addition to incremental oil recovery as outcome of this synergy, the use of Low Salinity Polymer (LSP) flooding with respect to Polymer flooding demonstrated significant benefits in the terms of considerably lower amount of polymer required to make the solution therefore leading to cost reduction. Combined injection of Polymer and Low Salinity can be implemented to enhance oil recovery in favorable conditions. The reducing the polymer amount is proven an important factor for full field application. Therefore, the synergy effect of these EOR techniques will have valuable potential for full field development strategies. INTRODUCTION Naturally, reservoirs produce hydrocarbons to maximum of 20 % of total oil/gas in place. This means that further production will only be possible through an Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) strategy.
- Asia > Middle East (0.93)
- North America > United States (0.68)
- Energy > Oil & Gas > Upstream (1.00)
- Water & Waste Management > Water Management > Lifecycle > Disposal/Injection (0.87)
- Asia > Middle East > Kuwait > Ahmadi Governorate > Arabian Basin > Widyan Basin > Greater Burgan Field > Wara Formation (0.99)
- Asia > Middle East > Kuwait > Ahmadi Governorate > Arabian Basin > Widyan Basin > Greater Burgan Field > Ratawi Formation (0.99)
- Asia > Middle East > Kuwait > Ahmadi Governorate > Arabian Basin > Widyan Basin > Greater Burgan Field > Mauddud Formation (0.99)
- (3 more...)
- Reservoir Description and Dynamics > Improved and Enhanced Recovery > Waterflooding (1.00)
- Reservoir Description and Dynamics > Improved and Enhanced Recovery > Chemical flooding methods (1.00)
Enhancing Oil Recovery With Nanoemulsion Flooding
Braccalenti, E. (Eni Upstream & Technical Services) | Del Gaudio, L. (Eni Upstream & Technical Services) | Belloni, A. (Eni Upstream & Technical Services) | Albonico, P. (Eni Upstream & Technical Services) | Radaelli, E. (Eni Upstream & Technical Services) | Bartosek, M. (Eni Upstream & Technical Services)
Abstract Oil-in-water nanoemulsions are a particular class of emulsions where nanometric solvent droplets are dispersed in water using proper surfactant mixtures. Nanoemulsions can be formed with different techniques including high energy or low energy methods and, if properly formulated, can show very high kinetic stability as a direct consequence of monodispersity that minimize Ostwald Ripening effect and of the small droplet size that eliminates separation processes based on density difference. Their unique characteristics and physic-chemical properties suggested their use as a "smart" displacing fluid for enhanced oil recovery (EOR). Even though the mechanism of residual oil mobilization is still not well known, the coexistence, in nanoemulsions, of small droplets size, surfactants mixture and solvent could favorably impact on critical parameters such as oil/water interfacial tension, wettability, oil viscosity. All these considerations induce to compare nanoemulsion flooding technology with the most common chemical EOR methods. This study presents examples of nanoemulsions prepared using a low energy proprietary method and a commercial surfactants mixture specifically tailored; this particular method allows to obtain very stable and, in many cases, mono-dispersed nanoemulsions using brines with different compositions (in order to mimic real field conditions) and a wide range of solvents with different features. These emulsions have been characterized in terms of physicochemical properties and size distribution of the dispersed oil droplets in water phase. Together with the basic characterization, core-flooding experiments have been carried out in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the nanoemulsions as displacing fluid for enhanced oil recovery and to investigate the mechanisms of mobilization of the residual oil in comparison with the classical chemical EOR methods.
- Energy > Oil & Gas > Upstream (1.00)
- Materials > Chemicals > Commodity Chemicals > Petrochemicals (0.80)
- Reservoir Description and Dynamics > Improved and Enhanced Recovery > Chemical flooding methods (1.00)
- Reservoir Description and Dynamics > Improved and Enhanced Recovery > Waterflooding (0.95)
- Reservoir Description and Dynamics > Fluid Characterization > Phase behavior and PVT measurements (0.89)
ABSTRACT Belayim Land Field, located in the Gulf of Suez Egypt, is a giant brown oil field, characterized by medium viscous oil, currently developed by means of peripheral seawater injection. Several chemical EOR processes were investigated to increase oil production and maximize ultimate recovery. Among them, polymer flooding application was selected to improve the mobility ratio, leading to an increased oil recovery. An intensive work has been done starting from laboratory studies for proper polymer selection and characterization, tertiary core-floods with polymer solution, to a sector model. Later on a pilot test was designed to evaluate the EOR potential at the reservoir-scale before a polymer flooding full field project is implemented to address uncertainties and risks. Pilot project for polymer flooding has been established in Belayim Land Field, polymer injection has been started effectively in Feb-16 with an injection rate of 1,000 BPD and a polymer concentration of 1,500 ppm, therefore, a detailed surveillance and monitoring program has been prepared and implemented. This program was guided by way forward road maps that target injection, flooding performance, and production assessment. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the work done from the design phase till pilot project implementation and start up, to present the lessons learned and best practices for operation's continual improvement of such processes and to highlight also that quality-control is an essential element for the successful implementation of a polymer-water-flooding project. The monitoring program should include, but not limited, the routine verification of polymer concentration, routine determination of the viscosity, and periodical check of the thermal and chemical stability of the polymer. INTRODUCTION Typically, about 70% of most proven oil reserves in the world remain untapped after primary drive mechanisms. Even after applying extensive waterflooding (secondary recovery) project, there remains a significant amount of the oil resource unrecovered as a result of reservoir heterogeneity and complex geology.
- North America > United States > Texas (1.00)
- Africa > Middle East > Egypt > Gulf of Suez (0.90)
- Africa > Middle East > Egypt > Suez Governorate > Suez (0.24)
- South America > Argentina > Patagonia > Golfo San Jorge Basin (0.99)
- Europe > United Kingdom > Atlantic Margin > West of Shetland > Faroe-Shetland Basin > Rona Ridge > Block 206/9 > Clair Field (0.99)
- Europe > United Kingdom > Atlantic Margin > West of Shetland > Faroe-Shetland Basin > Rona Ridge > Block 206/8 > Clair Field (0.99)
- (25 more...)
ABSTRACT In April 2015 a Chemical Enhanced Oil Recovery (CHEOR) pilot unit located at the Belayim field (Abu Rudeis, Egypt) has been handed over to Petrobel. The Site Acceptance Test was successfully performed and it sanctioned the technology transfer from Eni headquarter to the End User. Chemical EOR technology aims at increasing water viscosity and improving sweep efficiency by using a polymer (polyacrylamide) in solution. The pilot unit has been designed to mix seawater and polymer, to properly prepare and mature the solution, and to inject it at high pressure into the well, thus enabling an increased oil recovery in mature field, where water cut tends to increase dramatically. The CHEOR project has been funded and managed by Eni and Petrobel in the frame of an R&D CHEOR Project (Chemical Enhanced Oil Recovery): major driver was an efficient and fast development of the technology, which had been already implemented in another Eni asset in Egypt. The whole project has taken 14 months to be completed, proving extremely successful in terms of schedule: such a result has been achieved through the integration into the project management team of different Eni disciplines such as EOR reservoir experts, headquarters laboratories, as well as Petrobel integrated team (Project, Reservoir and Operations). Project target was achieved thanks to Lesson Learned captured from the previous project in Egypt: team integration, early involvement of Belayim Field in the project, dedicated engineering focal point in Eni, technology single point of responsibility and early purchasing of bulk material have been the main key factors of project execution. Considering the experience matured in the previous project, basic and detailed engineering has been assigned to EniProgetti Egypt who confirm their capability of effectively supporting the engineering in all phases.
- Asia > India > Rajasthan > Rajasthan Basin > Barmer Basin > Rajasthan Block > Mangala Field > Fatehgarh Formation (0.99)
- Asia > India > Rajasthan > Rajasthan Basin > Barmer Basin > Rajasthan Block > Mangala Field > Barmer Hill Formation (0.99)
- Asia > India > Rajasthan > Rajasthan Basin > Barmer Basin > Block RJ/ON-90/1 > Mangala Field > Fatehgarh Formation (0.99)
- (3 more...)
- Reservoir Description and Dynamics > Improved and Enhanced Recovery > Conformance improvement (1.00)
- Reservoir Description and Dynamics > Improved and Enhanced Recovery > Chemical flooding methods (1.00)
- Management > Strategic Planning and Management > Project management (1.00)
ABSTRACT During the last decades, CO2 sequestration in oil reservoirs has gained increasing attention for its potential economic benefits deriving from the application of CO2-EOR techniques. Within the framework of the Kyoto Protocol, this process becomes increasingly attractive due to the possibility of coupling enhanced recovery capabilities with carbon capture and storage. This project focuses on a carbonate CO2-rich field located offshore North Africa. This field is currently produced flaring the associated gas, while future field development foresees the installation of a membrane module treatment. It will separate CO2 from hydrocarbon gas, with the possibility to export processed gas on one side and inject a stream of CO2-rich gas on the other side. This project aims at maximizing field recovery by optimizing the gas injection process. The main objective is to evaluate different gas re-injection strategies which could combine recovery enhancement and CO2 storage. A compositional reservoir model was considered to study the feasibility of injecting part of the produced gas into the reservoir, and evaluate its impact on the recoverable oil reserves and CO2 sequestration capacity of the reservoir. Simulations were based on a miscibility study involving sour gas and resident oil mixtures. Even though the expected injection stream was found to be supercritical, and therefore liquid-like, at reservoir conditions, the gas-oil density difference is significant and CO2-rich gas displacement could not achieve miscibility conditions. Numerical results indicated that injection schemes based on highly slanted wells and water alternating gas injection can overcome early gas breakthrough and a considerable amount of gas emissions, providing an improved sweep efficiency, a stable displacement and a significant degree of CO2 retention. Indeed, the incremental oil achieved in the best case is 15% with respect to the reference case without gas injection, and the CO2-rich gas retained in the reservoir is 63% of the total gas injected. INTRODUCTION The design of a CO2 injection project and, more generally, a gas injection project, has to take into account the phase behavior of the injected gas and the reservoir fluid mixture. CO2 injection in oil reservoirs is strongly influenced by the phase behavior of CO2 and reservoir oil, which in turn are strongly dependent on reservoir conditions (T, P) and oil and gas composition. Benefits of CO2 injection consist in the reduction of capillary forces that impede the oil flow in the pore spaces, oil swelling and viscosity decrease due to development of mass exchanges between the reservoir oil and injected fluid, and possibility to achieve miscibility conditions (Tzimas et al., 2005; Lake, 1989).
- North America > United States > Texas (0.68)
- North America > Canada > Alberta > Stettler County No. 6 (0.24)
- North America > Canada > Alberta > Starland County (0.24)
- (3 more...)
- Geology > Geological Subdiscipline (0.54)
- Geology > Petroleum Play Type > Unconventional Play (0.46)
- Geology > Rock Type > Sedimentary Rock (0.46)
- Energy > Oil & Gas > Upstream (1.00)
- Government > Regional Government > North America Government > United States Government (0.46)
- North America > United States > Wyoming > Bighorn Basin (0.99)
- North America > United States > Texas > Permian Basin > Yeso Formation (0.99)
- North America > United States > Texas > Permian Basin > Yates Formation (0.99)
- (41 more...)
- Reservoir Description and Dynamics > Storage Reservoir Engineering > CO2 capture and sequestration (1.00)
- Reservoir Description and Dynamics > Improved and Enhanced Recovery > Gas-injection methods (1.00)
- Reservoir Description and Dynamics > Improved and Enhanced Recovery > Chemical flooding methods (1.00)
- Health, Safety, Environment & Sustainability > Environment > Climate change (1.00)
Abstract Polymer injection is an efficient EOR technology for viscous oil fields, aimed at improving mobility ratio between oil and displacing fluid hence optimizing the macroscopic sweep efficiency. This paper presents a polymer pilot project on onshore field in North Africa characterized by strong areal horizontal heterogeneities and bearing a medium-viscous oil. Laboratory analyses were performed as first step aimed at assessing efficiency of polymer displacement: an initial screening was conducted to select the optimal polymer, focusing on viscosity-concentration and thermal stability. Then, core floodings were performed to evaluate effectiveness of polymer injection at reservoir conditions. Moreover, polymer rheology in porous media was investigated to better evaluate well injectivity during polymer flooding. Core flooding results were showing recovery factor up to 48%. Based on laboratory analyses promising results, 3D simulations were conducted. Full field model was initially tuned to reproduce core results. Then, simulation were used to optimize injection strategy and development scenario, considering also full field project extension. Model results are showing that polymer injection, compared to water flooding case, leads to improvements up to 10.4% on cumulative oil at the end of reservoir life. Field application started at the beginning of 2014. A dedicated plant to treat injection water for iron removal was installed. Indeed high concentration of iron ions, coupled with oxygen, is detrimental for polymeric solution effectiveness. Preliminary results obtained during the start-up and the current monitoring phase are showing good injectivity of polymer and a delayed breakthrough time, if compared to the results obtained during tracer campaign. The current prospective is to keep focusing on well monitoring to confirm effectiveness of polymer injection and to extend EOR application to full field.
- Asia > India > Rajasthan > Rajasthan Basin > Barmer Basin > Rajasthan Block > Mangala Field > Fatehgarh Formation (0.99)
- Asia > India > Rajasthan > Rajasthan Basin > Barmer Basin > Rajasthan Block > Mangala Field > Barmer Hill Formation (0.99)
- Asia > India > Rajasthan > Rajasthan Basin > Barmer Basin > Block RJ/ON-90/1 > Mangala Field > Fatehgarh Formation (0.99)
- Asia > India > Rajasthan > Rajasthan Basin > Barmer Basin > Block RJ/ON-90/1 > Mangala Field > Barmer Hill Formation (0.99)
- Reservoir Description and Dynamics > Improved and Enhanced Recovery > Waterflooding (1.00)
- Reservoir Description and Dynamics > Improved and Enhanced Recovery > Chemical flooding methods (1.00)
Abstract Several Chemical EOR processes were investigated to increase oil production in a mature giant on-shore field in North Africa, characterized by viscous oil and developed through sea water injection. Chemical selection was challenging due to high salinity and high hardness brine conditions. Polymer injection was finally identified for a test pilot to improve the mobility ratio during water flooding. Polymer selection and characterization in sea water was performed in lab considering all factors potentially altering polymer performance such as high reservoir temperature, high brine salinity and hardness, mechanical degradation and adsorption. Tertiary corefloods on reservoir porous media were performed, showing a significant additional oil recovery up to 8%. The experimental data were reproduced to derive input simulation parameters to describe the chemical EOR process: the benefits of polymer in comparison to a peripheral water injection and a dispersed water flood scenarios were predicted at sector scale. The pilot area was represented by a high resolution sector model, calibrated on production data and the chemical EOR forecast scenarios were built in a dispersed injection pattern. Very good results were achieved, showing additional oil recovery in the range 4-6% with polymer injection in the monitoring area. Based on the encouraging results of lab analyses and simulation, the polymer injection is currently under design in a cost-effective polymer inter-well pilot.
- Africa (0.69)
- North America > United States (0.69)
- Asia (0.68)
- Asia > India > Rajasthan > Rajasthan Basin > Barmer Basin > Rajasthan Block > Mangala Field > Fatehgarh Formation (0.99)
- Asia > India > Rajasthan > Rajasthan Basin > Barmer Basin > Rajasthan Block > Mangala Field > Barmer Hill Formation (0.99)
- Asia > India > Rajasthan > Rajasthan Basin > Barmer Basin > Block RJ/ON-90/1 > Mangala Field > Fatehgarh Formation (0.99)
- (2 more...)
- Reservoir Description and Dynamics > Improved and Enhanced Recovery > Waterflooding (1.00)
- Reservoir Description and Dynamics > Improved and Enhanced Recovery > Chemical flooding methods (1.00)
Abstract Knowledge of the injectivity behaviour of polymer solutions for enhanced oil recovery (EOR) is of vital importance for the successful implementation of a polymer flood in the field. Shear thickening, which is observed for solutions of hydrolysed poly-acrylamides, can lead to exceeding tubing head pressures and to exceeding of the formation parting pressure. Shear degradation at the formation contact will cause reduced sweep efficiency in the reservoir and diminished economics. While numerous experiments were performed investigating the rheology of polymers, no experiments concerning the visco-elastic properties of Alkali Surfactant Polymer (ASP) slugs are known to the authors. The questions we are answering are (1) what is the impact of Alkali and Surfactants on the near-wellbore apparent viscosity of polymer solutions and (2) how is the viscosity of polymer solutions influenced at the conditions seen deep in the reservoir. In this study, we extended previous work to the interaction of polymer slugs with alkaline and surfactants in a wide range of concentrations in view of potential alkaline-surfactant-polymer (ASP) pilot under near-wellbore and reservoir conditions. Extensive core floods on outcrop core confirmed the general trend of shear thickening. Surfactants on the other hand also lead to an increase in in viscosity deeper in the reservoir. The results of the experiments can be used as input data for simulation of injectivity and displacement efficiency of ASP slugs.
- Europe > Austria > Vienna > Vienna Basin (0.99)
- Europe > Austria > Vienna Basin > Matzen Field (0.99)
- Europe > Austria > Lower Austria > Vienna Basin (0.99)
Abstract Xanthan is a bacterial polysaccharide that is much used in industrial applications as stabilizer and texturant. Xanthan gum is also used in flocculation in food, petroleum (in process of perforations for oil recovery), pharmaceutical, cosmetics, paint, textile and agricultural products (in suspensions, as an agent for stabilizing herbicides, pesticides, fertilizers and fungicides). For this reason the dynamic mechanical properties of xanthan in aqueous solution have been investigated extensively In this articlewe are interested inthe use ofxanthan gumin the oil sector, mainly in the oil recovery. At present, xanthan gum is one of the two commonly water-soluble polymers used for polymer flooding, and makes a more excellent performance in salt resistance than that of hydrolyzed polyacrylamide (HPAM) in EOR. The objective of this study, was first to characterize the xanthan gum and analyze the chemical composition from the data collected by the infred spectra, H NMR, X-ray diffractometry, thermal properties and obtain information of rheological behavior in order to provide basic data for the application of xanthan gum in EOR.
- Well Drilling > Drilling Fluids and Materials > Drilling fluid selection and formulation (chemistry, properties) (1.00)
- Reservoir Description and Dynamics > Improved and Enhanced Recovery > Chemical flooding methods (1.00)