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Collaborating Authors
Results
Improvements on Modelling Wettability Alteration by Engineered Water Injection: Geochemical Pore-Scale Approach
Bordeaux Rego, Fabio (The University of Texas at Austin) | Mehrabi, Mehran (The University of Texas at Austin) | Sanaei, Alireza (The University of Texas at Austin) | Sepehrnoori, Kamy (The University of Texas at Austin)
Abstract Several laboratory experiments demonstrated that different water compositions cause rocks to change from oil- to water-wet state. Although it is a consensus that wettability alteration is the main recovery mechanism, modeling the underlying mechanism is still a major challenge. Our main goal is to improve and validate a physically based model to predict contact angles from zeta-potential measurements. We propose a new mass-action formulation for surface complexation model (SCM) that includes the energy interaction effect between two close surfaces (PS). Currently, most SCMs consider rock and oil as isolated surfaces (IS). Thus, we hypothesize that, as rock and oil surface approach each other, PS model produce a better description of electrostatic distribution. Additionally, we develop a method of determining SCM equilibrium constants to fit several zeta-potential measurements for different ion concentrations (Na, Ca, Mg, SO4 and H). Finally, we estimate contact angles using disjoining pressure calculations and compare them with ones reported in the literature. From a SCM set of reactions available in the literature, we validate the developed IS model against PHREEQC (a reference simulator for geochemical reactions). For the PS case, the system of equationsโ solution is very close to IS approach when the interaction between surfaces are negligible (wide spacing between surfaces). Regarding zeta-potential prediction for calcite-brine system, we argue that Na might not be an indifferent ion as suggested previously. Our simulation results indicate that, besides the renowned potential-determining ions, sodium adsorption on calcite can play an important role in electrostatic interactions, switching surface charge polarity. Thus, we only achieve a successful fit of zeta-potential measurements when Na is considered in the SCM reactions. Finally, contact angle estimation using the PS model and disjoining pressure theory provide good predictions of seven different cases reported in the literature. We validate our method on a total of 66 and 163 contact angle and zeta-potential measurements, respectively. The present work is a novel approach to represent how electrostatic interactions among rock, brine and oil modify the rock surface charge and the rock wetting state.
- Geology > Geological Subdiscipline > Geochemistry (1.00)
- Geology > Rock Type > Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Rock (0.47)
- Geology > Mineral > Carbonate Mineral > Calcite (0.47)
- Energy > Oil & Gas > Upstream (1.00)
- Water & Waste Management > Water Management > Lifecycle > Disposal/Injection (0.40)
- North America > United States > Arkansas > Magazine Field (0.89)
- Europe > United Kingdom > England > London Basin (0.89)
Artificial Diagenesis of Carbonates: Temperature Dependent Inorganic and Organic Modifications in Reservoir Mimetic Fluids
Rao, Ashit (Physics of Complex Fluids Group and MESA+ Institute, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Twente) | Kumar, Saravana (Physics of Complex Fluids Group and MESA+ Institute, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Twente) | Annink, Carla (Physics of Complex Fluids Group and MESA+ Institute, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Twente) | Le-Anh, Duy (Physics of Complex Fluids Group and MESA+ Institute, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Twente) | B. Alotaibi, Mohammed (The Exploration and Petroleum Engineering Center - Advanced Research Center, Saudi Aramco) | C. Ayirala, Subhash (The Exploration and Petroleum Engineering Center - Advanced Research Center, Saudi Aramco) | Siretanu, Igor (Physics of Complex Fluids Group and MESA+ Institute, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Twente) | Duits, Michel (Physics of Complex Fluids Group and MESA+ Institute, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Twente) | Mugele, Frieder (Physics of Complex Fluids Group and MESA+ Institute, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Twente) | A. Yousef, Ali (The Exploration and Petroleum Engineering Center - Advanced Research Center, Saudi Aramco)
Abstract Within reservoirs, spatial variations related to mineralogy and fluid chemistry determine the success of improved oil recovery (IOR) techniques. However, the composition and structure of mineral-adsorbent-fluid interfaces, which fundamentally determine the initial and IOR-altered wettability of reservoir rocks as well as the displacement of crude oil (CRO), are unclear. Replicating the diagenetic alterations of carbonates, this study addresses the temperature dependence of the inorganic and organic modifications of calcite by reservoir pertinent fluids as well as its consequences on mineral wettability and reactivity. We utilize a suite of characterization methods, such as confocal Raman, scanning electron and atomic force microscopy as well as Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, to investigate the modifications of carbonates on aging in formation water (FW), CRO-equilibrated FW and FW-equilibrated CRO. The microscopic modifications of carbonates present positive correlations with aging temperature and also are varied, encompassing topographical alterations, cation substitution of lattice Ca ions by Mg ions and the deposition of particles enriched with polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) as organic adlayers. Aging in the formation waters produce substantial reconstruction of calcite surfaces, with the formation of Mg-calcite layers at elevated temperatures. Subsequent aging in brine-equilibrated CRO produces an organic coating on calcite surfaces, which is composed of PAH-enriched particles. The organic adlayers, deposited at high temperature, produce a transition in the macroscopic contact angles towards a more โoil wetโ tendency. In addition, the organic adlayer presents limited permeability and serves as a diffusion barrier to the reactivity of the bound mineral, as evident from substantially reduced rates of calcite dissolution. The multilayer deposition of organic particles is attributed to an interplay between bulk and surface reactions for interfacially active constituents of CRO. With the enrichment of PAHs even observed for mineral grains within reservoir rocks, the permeability and stability of organic adlayers emerge as key factors determining the wettability of carbonates as well as the diffusion behavior of ionic and molecular species at mineral-fluid interfaces. Results of this study are relevant to multiple aspects of reservoir development and maintenance, encompassing laboratory scale wettability and core flooding experiments, in silico models as well as the advancement of IOR strategies. The observed nano- and microscopic surface alterations of carbonates within reservoir mimetic environments facilitate our understanding of the physicochemical relations between mineralogy and fluid chemistry as well as elucidate the organization of mineral-adsorbent-fluid interfaces within reservoirs.
- Asia > Middle East > Saudi Arabia (0.68)
- North America > United States (0.67)
- Geology > Rock Type > Sedimentary Rock (1.00)
- Geology > Mineral > Carbonate Mineral > Calcite (1.00)
- Geology > Geological Subdiscipline > Geochemistry (1.00)
- Materials > Chemicals > Commodity Chemicals > Petrochemicals (1.00)
- Energy > Oil & Gas > Upstream (1.00)
- Asia > Middle East > Saudi Arabia > Eastern Province > Al-Ahsa Governorate > Arabian Basin > Widyan Basin > Ghawar Field > Lower Fadhili Formation (0.99)
- Asia > Middle East > Saudi Arabia > Eastern Province > Al-Ahsa Governorate > Arabian Basin > Widyan Basin > Ghawar Field > Khuff D Formation (0.99)
- Asia > Middle East > Saudi Arabia > Eastern Province > Al-Ahsa Governorate > Arabian Basin > Widyan Basin > Ghawar Field > Khuff C Formation (0.99)
- (5 more...)
- Reservoir Description and Dynamics > Reservoir Characterization > Exploration, development, structural geology (1.00)
- Reservoir Description and Dynamics > Formation Evaluation & Management (1.00)
- Reservoir Description and Dynamics > Fluid Characterization > Geochemical characterization (1.00)
- (4 more...)
Abstract Although geochemical reactions are the fundamental basis of the alkaline/surfactant/polymer (ASP) flooding, their importance is commonly overlooked and not fully assessed. Common assumptions made when modeling geochemical reactions in ASP floods include: 1) ideal solution (i.e., using molalities rather than ion activities) for the water and aqueous geochemical species 2) limiting the number of reactions (i.e., oil/alkali and alkali consumptions) rather than including the entire thermodynamically-equilibrated system 3) ignoring the effect of temperature and pressure on reactions 4) local equilibrium ignoring the kinetics. To the best of our knowledge, the significance of these assumptions has never been discussed in the literature. In this paper we investigate the importance of geochemical reactions during alkaline/surfactant/polymer floods using a comprehensive tool in the sense of surfactant/soap phase behavior as well as geochemistry. We coupled the United States Geological Survey (USGS) state-of-the-art geochemical tool, with 3D flow and transport chemical flooding module of UTCHEM. This geochemical module includes several thermodynamic databases with various geochemical reactions, such as ion speciation by applying several ion-association aqueous models, mineral, solid-solution, surface-complexation, and ion-exchange reaction. It has capabilities of saturation index calculation, reversible and irreversible reactions, kinetic reaction, mixing solutions, inverse modeling and includes impacts of temperature and pressure on reaction constants and solubility products. The chemical flood simulator has a three phase (water, oil, microemulsion) phase behavior package for the mixture of surfactant/soap, oil, and water as a function of surfactant/soap, salinity, temperature, and co-solvent concentration. Hence, the coupled software package provides a comprehensive tool to assess the significance of geochemical assumptions typically imposed in modeling ASP floods. Moreover, this integrated tool enables modeling of variations in mineralogy present in reservoir rocks. We parallelized the geochemistry module of this coupled simulator for large-scale reservoir simulations. Our simulation results show that the assumption of ideal solution overestimates ASP oil recovery. Assuming only a subset of reactions for a coupled system is not recommended, particularly when a large number of geochemical species is involved, as is the case in realistic applications of ASP. Reservoir pressure has a negligible effect but temperature has a significant impact on geochemical calculations. Although mineral reaction kinetics is largely a function of the temperature and in-situ water composition, some general conclusions can be drawn as follows: to a good approximation, minerals with slow rate kinetic reaction (e.g., quartz) can be excluded when modeling ASP laboratory floods. However, minerals with fast rate kinetic reactions (e.g., calcite) must be included when modeling lab results. On the other hand, in modeling field-scale applications, local equilibrium assumption (LEA) can be applied for fast rate kinetic minerals, whereas kinetics should be used for slow rate kinetic minerals.
- North America > United States > Texas (0.30)
- Asia > China > Heilongjiang Province (0.28)
- Research Report > New Finding (0.48)
- Research Report > Experimental Study (0.34)
- Geology > Geological Subdiscipline > Geochemistry (1.00)
- Geology > Mineral > Silicate > Tectosilicate (0.36)
- Geology > Mineral > Carbonate Mineral > Calcite (0.30)
- Energy > Oil & Gas > Upstream (1.00)
- Government > Regional Government > North America Government > United States Government (0.70)
- Asia > China > Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region > Junggar Basin > Karamay Field (0.99)
- Asia > China > Shandong > Bohai Basin > North China Basin > Gudong Field (0.99)
- Asia > China > Shandong > Bohai Basin > Jiyang Basin > Gudong Field (0.99)
- (2 more...)
- Information Technology > Software (0.66)
- Information Technology > Modeling & Simulation (0.55)