Experimental Investigation on the Effect of CO2 and WAG Injection on Permeability Reduction Induced by Asphaltene Precipitation in Light Oil

Authors: Ali F. Alta'ee, Ong S. Hun, Sima Sh. Alian, Ismail M. Saaid

Abstract:

Permeability reduction induced by asphaltene precipitation during gas injection is one of the serious problems in the oil industry. This problem can lead to formation damage and decrease the oil production rate. In this work, Malaysian light oil sample has been used to investigate the effect CO2 injection and Water Alternating Gas (WAG) injection on permeability reduction. In this work, dynamic core flooding experiments were conducted to study the effect of CO2 and WAG injection on the amount of asphaltene precipitated. Core properties after displacement were inspected for any permeability reduction to study the effect of asphaltene precipitation on rock properties. The results showed that WAG injection gave less asphaltene precipitation and formation damage compared to CO2 injection. The study suggested that WAG injection can be one of the important factors of managing asphaltene precipitation.

Keywords: Asphaltene Precipitation, Permeability Reduction, CO2 Injection, WAG Injection.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI): doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.1078765

References:

[1] Kokal, S.L. & Sayegh, G. "Asphaltene: The Cholesterol of Petroleum", SPE paper 29787 presented at SPE Middle East Oil Show, Behrain,, 11-
[2] 14 March, 1995.Hammami, A., Phelps, H. & Little, T.M. "Asphaltene Precipitation from Live Oils: An Experimental Investigation of the Onset Conditions and Reversibility", Energy & Fuels 2000 14: 14-18.
[3] Oskui, G. P. & Abuhaimed W. A. " Laboratory Investigation of Asphaltene Precipitation Problems During CO2/Hydraocarbon Injection Project for EOR Application in Kuwait Reservoirs", SPE paper 126267 presented at Kuwait International Petroleum Conference and Exhibition, Kuwait City, Kuwait, 14-16 December, 2009.
[4] Caudle, B.H., Dynes, A.B. "Improving Miscible Displacement by Gas- Water Injection", SPE paper 911-G presented at 32nd Annual Fall Meeting of Society Petroleum Engineers, Dallas, Tex., 6-9 October, 1957.
[5] Shedid, S.A. & Zekri, A.Y. "Formation Damage Caused by Simultaneous sulfur and Asphaltene Depostion", SPE paper 86553 presented at SPE International Symposium and Exhibition on Formation Damage Control, Lafayette, Louisana, 18-20 February, 2004.
[6] Al-Qasim, A.S. "Simulation of Asphaltene Deposition During CO2 Flooding", The University of Texas, Austin, August 2011.
[7] Sarma, H.K. "Can We Ignore Asphaltene in a Gas Injection Project for Light-Oils?", SPE paper 84877 presented on SPE International Improved Oil Recovery conference in Asia Pacific, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 20-21 October, 2003.
[8] Srivastava, R.K., Huang, S.S. & Dong, M. "Asphaltne Deposition During CO2 Flooding", SPE paper 59092 presented at SPE Production Operations Symposium, Oklama City, Oklahoma, 9-11 March, 1997.
[9] Khanifar, A., S.Alian, S., Demiral, B. & Darman, N. "Study of Asphaltene Precipitation and Deposition Phenomenon during WAG Application", SPE Paper 143488 presented at SPE Enhanced Oil Recovery Conference, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 19-21 July, 2011.
[10] Alta-ee, A.F., Saaid, I.M., Masoudi, R., "Carbon Dioxide Injection and Asphaltene Precipitation in Light Oil Reservoirs", paper presented at the Eleventh Mediterranean Petroleum Conference and Exhibition, Tripoli - Libya, 23-25 February, 2010.
[11] Sima, S.A., Omar, A.A., Alta-ee, A.F. & Hani, I. "Study of Asphaltene Precipitation induced formation Damage during CO2 injection for a Malaysian light oil", Paper presented at World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology 78, 2011.
[12] Thou, S., Ruthammer, G., Potsch, K. "Dectection of Asphaltene Flocculation Onset in a Gas Condensate System", SPE Paper 78321 presented at 13th European Petroleum Conference, Arberdeen, Scotland, U.K., 29-31 October, 2002.
[13] Miftachul, C. "Study of CO2 Effect on Asphaltene Precipitation and Compositional Simulation of Asphaltenic Oil Reservoir", University of Stavenger, 30 June, 2010.
[14] Kamath, V.A., Yang, J., & Sharma, G.D. "Effect of Asphaltene Deposition on Dynamic Displacement of Oil by Water", SPE paper 26046 presented at Western Regional Meeting, Anchorage, Alaska, 26- 28 May 1993.
[15] Ghedan, S. "Global Laboratory Experience of CO2-EOR Flooding", SPE SPE paper 125581 presented at 2009 SPE/EAGE Reservoir Characterization and Simulation Conference, Abu Dhabi 19-21 October, 2009.
[16] Hammami, A. & Ratulowski J. "Precipitation and deposition of asphaltene in production systems: a flow assurance overview", Asphaltene, Heavy Oils, and Petroleomics 23: 617-660.
[17] Verdier, S., Carrier, H., Anderson, S. I. & Daridon, J. "Study of pressure and temperature effects on asphaltene stability in presence of CO2", Energy & Fuel 2006, 20, 1584-1590
[18] Mohammed, S., A., Arisaka, K. & Kumazaki, Y. "Integrated Analysis of Asphaltene Deposition from Field Production Data and Laboratory Experiments", SPE Paper 49501 presented at 8th Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (ADIPEC), 11-14 October, 1998.
[19] Khosravi, M., Rostami, B. & Nghiem, L., "Influence of CO2 Dissolution and Asphaltene Precipitation on Oil PVT and Recovery", Enhanced oil recovery - Iranian Chemical Engineering Journal (Special Issue) - Vol.8 - No.43, 2009.
[20] Chukwudeme, E.A., Hamouda, A.A. "Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) by Miscible CO2 and Water Flooding of Asphaltenic and Non-Asphaltenic Oils", Department of Petroleum Engineering, University of Stavanger, Norway, 2009.
[21] Gholoum E.F., Oskui G.P. & Salman M. "Investigation of Asphaltene Precipitation Onset Conditions for Kuwaiti Reservoirs", SPE Paper 81571 presented at SPE 13th Middle East Oil Show & Conference, Bahrain, 5-8 April, 2003.
[22] Zekri, A.Y., Shedid, S.A. & Almehaideb R.A. "An Experimental Investigation of interactions between supercritical CO2 Asphaltenic Crude Oil and Reservoir Brine in Carbonate Cores", SPE paper 104750 presented at SPE International Symposium on Oilfield Chemistry, Houston, Texas, U.S.A., 28 February-2March, 2007.
[23] Bagheri, M.B., Kharrat, R. & Ghotby, C. "Experimental Investigation of the Asphaltene Deposition Process during Different Production Schemes", Oil & Gas Science and Technology - Rev. IFP Energy nouvelles, 2011.
[24] Wolcott, J. M., Monger, T. G., Sassen, R. & Chinn E.W. "The Effect of CO2 Flooding on Reservoir Mineral Properties", SPE paper 18467 presented at SPE International Symposium on Oilfield Chemistry, Houston, TX, February 8-10, 1989.
[25] Mousavi Dehghani, S.A., Vafaie Sefti, M.M.B. & Fasih, M., "Experimental Investigation on Asphaltene Depositon in Porous Media During Miscible Gas Injection", Iran.J. Chem. Chem. Eng. Vol. 26, No 4, 2007.
[26] Okwen, R.T. "Formation Damage by CO2-Induced Asphaltene Precipitation", SPE paper 98180 presented at SPE International Symposium and Exhibition on Formation Damage Control, Lafayette, LA, 15-17 February, 2006.
[27] Wang, S. & Civan, F. "Preventing Asphaltene Deposition in oil Reservoir by Early Water Injection", SPE paper 94268 presented at SPE Production and Operation Symposium, Oklahoma City, U.S.S., 17-19 April, 2005.