Objective
Enhanced oil recovery operations through continuous steam drive are often penalized by the irregular displacement of the injected steam owing to the reservoir heterogeneities. Hence, this phenomenon provokes sweeping anomalies and often a final recovery rate that is lower than expected. The solution consists in injecting, together with the steam, a foam which blocks the preferential passages and thus improves sweeping.
The object of this project is to determine the optimal application conditions of this technique while setting up a real size pilot on the field.
Only Phase 1 has been carried out. During the second term of 1986, economic conditions have led to the interruption of the steam injection on the POSO CREEK site in California, which had been chosen for the pilot test. A new test site had been sought to try to valorize the work achieved during Phase 1. But not other field among those under steam injection within the contacted European companies presented the required conditions. Interruption of the project was thus solicited.
Laboratory tests carried out in the POSO CREEK field conditions enabled selection of different technical alternatives.
Some foaming agents, available on the market, presented sufficient foaming and stability characteristics for the implementation conditions of this site. Characteristics of solutions to be injected (product contents, foam quality . . . ) have been determined. Preference was given to nitrogen rather than air as regards the complementary gas phase of the steam; indeed, even at the POSO CREEK injection temperature, the presence of oxygen was prejudiciable to the stability of foaming agents.
Displacement tests in "double porositylpermeability" media allowed to quantify the plugging capacity of foam in high permeability media.
This project includes 3 phases :
- Preparation of the pilot
- Execution of the pilot and tests
- Interpretation of tests.
The first phase consists of choosing a test site, where sweeping anomalies have already been observed and located during steam drive , and thus a site where it may be easier to assess the efficiency of the process. Once this site will have been chosen, laboratory tests will allow, under real reservoir conditions, to test the foaming agents and their stability, and to choose the type of gas to inject so to obtain good performances. These tests should also allow to specify the optimal operating conditions.
The second phase will concern the realization of the pilot on the chosen site. After a number of zone characterization tests (well tests, interference tests, tracers. . . ) it will be possible to begin the foam injection tests. According to forecasts, the pilot will require a series of foam plug injections in order to obtain a significant and lasting effect. Various formulations and operating conditions are necessary to optimize the process.
The third phase will consist in interpreting these tests : evaluation of sweeping and recovery rate improvement, technical and economical result of the process.
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Coordinator
92500 Rueil Malmaison
France
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