Objectif
The main objective of the project was to evaluate the possibility to enhance the recovery from oil reservoirs by addition of distillable oil to the injected steam during steamdrive recovery. This evaluation was effected in terms of a preliminary design of a field test for distillation enhanced steam drive recovery.
The idea to enhance distillation effects to improve oil recovery was first studied in tube experiments. It was verified experimentally that small amounts of distillable hydrocarbons added to the steam were indeed capable to enhance oil recoveries from 80% to 95%. We have experimentally verified that a distillable oil bank is indeed formed near the steam condensation front when liquid hydrocarbons are coinjected with the steam. Numerous experiments carried out on behalf of the present project allowed us to correlate the recovery with mixing effects which reduced the efficiency of the distillable oil bank. Dispersion is a possible mixing mechanism. Low oil saturations in the steamed out zone are in general attributed to distillation effects. Another effect, which reduces the residual oil saturations to extremely low values, is the film flow effect. Film flow in the steam zone was discovered in this project. Film flow also occurs in the absence of distillation. Film flow means that films of oil are formed between the steam and the water, which envelops the pore matrix. The result of film flow is that oil remains mobile at extremely low oil saturations.
We have quantified the film flow effect by measuring relative permeabilities in gravity drainage experiments.
Hardware requirements to implement distillation enhanced steam drive recovery in the field are simple. This is related to the fact that distillable oil can be injected as a liquid owing to its favourable phase behaviour. A schematic design of the surface equipment necessary for the addition of distillable hydrocarbons to the steam is given in the end report of Project TH/05038/82 "Distillation enhanced steamdrive recovery" by J. Bruining, D.W. van Batenburg and H. Ronde.
Extrapolation of the experimental data to a prototype field showed that only up to three barrels of oil can be recovered for each barrel of distillable oil coinjected. The extra recovery, however, will be less when film flow is effective.
On the other hand we have not, as yet, addressed the recovery improvement owing to the favourable mobility ratio, which results from the presence of the distillable oil bank. This aspect will be elaborated in our next project (TH 05064/85) "The beneficial effects of distillations during oil recovery by steam flooding "as part of a broader objective i.e. the economic competion of steamflooding and waterflooding of medium viscosity oil.
Small amounts of distillable oil added to the steam injected in a tube containing an oil sand are capable of enhancing the recovery efficiency, which may approach 100% in the steamed out region. Without this addition the comparable efficiency is 80%. We have studied this effect in detail to allow extrapolation to field conditions. The complexity of the process made it necessary to confine ourselves to the microscopic displacement process i.e. disregard sweep efficiency effects. This aspect will be addressed in a follow up contract "The beneficial effects of distillation during oil recovery by steamflooding."
In this project we have elaborated at length on the competition between film flow effects and the distillable oil bank to lower the "residual oil saturation" in the steam zone. Film flow effects, which were discovered in this project, tend to lower oil saturations in the steamed out zone in the absence of distillation effects.
Distillation effects have been attributed to the distillable oil bank, which is formed near the steam condensation front. This also leads to a lower (heavy) oil saturation in the steam swept zone.
In this project we have disregarded the sweep enhancement owing to a more favourable mobility ratio when a distillable oil bank is present.
The project consisted of the following phase :
i) Design and building of high pressure equipment.
ii) Continuation of experiments at atmospheric pressure.
iii) Experiments with transparent models.
iv) Experiments at high pressure.
v) Preliminary design of a field test.
Champ scientifique (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classe les projets avec EuroSciVoc, une taxonomie multilingue des domaines scientifiques, grâce à un processus semi-automatique basé sur des techniques TLN. Voir: Le vocabulaire scientifique européen.
CORDIS classe les projets avec EuroSciVoc, une taxonomie multilingue des domaines scientifiques, grâce à un processus semi-automatique basé sur des techniques TLN. Voir: Le vocabulaire scientifique européen.
Ce projet n'a pas encore été classé par EuroSciVoc.
Proposez les domaines scientifiques qui vous semblent les plus pertinents et aidez-nous à améliorer notre service de classification.
Vous devez vous identifier ou vous inscrire pour utiliser cette fonction
Programme(s)
Programmes de financement pluriannuels qui définissent les priorités de l’UE en matière de recherche et d’innovation.
Programmes de financement pluriannuels qui définissent les priorités de l’UE en matière de recherche et d’innovation.
Thème(s)
Les appels à propositions sont divisés en thèmes. Un thème définit un sujet ou un domaine spécifique dans le cadre duquel les candidats peuvent soumettre des propositions. La description d’un thème comprend sa portée spécifique et l’impact attendu du projet financé.
Les appels à propositions sont divisés en thèmes. Un thème définit un sujet ou un domaine spécifique dans le cadre duquel les candidats peuvent soumettre des propositions. La description d’un thème comprend sa portée spécifique et l’impact attendu du projet financé.
Appel à propositions
Procédure par laquelle les candidats sont invités à soumettre des propositions de projet en vue de bénéficier d’un financement de l’UE.
Données non disponibles
Procédure par laquelle les candidats sont invités à soumettre des propositions de projet en vue de bénéficier d’un financement de l’UE.
Régime de financement
Régime de financement (ou «type d’action») à l’intérieur d’un programme présentant des caractéristiques communes. Le régime de financement précise le champ d’application de ce qui est financé, le taux de remboursement, les critères d’évaluation spécifiques pour bénéficier du financement et les formes simplifiées de couverture des coûts, telles que les montants forfaitaires.
Régime de financement (ou «type d’action») à l’intérieur d’un programme présentant des caractéristiques communes. Le régime de financement précise le champ d’application de ce qui est financé, le taux de remboursement, les critères d’évaluation spécifiques pour bénéficier du financement et les formes simplifiées de couverture des coûts, telles que les montants forfaitaires.
Coordinateur
2600 Delft
Pays-Bas
Les coûts totaux encourus par l’organisation concernée pour participer au projet, y compris les coûts directs et indirects. Ce montant est un sous-ensemble du budget global du projet.