Numerical Simulation of Foamy Oil Stability Using Natural Gas Huff and Puff for Ultra-Deep Heavy Oil Reservoir

Abstract:

The nature of injected gas dispersion in oil distinguishes foamy oil behavior from conventional heavy oil behavior. Unlike normal two-phase flow, it involves flow of dispersed gas bubbles with pseudo single phase. This paper presents the results of a numerical simulation study of the stability of foamy oil created by liberation of dissolved gas during natural gas huff and puff process. Through the history matching of labs test conducted by three series of various core tubes in numerical simulation, foamy oil impactions on recovery were discussed based on vertical heterogeneous model. The effects on the stability of foamy oil flow behavior were investigated by mobility ratio, viscous to gravity ratio, layer permeability contrast, vertical to horizontal permeability ratio and the transverse dispersion number in the paper. The results show that foamy oil stability increases with higher oil viscosity, higher injection gas density. The oil recovery decrease with the mobility ratio and the layer permeability contrast, while the oil recovery increase with the vertical to horizontal permeability ratio. This work demonstrates that the transverse dispersion number should be used to assess vertical or microscopic sweep efficiency. The study indicates that foamy oil in porous media during production is unstable, but it will be huge potentials to apply natural gas huff and puff for ultra-deep heavy oil reservoirs.

• Periodical: Applied Mechanics and Materials (Volume 318)
• Pages: 405-409
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMM.318.405
• Online since: May 2013
• Authors: Ju Hua Li, Rong Bao, Bin Qin, Tao Jiang
• Keywords: Foamy Oil, Heavy Oil, Natural Gas Huff, Natural Gas Puff, Numerical Simulation, Stability

References

[1] Brij B.Maini, Foamy-oil Flow [J] SPE 68885, (2001)

[2] Mirabal M.D. Rodriguez S.A .H.,Gordillo R, Production Improvement Strategy for Foamy Crude Oil: a Field Case [J].SPE37544, (1997)

DOI: 10.2118/37544-ms

[3] Maini B.B., Sarma H.K., George A E. , Significance of Foamy-oil Behavior in Primary Production of Heavy Oil[J], JCPT,1993,50(3) :53-56

DOI: 10.2118/93-09-07

[4] Bernard Tremblay, George Sedgwick, Ken Forshner, Imaging of Sand Product ion in a Horizontal Pack by X - Ray Computed Tomography[J], SPE 30248, (1996)

DOI: 10.2118/30248-pa

[5] Bernard Tremblay, George Sedgwick, Ken Forshner, Simulation of Cold Production in Heavy Oil Reservoirs: Wormhole Dynamics[J], SPE 35387, (1997)

DOI: 10.2118/35387-pa

[6] Ahsene Bouhroum, Xinghui Liu and Faruk Civan, Predictive Model and Verification for Sand Particulates Migration in Gravel Packs [J]. SPE 28534, (1994)

DOI: 10.2118/28534-ms

[7] Kamp A.M., Experimental Investigation of Foamy Oil Solution Gas Drive [J]. SPE 69725, (2001)

[8] Bayon Y.M., ordelier Ph.R, Coates R.M., et al, Application and Comparison of Two Models of Foamy Oil Behavior of Long Core Depletion Experiments[J]. SPE 78961, (2002)

DOI: 10.2118/78961-ms

[9] Brij B.Maini., Effect of Depletion Rate on Performance of Solution Gas Drive in Heavy Oil System [J], SPE 81114, (2003)

DOI: 10.2118/81114-ms

[10] Brennen C.E., Cavitation and Bubble Dynamics[J], Oxford: Oxford University Press,1995: 20, 48-53

[11] Szekel Y.J., Fang S.D., Non Equilibrium Effects in the Growth of Spherical Gas Bubbles Due to Solute Diffusion-II [J]. Chem. Eng. Sci,1973, 28(12) : 2127-2140

DOI: 10.1016/0009-2509(73)85003-1

[12] Lake, L. W., Hirasaki, G. J., Taylor's Dispersion in Stratified Porous Media [J]. SPE 8436, (1981)

[13] Crane, F. E., Kendall, H. A., Gardner, G. H., Some Experiments on the Flow of Miscible Fluids of Unequal Density Through Porous Media [J]. SPE 535, (1963)

DOI: 10.2118/535-pa