Simulation Study of Asphaltene Deposition and Solubility of CO2 in the Brine during Cyclic CO2 Injection Process in Unconventional Tight Reservoirs
Authors: Rashid S. Mohammad, Shicheng Zhang, Sun Lu, Syed Jamal-Ud-Din, Xinzhe Zhao
Abstract:
A compositional reservoir simulation model (CMG-GEM) was used for cyclic CO2 injection process in unconventional tight reservoir. Cyclic CO2 injection is an enhanced oil recovery process consisting of injection, shut-in, and production. The study of cyclic CO2 injection and hydrocarbon recovery in ultra-low permeability reservoirs is mainly a function of rock, fluid, and operational parameters. CMG-GEM was used to study several design parameters of cyclic CO2 injection process to distinguish the parameters with maximum effect on the oil recovery and to comprehend the behavior of cyclic CO2 injection in tight reservoir. On the other hand, permeability reduction induced by asphaltene precipitation is one of the major issues in the oil industry due to its plugging onto the porous media which reduces the oil productivity. In addition to asphaltene deposition, solubility of CO2 in the aquifer is one of the safest and permanent trapping techniques when considering CO2 storage mechanisms in geological formations. However, the effects of the above uncertain parameters on the process of CO2 enhanced oil recovery have not been understood systematically. Hence, it is absolutely necessary to study the most significant parameters which dominate the process. The main objective of this study is to improve techniques for designing cyclic CO2 injection process while considering the effects of asphaltene deposition and solubility of CO2 in the brine in order to prevent asphaltene precipitation, minimize CO2 emission, optimize cyclic CO2 injection, and maximize oil production.
Keywords: Tight reservoirs, cyclic O2 injection, asphaltene, solubility, reservoir simulation.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI): doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.1340202
Procedia APA BibTeX Chicago EndNote Harvard JSON MLA RIS XML ISO 690 PDF Downloads 1826References:
[1] Wang, L., et al. (2015) A Technical Review on Shale Gas Production and Unconventional Reservoirs Modeling. Natural Resources, 6, 141-151. http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/nr.2015.63013.
[2] North Dakota Oil Production Report, 2014. http://www.newsdakota.com/2014/05/13/north-dakota-oil-production-report. Accessed on 15/11/2016.
[3] Yang, P., Guo, H., Yang, D., 2013. Determination of residual oil distribution during waterflooding in tight oil formations with NMR relaxometry measurements. Energy Fuels 27 (10), 5750-5756.
[4] Decker, Ryan A., Aaron Flaaen, and Maria D. Tito (2016). "Unraveling the Oil Conundrum: Productivity Improvements and Cost Declines in the U.S. Shale Oil Industry," FEDS Notes. Washington: Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, March 22, 2016, http://dx.doi.org/10.17016/2380-7172.1736.
[5] Daoyong Yang, Chengyao Song, Jiguo Zhang, Guangqing Zhang, Yanmin Ji, Junmin Gao, Performance evaluation of injectivity for water-alternating-CO2 processes in tight oil formations, Fuel, Volume 139, 1 January 2015, Pages 292-300, ISSN 0016-2361, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.fuel.2014.08.033.
[6] Tao Wan, James J. Sheng, and M.Y. Soliman (2013) Evaluate EOR Potential in Fractured Shale Oil Reservoirs by Cyclic Gas Injection. Unconventional Resources Technology Conference, Denver, Colorado, 12-14 August 2013: pp. 1845-1854. http://dx.doi.org/10.1190/urtec2013-187.
[7] Gamadi, T. D., Sheng, J. J., & Soliman, M. Y. (2013, September 30). An Experimental Study of Cyclic Gas Injection to Improve Shale Oil Recovery. Society of Petroleum Engineers. http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/166334-MS.
[8] Chen C, Mohanty K K, Balhoff M T. Effect of reservoir heterogeneity on improved shale oil recovery by CO2 huff-n-puff. Soc. Petrol Eng 2013. http://dx.doi.org/10.21188/164553-MS.
[9] Song C, Yang D. Performance evaluation of CO2 Huff-n-puff processes in tight oil formations. Soc. Petrol Eng 2013. http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/167217-MS.
[10] Al-Qasim, A. S., (2011) Simulation of asphaltene deposition during CO₂ flooding, M.Sc. Thesis, The University of Texas in Austin, U.S. http://hdl.handle.net/2152/ETD-UT-2011-08-3794.
[11] Hamouda, A. A., Chukwudeme, E. A., & Alipour Tabrizy, V. (2010, January 1). Influence of Temperature on Water and CO2 Flooding of Asphaltenic Chalk Reservoirs- Experimental and Simulation Case Study. Society of Petroleum Engineers. http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/131190-MS.
[12] Leontaritis, K. J., & Mansoori, G. A. (1987, January 1). Asphaltene Flocculation during Oil Production and Processing: A Thermodynamic Collodial Model. Society of Petroleum Engineers. http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/16258-MS.
[13] Okwen, R. T. 2006. Formation Damage by CO2 Asphaltene Precipitation. Paper SPE 98180 presented at the International Symposium and Exhibition on Formation Damage Control, Lafayette, Louisiana, USA, 15-17 February. http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/98180-MS.
[14] Srivastava, R. K., Huang, S. S., and Dong, M. 1999. Asphaltene Deposition during CO2 Flooding. SPE Prod & Fac. 14 (4): 235-245.SPE-59092-PA. http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/59092-PA.
[15] Yuanhui Liu, Minqiang Hou, Guanying Yang, Buxing Han, Solubility of CO2 in aqueous solutions of NaCl, KCl, CaCl2 and their mixed salts at different temperatures and pressures, The Journal of Supercritical Fluids, Volume 56, Issue 2, March 2011, Pages 125-129, ISSN 0896-8446, http://doi.org/10.1016/j.supflu.2010.12.003.
[16] Wei Yan, Shengli Huang, Erling H. Stenby, Measurement and modeling of CO2 solubility in NaCl brine and CO2–saturated NaCl brine density, International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control, Volume 5, Issue 6, November 2011, Pages 1460-1477, ISSN 1750-5836, http://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijggc.2011.08.004.
[17] Drummond, S. E., 1981. Boiling and mixing of hydrothermal fluids: chemical effects on mineral precipitation. PhD thesis, Pennsylvania State University. https://searchworks.stanford.edu/view/1472193.
[18] Zhenhao Duan, Rui Sun, An improved model calculating CO2 solubility in pure water and aqueous NaCl solutions from 273 to 533 K and from 0 to 2000 bar, Chemical Geology, Volume 193, Issues 3–4, 14 February 2003, Pages 257-271, ISSN 0009-2541, http://doi.org/10.1016/S0009-2541(02)00263-2.
[19] Sanchez-Rivera, D., Mohanty, K., & Balhoff, M. (2015). Reservoir simulation and optimization of Huff-and-Puff operations in the Bakken Shale. Fuel, 147, 82-94. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.fuel.2014.12.06.
[20] B. F. Towler, Y. A. Wagle, Modelling the CO2 huff 'n' puff process in solution-gas drive reservoirs using a black-oil simulator, Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, Volume 8, Issue 3, October 1992, Pages 167-179, ISSN 0920-4105, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0920-4105(92)90031-U.
[21] Kong, B., Wang, S., & Chen, S. (2016, April 11). Simulation and Optimization of CO2 Huff-and-Puff Processes in Tight Oil Reservoirs. Society of Petroleum Engineers. http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/179668-MS.
[22] Mohammad, R. S., Zhao, X., Zhang, S. et al. Arab J Sci Eng (2016). http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s13369-016-2347-4.
[23] Computer Modeling Group Ltd. (CMG) (2015) WinProp User’s Guide: Advanced Phase Behaviour and fluid property simulator, Calgary, Canada. The user’s guide available internally in the CMG simulator.
[24] Nghiem, L. X., & Coombe, D. A. (1997, June 1). Modelling Asphaltene Precipitation during Primary Depletion. Society of Petroleum Engineers. http://doi.org/10.2118/36106-PA.
[25] Kohse, B. F., Nghiem, L. X., Maeda, H., & Ohno, K. (2000, January 1). Modelling Phase Behaviour Including the Effect of Pressure and Temperature on Asphaltene Precipitation. Society of Petroleum Engineers. http://doi.org/10.2118/64465-MS.
[26] Long X. Nghiem, Yau-Kun Li, Computation of multiphase equilibrium phenomena with an equation of state, Fluid Phase Equilibria, Volume 17, Issue 1, 1984, Pages 77-95, ISSN 0378-3812, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0378-3812(84)80013-8.
[27] Computer Modeling Group Ltd. (CMG) (2015) GEM User’s Guide: Advanced compositional and unconventional reservoir simulator, Calgary, Canada. The user’s guide available internally in the CMG simulator.
[28] Wei Yu, Tiantian Zhang, Song Du, Kamy Sepehrnoori, Numerical study of the effect of uneven proppant distribution between multiple fractures on shale gas well performance, Fuel, Volume 142, 15 February 2015, Pages 189-198, ISSN 0016-2361, http://doi.org/10.1016/j.fuel.2014.10.074.
[29] S. Taku Ide, Kristian Jessen, Franklin M. Orr Jr., Storage of CO2 in saline aquifers: Effects of gravity, viscous, and capillary forces on amount and timing of trapping, International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control, Volume 1, Issue 4, October 2007, Pages 481-491, ISSN 1750-5836, http://doi.org/10.1016/S1750-5836(07)00091-6.
[30] Abu-Eishah, S. I. and Mohammad, R. S. (2016) Phase Behavior of a United Arab Emirates Stock-Tank Oil and Carbon Dioxide at Reservoir Conditions: Experiments and Thermodynamic Modeling. Open Journal of Yangtze Oil and Gas, 1, 1-22. http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/ojogas.2016.11001.
[31] Yu, W., Lashgari, H., & Sepehrnoori, K. (2014, April 17). Simulation Study of CO2 Huff-n-Puff Process in Bakken Tight Oil Reservoirs. Society of Petroleum Engineers. http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/169575-MS.
[32] Wanfen Pu, Bing Wei, Fayang Jin, Yibo Li, Hu Jia, Penggang Liu, Zhijuan Tang, Experimental investigation of CO2 huff-n-puff process for enhancing oil recovery in tight reservoirs, Chemical Engineering Research and Design, Volume 111, July 2016, Pages 269-276, ISSN 0263-8762, http://doi.org/10.1016/j.cherd.2016.05.012.