Optimum effective viscosity of polymer solution for improving heavy oil recovery

Severe viscous fingering during waterflooding of heavy oil leaves a large amount of oil untouched in the reservoir. Improving sweep efficiency is vital for increasing heavy oil recovery. Polymer flooding, a widely recognized mobility control enhanced oil recovery (EOR) technology for conventional oil, is generally not recommended for oils with viscosities higher than 200 mPa s according to the traditional EOR screening criteria. However, polymer flooding of heavy oil reservoirs is becoming increasingly feasible with the wide use of horizontal wells and because of relatively high oil price.This study investigated the relationship between the tertiary oil recovery by polymer flooding and the effective viscosity of polymer solution. Twenty-eight sandpack flood tests were conducted using oils with viscosities ranging from 430 mPa s to 5500 mPa s. Results showed that there existed a minimum value and an optimum value of effective viscosity for the injected polymer solution. Rapid increase in oil recovery was observed when the effective viscosity of the polymer solution was increased between these two values. Outside of this range, the increase in the effective viscosity of polymer solution resulted in only small incremental oil recovery. It was also found that both the minimum and optimum effective viscosities of polymer solution increased with increasing oil viscosity.     

热-化学技术提高稠油采收率研究进展

在稠油开采过程中,热力采油法一直是提高稠油采收率的主要方式。针对稠油油藏水驱采收率低及部分油层(如部分薄层、深层、热敏层等)不适宜于热采的特点,在稀油化学驱技术的基础上发展了稠油化学驱技术。近年来研究发现,将稠油热采和稠油化学驱技术相结合使用,可大大提高稠油采收率。在调研大量相关文献的基础上,综述了稠油化学驱以及稠油热(蒸汽)-化学复合采油技术的研究进展,分析了其提高稠油采收率的作用机理和存在的问题,认为热-化学水平井复合采油技术是今后稠油开采的一项重要技术。     

非均质油藏化学驱波及效率和驱替效率的作用

利用我国自行研制的ASP数值模拟软件及正韵律二维剖面地质模型,分别模拟了水驱、聚合物驱、三元复合驱的驱油过程,分层计算了采收率、剩余油饱和度、波及效率和驱替效率,进行了指标对比.研究结果表明,对于非均质性严重的油藏,不同层段的波及效率和驱替效率所起的作用不同.在高渗透层段,以提高驱替效率为主;在低渗透层段,以提高波及效率为主;在中等渗透层段,提高波及效率和提高驱替效率作用相当.由于水驱后,剩余油大部分集中在上部,低渗透层段是提高采收率的主要潜力层段,提高上部低渗透层段的波及效率对于提高总体采收率具有重要的作用.对于非均质性严重的油藏,先调剖再注三元复合体系段塞,这是提高化学驱油效果的重要途径.     

稠油碱驱机理的物理模拟和数值模拟

通过物理模拟实验和数值模拟方法研究了碱驱提高稠油采收率的驱替机理。首先通过实验测定了碱和稠油的界面张力,然后通过填砂管驱油实验评价了驱油效果,最后对室内物理模拟实验结果进行了数值模拟和历史拟合。研究结果表明,稠油碱驱过程中随着碱浓度的升高,原油采收率和压力降都随之升高。压力降的升高主要由于生成了油包水乳状液,增加了水流通道中水相的流动阻力,导致注入水流向未波及的区域,从而提高了稠油采收率。对稠油碱驱数值模拟时考虑了界面张力的降低、化学剂的吸附和油包水乳状液的形成。结果表明,模拟值和实验值拟合得较好。     

定量描述非均质油藏化学驱波及效率和驱替效率的作用

本文利用我国自行研制的ASP数值模拟软件,采用正韵律二维剖面地质模型,分别模拟了水驱、聚合物驱、三元复合驱的驱油过程,分层计算了采收率、剩余油饱和度、波及效率和驱替效率,进行了指标对比。通过研究表明对于非均质严重的油藏,不同层段的波及效率和驱替效率所起的作用不同。高渗层以提高驱替效率为主,低渗层以提高波及效率为主,中等渗透层提高波及效率和提高驱替效率相当。由于水驱后,剩余油大部分集中在上部,低渗透层是提高采收率主要潜力所在,提高上部低渗透层的波及效率对于提高总体采收率具有重要的作用。对于非均质严重的油藏,先调剖再注三元复合体系段塞是提高化学驱油效果的重要途径     

Effect of Nanoclay on Heavy Oil Recovery During Polymer Flooding

Polymer flooding for improving sweep efficiency has been studied extensively in laboratory and tested in fields for conventional oils. A novel nanofluid based on polyacrylamide clay has been developed and its properties have been experimentally tested as a suitable candidate in polymer flooding for oil field projects. This authors review the polymer flood fundamentals as they are applied to heavy oil recovery. In this study, they focus on roles of clay nanoparticles on polymer viscosity and improve recovery in heavy oil recovery. The theory is supported with coreflood and physical model results for several oils ranging in viscosity from 200 to 4200 mPa.sec. For some of these coreflood tests the nanopolymer flood was able to increase the oil recovery in comparison to a baseline polymer flood. These laboratory results will be helpful for the planning of nanoclay polymer flooding for heavy oil reservoirs. Also flooding test showed a 5% increase in oil recovery for nanoclay polymer solution in comparison with polymer solution after one pore volume fluid injection.     

三元复合驱波及系数和驱油效率的实验研究

为了搞清三元复合体系提高采收率的机理,通过室内三维物理模拟驱油实验研究了非均质砂岩油田三元复合驱油过程中波及系数与驱油效率的变化特征,量化三元复合驱不同类型储层驱油效率和波及系数对提高采收率的贡献程度.结果表明,在有隔层的条件下,中渗透层贡献程度达到了25.29%,其次是低渗透层,贡献率为44.31%,而高渗透层仅为30.40%;分析认为,三元复合驱的主要作用在于提高驱油效率,而且主要是提高高渗透层的驱油效率,同时能够提高中低渗透层的波及系数.初步得出驱油效率对提高采收率值的贡献率为33.27%,波及系数的贡献率为66.73%.     

近临界蒸汽驱技术在低渗透油藏中的应用

针对大庆朝阳沟低渗透油田在注水开发过程中注采能力差等问题,应用室内实验、油藏工程分析及数值模拟手段,研究了低渗透油藏蒸汽驱提高采收率机理、不同注入介质的注采能力、裂缝系统对蒸汽驱波及效果的影响,以及适合该低渗透裂缝性油藏蒸汽驱的最优井网、井距及蒸汽驱注采参数.研究表明,与稠油蒸汽驱不同,低渗透油藏蒸汽驱过程中,注入蒸汽是一种近临界状态的高温、高压、高热焓、低比容、低干度的蒸汽,注入蒸汽显著降低了原油黏度、改变了岩石的润湿性、提高了原油蒸馏率、降低了启动压力梯度,大幅度提高了开发效果.目前该油田已开展了3个井组的注蒸汽矿场试验,开发效果显著.     

聚合物驱提高采收率实验研究

长期注水开发加剧了油藏非均质性,形成优势流场,随着油田聚合物驱的扩大,聚合物沿高渗透条带窜流导致油井提前见聚,降低了驱油效率。通过并联岩心实验模拟高含水后期油田聚合物驱油,实验结果表明,不同渗透率级差下,岩心采收率提高程度不同,随着级差的增加,聚合物驱最终采收率降低,相同级差与注入速度条件下,岩心的采收率与聚合物的浓度密切相关,后续水驱过程中低渗透岩心的采收率大幅度提高,但高渗透岩心最终采收率均高于低渗透岩心。     

强底水稠油油藏水平井三维水驱物理模拟实验

珠江口盆地海相砂岩稠油油藏底水活跃,夹层分布复杂,开发难度较大,现有的常规实验规范无法准确地描述此类油藏的波及规律。基于南海东部X稠油油藏特征,设计了水平井三维水驱物理模拟实验,抽提出原油黏度和夹层分布范围作为影响水驱开发效果的主控因素,分析了强底水稠油油藏水驱开发中的水脊形态与波及规律。结果表明：稠油油藏水脊变化过程为局部锥进—局部见水—局部上托—围绕见水点拓展;稠油油藏水驱存在明显的油水过渡带,在开发后期波及范围增大有限,可采用大排量提液措施,重点挖潜在波及区油水过渡带中的剩余油;稠油油藏水驱应关注水平井沿程非均质性;对于含夹层稠油油藏,小范围夹层底部剩余油较少,大范围夹层易发生底水绕流形成次生边水,沿井筒方向波及范围增大幅度较大,在夹层下部残存大量剩余油,表现为“屋檐油”。该成果可为强底水稠油油藏治水防水及剩余油挖潜提供方案。     

Injection of biosurfactant and chemical surfactant following hot water injection to enhance heavy oil recovery

This study investigates the potential of enhancing oil recovery from a Middle East heavy oil field via hot water injection followed by injection of a chemical surfactant and/or a biosurfactant produced by a Bacillus subtilis strain which was isolated from oil-contaminated soil. The results reveal that the biosurfactant and the chemical surfactant reduced the residual oil saturation after a hot water flood. Moreover, it was found that the performance of the biosurfactant increased by mixing it with the chemical surfactant. It is expected that the structure of the biosurfactant used in this study was changed when mixed with the chemical surfactant as a probable synergetic effect of biosurfactant-chemical surfactants was observed on enhancing oil recovery, when used as a mixture, rather than alone. This work proved that it is more feasible to inject the biosurfactant as a blend with the chemical surfactant, at the tertiary recovery stage. This might be attributed to the fact that in the secondary mode, improvement of the macroscopic sweep efficiency is important, whereas in the tertiary recovery mode, the microscopic sweep efficiency matters mainly and it is improved by the biosurfactant-chemical surfactant mixture. Also as evidenced by this study, the biosurfactant worked better than the chemical surfactant in reducing the residual heavy oil saturation after a hot water flood.     

中国石化东部老油田提高采收率技术进展及攻关方向

针对中国石化东部老油田的油藏特点和开发矛盾,介绍了水驱、化学驱、稠油热采、CO2驱等不同开发方式下提高采收率技术的主要进展和矿场应用效果.水驱调整以局部注-采关系完善为主,配套工艺采取智能分注分采技术,特低渗油藏开展了压驱注水试验;化学驱形成了无碱二元复合驱和非均相复合驱技术并已工业化推广应用,研发了耐温、耐盐、抗钙镁...     

聚合物驱波及系数和驱油效率实验研究

通过室内三维物理模拟驱油实验,研究了非均质砂岩油田聚合物驱油过程中波及系数与驱油效率的变化特征,探讨了采用聚合物驱工艺的储层类型对提高采收率的贡献程度.结果表明,在有隔层的条件下,中渗透层贡献程度达到了48.35%;其次是低渗透层,贡献率为30.86%;而高渗透层仅为20.79%.聚合物驱的主要作用在于提高中、低渗透层的波及系数.与注水工艺相比,聚合物所具有的粘弹性能提高驱油效率,但其对提高采收率的贡献是有限的.     

热力泡沫复合驱物理模拟和精细数字化模拟

根据稠油热采三维物理模拟相似准则,得到胜利孤岛油田特稠油油藏蒸汽驱及后续转热力泡沫复合驱三维物理模拟的实验参数并进行相关实验,基于实验结果,对蒸汽驱及后续热力泡沫复合驱进行三维精细数值模拟研究。结果表明,蒸汽驱后转热力泡沫复合驱可有效抑制蒸汽窜流、改善蒸汽波及状况进而提高稠油采收率。利用三维精细数值模拟技术优化设计的热力泡沫复合驱工艺参数为:最佳方式为泡沫段塞注入,最优蒸汽注入速度为25 mL/min,氮气注入速度为1000mL/min(标准状况),泡沫段塞注入时间为1.0min,段塞间隔时间10～20min;利用相似准则对优化结果进行反演计算,可得到现场最优注采参数,该条件下特稠油油藏采收率可达到42.15%,较单纯蒸汽驱最终采收率(29.64%)提高12.50%。     

基于非均质大模型的特高含水油藏提高采收率方法研究

针对特高含水开发阶段水油比急剧上升、注水量大幅增加和现有技术适应性差等问题,采用非均质物理大模型探索了进一步提高水驱后和聚合物驱后特高含水油藏采收率的方法。研究了聚合物驱-井网调整、自聚集微球-活性剂驱等不同驱替阶段含油饱和度的分布特征,分析了试验过程中注入压力、采收率的变化情况。研究发现,采用井网调整改变流线方向结合聚合物驱扩大波及系数的方法,可使水驱后处于特高含水期油藏的采收率提高26.0%;自主研发的自聚集微球能够运移至油层深部封堵优势渗流通道,迫使后续驱油剂发生液流转向,进入剩余油潜力区,从而提高聚合物驱后特高含水期油藏的驱油效率,自聚集微球-活性剂体系的残余阻力系数是聚合物的1.5~1.6倍,可使聚合物驱后特高含水油藏的采收率提高5%以上。研究结果表明,水驱后特高含水期油藏可采取井网调整结合聚合物驱的方法提高其采收率,而对于高波及系数和高采出程度的聚合物驱后油藏,可采用微球活性剂相结合的深部调堵驱油方法提高其采收率。      

Research into polymer injection timing for Bohai heavy oil reservoirs

Polymer flooding has been proven to effectively improve oil recovery in the Bohai Oil Field. However, due to high oil viscosity and significant formation heterogeneity, it is necessary to further improve the displacement effectiveness of polymer flooding in heavy oil reservoirs in the service life of offshore platforms. In this paper, the effects of the water/oil mobility ratio in heavy oil reservoirs and the dimensionless oil productivity index on polymer flooding effectiveness were studied utilizing relative permeability curves. The results showed that when the water saturation was less than the value, where the water/oil mobility ratio was equal to 1, polymer flooding could effectively control the increase of fractional water flow, which meant that the upper limit of water/oil ratio suitable for polymer flooding should be the value when the water/oil mobility ratio was equal to 1. Mean while, by injecting a certain volume of water to create water channels in the reservoir, the polymer flooding would be the most effective in improving sweep efficiency, and lower the fractional flow of water to the value corresponding to D Jmax. Considering the service life of the platform and the polymer mobility control capacity, the best polymer injection timing for heavy oil reservoirs was optimized. It has been tested for reservoirs with crude oil viscosity of 123 and 70 mPa s, the optimum polymer flooding effectiveness could be obtained when the polymer floods were initiated at the time when the fractional flow of water were 10 % and 25 %, respectively. The injection timing range for polymer flooding was also theoretically analyzed for the Bohai Oil Field utilizing relative permeability curves, which provided methods for improving polymer flooding effectiveness.     

不同化学驱油体系微观驱油机理评价方法

为了分析胜利油田应用的3种化学驱油体系的微观驱油机理,并对其非均质油藏的适用性进行评价,利用微观刻蚀模型润湿性7级控制方法和波驱贡献比分析方法,结合现场情况,借助微观模拟驱油试验,开展了不同润湿性条件、非均质性条件和不同驱替阶段的化学驱油机理研究,建立了利用波驱贡献比评价化学驱油体系微观驱油机理的方法。试验表明:聚合物和二元复合体系在非均质级差1:9模型试验中水驱后采收率提高不足10%,平均波驱贡献比小于1.5,扩大波及的能力弱,主要驱油机理无法发挥;在各组非均质渗透率级差模型试验中,新型非均相复合体系的平均波驱贡献比大于3,说明其在非均质条件下扩大波及的能力强,主要是凝胶颗粒间歇式封堵和转向式扩大波及共同作用的结果。微观运移特征和驱替方式研究及现场试验表明,聚合物驱后的非均质油藏实施非均相复合驱,可以大幅度提高驱油效率和波及系数。      

辽河油田稠油油藏氮气泡沫驱适应性研究

目前辽河油 田大多数普通稠油油藏都已经历了蒸汽吞吐开采个别原油粘度较低的稠油油藏.在经历了短暂的常规干抽后转入了水驱开发。由 于大多数稠油油藏非均质性较强,经过吞吐开采。其剖面及平面动用矛盾十分突出,加之压力大幅度下降、原油脱气粘度升高.使开发效果明显变差。在这种条件下,开展了氮气泡沫驱提高采收率的机理研究,研究结果认为.采用氮气泡沫驱可以改善上述油藏的开发效果。应用数 值模拟及物理模拟方法首次较为系统地对氮气泡沫驱的适应性进行了研究总结出适合氮气泡沫驱开采的油藏条件.并在此基础上筛选出辽河油田6个适合实施氮气泡沫驱的稠油区块。     

Monitoring the Effect of Discontinuous Shales on the Surfactant Flooding Performance in Heavy Oil Reservoirs Using 2D Glass Micromodels

Although most heavy oil reservoirs contain discontinuous shaly structures, there is a lack of fundamental understanding how the shaly structures affect the oil recovery efficiency, especially during surfactant flooding to heavy oils. Here, an experimental study was conducted to examine the effect of discontinuous shales on performance of surfactant flooding by introducing heterogeneities to represent streaks of shale in five-spot glass micromodels. Results show that oil recovery in presence of shale streak is lower than in its absence. Based on the authors’ observations, the presence of flow barriers causes premature breakthrough of injected fluids and also an unstable displacement front. As well, displacement efficiency of surfactant flooding is dependent strongly on the shale distribution configuration. Increasing shale content causes reduction of ultimate oil recovery and also severe fingering during water flooding while it compensates during surfactant flooding considerably. In shaly patterns, in the case of surfactant flooding, the oil recovery after breakthrough increases significantly, while it changes much less for the case of water flooding as well as flooding in homogeneous model. Oil recovery efficiency and breakthrough time improved with increasing surfactant concentration. However, beyond a specific limit of sodium dodecyl sulfate concentration, around 2000 ppm, incremental oil recovery becomes insignificant. Presence of connate water in surfactant flooding scheme can improve the recovery efficiency in shaly patterns. Results of this work can be helpful to investigate the optimal location of injection/production wells during enhanced oil recovery schemes in shaly reservoirs using five-spot micromodels.     

The influence of surfactants on the flow characterization of heavy oil

Flow characteristic of oil-in-water emulsion for heavy oil in porous media was studied. A surfactant was screened out and subsequently utilized as the emulsifier in sandpack flooding experiments with different oil-water ratio and permeability. The dual sandpack flooding experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of emulsion in porous media and the ability to enhance oil recovery. Results indicated that the selected surfactant gave a remarkable flow resistance in porous media. Higher oil-water ratio and lower permeability resulted in higher flow resistance. The surfactant increased ultimate recovery of 7.7% by diverting the fluid into low permeability sandpack.