Study of Profile Reversion in Early Stage Polymer Injection for Heavy Oil Recovery in China Bohai Bay

Volume 4, Issue 2, April 2019     |     PP. 19-43      |     PDF (2338 K)    |     Pub. Date: August 5, 2019
DOI:    241 Downloads     7030 Views  

Author(s)

Minggui Chen, College of Petroleum Engineering, Yangtze University, Wuhan,430100, China
Ailing Zheng, College of Petroleum Engineering, Yangtze University, Wuhan,430100, China
Dehua Liu, College of Petroleum Engineering, Yangtze University, Wuhan,430100, China
Guang Yang, State Key Laboratory of Offshore Oil Exploration , CNOOC,Beijing,100027,China
Xiaodong Kang, State Key Laboratory of Offshore Oil Exploration , CNOOC,Beijing,100027,China
Yongan Gu, Petroleum Technology Research Centre (PTRC), Petroleum Systems Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Regina, Regina, Saskatchewan S4S 0A2, Canada

Abstract
Polymer flooding of heavy oil proves successful in China offshore heterogeneous reservoir, how to improve polymer flooding efficiency is a critical challenge in economically field application of heavy oil polymer flooding. Field results show that single slug polymer injection can lead to profile reversion, excessive polymer flow most to high permeability reservoir, results in poor recovery efficiency in the low permeability reservoir. Parallel core physical simulation was used to study effect of permeability ratio、polymer concentration、water cut of polymer injection on profile reversion in heavy oil polymer flooding.“Profile reversion” in Bohai Bay heavy oil reservoir have much difference than Daqing light oil reservoir. First, effect of permeability ratio/injection timing/polymer concentration on “profile reversion” was studied by laboratory core flooding tests and simulation. It was found that injection of polymers at low water cut(<80%)、small permeability ratio(<3) and suitable polymer concentration(balance of polymer injectivity and profile modification) have vital importance on heavy oil recovery efficiency; different alternative injection methods and cycles was compared, results show that alternative injection of weak gel and polymer solution have less than 6.6% original oil in place(OOIP)recovery efficiency than single slug polymer injection, which means weak gel injection have detrimental effect on reservoir permeability; while alternative injection of 2250mg/L and 1750mg/L polymer in two cycle has more than 4.3%OOIP recovery efficiency than single slug polymer injection at the same dosage, increase alternative injection cycles have detrimental effect on recovery efficiency due to small slug size for mobility control. Another important finding show that “profile reversion ” mechanism can be successfully simulated using CMG stars reservoir simulation software by assuming different polymer retention, inaccessible pore volume and residual resistant factor for different permeability layers. Finally, a single well block reservoir simulation show that alternative injection of polymer slug can decrease negative effect of profile reversion and improve heavy oil recovery.

Keywords
polymer flooding of heavy oil ,profile reversion,alternative injection

Cite this paper
Minggui Chen, Ailing Zheng, Dehua Liu, Guang Yang, Xiaodong Kang, Yongan Gu, Study of Profile Reversion in Early Stage Polymer Injection for Heavy Oil Recovery in China Bohai Bay , SCIREA Journal of Energy. Volume 4, Issue 2, April 2019 | PP. 19-43.

References

[ 1 ] Eric Delamaide. Polymer Flooding of Heavy Oil - From Screening to Full-Field Extension.Presented at SPE Heavy and Extra Heavy Oil Conference: Latin America, Medellín,Colombia ,September 24-26, 2014 .SPE Paper No. 171105.
[ 2 ] Moe Soe Let, K., Manichand, R., and Seright, R. Polymer Flooding a ~500-cp Oil. Presented at SPE Improved Oil Recovery Symposium, Tulsa, Oklahoma,2012;Paper SPE No. 154567
[ 3 ] Seright, R. Potential for Polymer Flooding Viscous Oils. SPE Reservoir Evaluation and Engineering 2010. 13(4): 730-740. Paper SPE No.129899.
[ 4 ] Seright, R. and Jikich, S. Polymer Floods Move into Viscous Oil. American Oil and Gas Reporter 2011.54(2): 115-123.
[ 5 ] Delamaide, E.; Zaitoun, A.; Renard, G.; Tabary, R. Pelican Lake Field: First Successful Application of Polymer Flooding in a Heavy Oil Reservoir. Proceedings of the SPE Enhanced Oil Recovery Conference; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, July 2−4, 2013;
[ 6 ] Wassmuth, F.; Arnold, W.; Green, K.; Cameron, N. Polymer Flood Application to Improve Heavy Oil Recovery at East Bodo. J.Can. Pet. Technol. 2009, 48 (2), 55−61.
[ 7 ] Kang X.D., Zhang J.，Zhang F.J., Feng G.Z., Yang J.R., Zhang X.S., Xiang W.T.A review of polymer EOR on offshore heavy oil field in Bohai Bay,China, Presented at SPE Enhanced Oil Recovery Conference, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 19-21 July, 2011; SPE Paper No. 144932.
[ 8 ] Wang D.M., Han D.K., Hou W.H., Cao R.B., Wu L.J. Type and changing lows of profile reversal during polymer flooding. Petroleum Geology & Oilfield Development in Daqing.2007,26(4):96-99.
[ 9 ] Hou W.H. Water injection profile variation of oil layers under polymer flooding. Petroleum exploration and Development.2007,34(4):478-482.
[ 10 ] Cao, R., Han, P. and Hou, W. Section Inversion Rules and Inversion Mechanism of Polymer Flooding. Acta Petrolei Sinica 2009. 30 (2): 267–270.
[ 11 ] Cao R.B., Laboratory research inversion mechanism of polymer flooding. Petroleum Geology and Recovery and Efficiency.2009,16(4):71-73.
[ 12 ] Cao R.B.,Han P.H.,Sun G. Oil displacement efficiency evaluation of variable polymer slug alternative injection. Oil Drilling & Production technology,2011,33(6):88-91.
[ 13 ] Cao R.B. Reservoir Pressure Disturbance and Fluid Crossflow Regularity of Alternating Injection in Polymer Flooding. Special Oil and Gas Resevoirs,2015,22(5):113-116.
[ 14 ] Cao R.B., Wang X.L., Han P.H., Multi-slug alternative injection method and field application of polymer flooding. Petroleum Geology and Recovery and Efficiency.2012,19(3):71-73.
[ 15 ] Wu W.X.,Zou J.R.,Tang J.B.,Mu L.M.,Zhang T.The Research of Parameter Optimization in Polymer Slug Alternative Injection. Science Technology and Engineering,2013,13(6):7807-7811.
[ 16 ] Taylor K.C.,Nasr-EI-Din H.A.,Hydrophobically Associating Polymers for Oil Field Applications. Presented at Canadian International Petroleum Conference, Calgary, Alberta,12-14 June,2007; PETSOC-2007-016.
[ 17 ] Wassmuth F.R., Green k., Bai J. Associative Polymers Outperform Regular Polymers Displacing Heavy Oil in Heterogeneous Systems. Presented at SPE Heavy Oil Conference Calgary, Alberta, Canada, 12-14 June 2012; SPE Paper No. 157916.
[ 18 ] Haishan Luo, Zhitao Li, Mohsen Tagavifar , Hamid Reza Lashgari , Bochao Zhao,Mojdeh Delshad, Gary A. Pope , Kishore K. Mohanty. Modeling Polymer Flooding with Crossflow in Layered Reservoirs Considering Viscous Fingering. SPE Canada Heavy Oil Technical Conference, Calgary, Alberta, Canada,15-16 February, 2017,SPE Paper No. 185017.
[ 19 ] Saul Vela, D.W. Peaceman,E.I. Sandvik . Evaluation of Polymer Flooding in a Layered Reservoir With Crossflow, Retention, and Degradation. SPEJ, Soc. Pet. Eng. J. 1976, 16(2), 82−96.
[ 20 ] R.S. Seright.Placement of Gels To Modify Injection Profiles. SPE Enhanced Oil Recovery Symposium, 16-21 April, Tulsa, Oklahoma,1988. SPE Paper No.17332.
[ 21 ] Liang, Jenn-Tai, Lee, R.L., Seright, R.S. Gel Placement in Production Wells, SPE Production & Facilities, 1993, 8(04), 276−284.
[ 22 ] Xie K.,Lu X.G., Li Q., Jiang W.D., Yu Q. Analysis of Reservoir Applicability of Hydrophobically Associating Polymer. SPEJ, Soc. Pet. Eng. J. 2016, 21(1), 730−738.
[ 23 ] Z. Krilov , M. Tomic , I. Mesic , D. Domitrovic, R.R. Myers.Water Shutoff in Extremely Hostile Environment: An Experimental Approach in Geologically Complex, Gas Condensate Reservoirs Using Cross-linked Gels . SPE/DOE Improved Oil Recovery Symposium, Tulsa, Oklahoma. 19-22 April, 1998 .SPE Paper No. 39676.
[ 24 ] Paola Albonico,Martin Bartosek, Alberto Malandrino ,Steven Bryant ,T.P. Lockhart.Studies on Phenol-Formaldehyde Crosslinked Polymer Gels in Bulk and in Porous Media, Society of Petroleum Engineers.SPE International Symposium on Oilfield Chemistry, 14-17 February, San Antonio, Texas.1995. SPE Paper No. 28983.
[ 25 ] Robert D. Sydansk.A Newly Developed Chromium(III) Gel Technology. SPE Reservoir Engineering,1990, 5 (3):346-352.
[ 26 ] Seright, R., Zhang, G., Akanni, O., and Wang, D. 2012. A Comparison of Polymer Flooding with In-Depth Profile Modification. J. Can. Pet. Tech. 51(5): 393-402. Paper SPE 46087.