Experimental Investigation Of Sp Flooding In Central Onshore Of The Niger Delta

Filed in Articles by on November 18, 2022

Experimental Investigation Of Sp Flooding In Central Onshore Of The Niger Delta

TABLE OF CONTENT

TITLE PAGE                                                                                                                          ii

CERTIFICATION                                                                                                                 iii

DEDICATION                                                                                                                       iv

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT                                                                                                     v

TABLE OF CONTENT                                                                                                         vi

LIST OF TABLES                                                                                                                 viii

LIST OF FIGURES                                                                                                               ix

ABBREVIATIONS                                                                                                                x

ABSTRACT                                                                                                                             xii

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

1.0       Overview of Study

1.1       Objectives of the study

1.2       Statement of the problem

1.3       Significance of Study

1.4       Scope/Limitation of study

1.5       Hypothesis

1.6       Research questions

1.7       Research methodology

CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW

2.0       Why surfactant polymer flooding?

2.1       Review of surfactants

2.1.1  Types of surfactants

2.1.1.1   Anionic surfactants

2.1.1.2   Non – ionic surfactants

2.1.1.3   Cationic surfactants

2.1.1.4    Zwitterionic (amphoteric) surfactants

2.1.2   Micro-emulsion and CMC

2.1.3   Phase behaviour

2.1.3.1    Phase behaviour observation

2.1.4   Surfactant Retention

2.1.5   Surfactant mechanisms

2.1.5.1    Interfacial tension

2.1.5.2    Capillary number

2.1.6    Surfactant flooding and types

2.1.6.1   Micellar/polymer flooding

2.1.6.2   Alkaline Surfactant polymer (ASP) flooding

2.1.7   Surfactant Evaluation

2.2      Polymer/polymer flooding

2.2.1   Polymer

2.2.2   Types of polymer

2.2.2.1   Synthetic polymers

2.2.2.2    Biopolymers

2.2.3   Characteristics of polymers used for IOR processes

2.2.3.1    Hydratibility

2.2.3.2    Rheology

2.2.4    Polymer flooding

2.3       Polymer augmented surfactant flooding

2.4       Successful applications and researches so far

2.4.1    Shengli Oilfield, SINOPEC

2.4.2    Dagang Oilfield

2.4.3    Other research work on SP flooding

CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.0       Research methodology

3.1       Materials and equipment used

3.2       Cores

3.3       Preparation of reagents

3.3.1   Brine preparation

3.3.2   Chemical slug preparation

3.4       Crude oil properties

3.5       Experimental set-up

3.6       Determining porosity

3.7       Experimental procedure

CHAPTER: RESULT AND DISCUSSION

4.0       Results and discussion.

4.1       Oil flooding (drainage)

4.2       Water-flooding.

4.3        Experiment 1 – Core A

4.4        Experiment 2 – Core B

4.5        Experiment 3 – Core T

4.6        Experiment 4 – Core R

4.7        Discussion

CHAPTER FIVE: CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATION

5.0        Conclusions and recommendation

5.1        Recommendations

ABSTRACT

With ever increase crude oil demand and the present low cost per barrel, it is highly uneconomical for new exploration, thus there is no need to maximise recovery from the existing reservoir.

Surfactant Polymer flooding is an improved oil recovery that can mobilise more oil to the surface from an oil reservoir. In this paper, we investigated the potential application of SP flooding in a shallow oil reservoir X, located in the Central-Onshore of the Niger Delta.

Four different rocks were used namely; ROBU synthetic cores (2 different porosity and permeability classes), a widely accepted model rock (Bentheimer sandstone) and a low permeability-high porosity reservoir rocks (obtained from the Central Onshore of the Niger Delta) were used.

Hengfloc 63020 polymer in combination with Shell Enordet O242 surfactant (supplied by Shell research centre) constituted the slug used in this work.

The reservoir condition was simulated using the reservoir oil and low salinity brine of 2300ppm. Initial water-flooding experiments were carried out on the crude oil sample at surface conditions, which was followed by surfactant-polymer flooding at the same conditions.

Furthermore, analysis of the effluent collected during the experiment was carried out to determine oil recovery.

The results show that firstly, SP flooding can mobilize a substantial amount of by-passed oil in the reservoir after the water-flooding.

Secondly, a remarkable increase in oil recovery when compared with the literature data shows its applicability in the reservoir of interest. Recovery of above 37% of the OIIP and displacement efficiency of over 50% was recorded.

Accordingly, the surfactant-polymer recovery technique is applicable in the Niger Delta, and similar depositional environments. Thus, the practice of abandoning depleted reservoirs in this region can be replaced by using surfactant-polymer flooding to recover residual oil entrapped in the reservoirs.

INTRODUCTION

For most of the oilfields in the world, at least half of the reserved oil is left behind after the primary (natural flow) method is exhausted.

Numerous techniques have been established in the past decades aiming to enhance the energy of the viscous fingered/channelled reservoirs after extensive water injection to improve oil recovery. This process is called improved oil recovery (IOR).

Among all the IOR techniques, surfactant-polymer flooding is one of the most promising techniques because of its effectiveness in improving displacement efficiency.

The intent of the surfactant polymer flooding technique is to:

  • Improve sweep efficiency by reducing the mobility ratio between the injected fluid and in-place fluids.
  • Eliminate or reduce capillary and interfacial forces, and thus improve displacement efficiency.
  • Act on both phenomena simultaneously.

The first intent of surfactant polymer flooding is what a polymer achieves. A polymer is a chemical substance that is made up of monomers.

From the word ‘poly’ which means many, and the word ‘mono’ which means single or one, the definition of a polymer is easily understood. Polymers are used in almost every sphere of life: from the household item e.g. cellophane, to industrial polymers e.g. rubber.

In improved oil recovery operations, a polymer is used to improve the volumetric sweep efficiency of water to oil in the reservoir. A polymer does this by increasing the viscosity of the water injected into the reservoir, and by reducing the permeability of the rock to water.

It, therefore, means that any polymer to be used for chemical IOR operation has to be water-soluble. There are many types of polymers, but the two most commonly used in chemical IOR operations are: partially hydrolysed polyacrylamides and the xanthan biopolymers.

REFERENCES

AlhasanFuseni (Saudi Aramco), Phase behaviour and interfacial tension properties of an amphoteric surfactant for EOR application
Austad T, Fjelde I, Veggeland K, Taugbol K (1994). Physicochemical principles of low tension polymer flood. J. Pet. Sci. Eng. 10:255-269
AbassMamudu and OlafuyiOlalekan (2015) Application of cubic spline numerical modeling on displacement mechanism
Alvarado, V.; Thyne, G.; Murrell, G.R. Screening Strategy for Chemical Enhanced Oil Recovery in Wyoming Basins (SPE-115940). In Proceedings of SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, Denver, CO, 21–24 September 2008
Atsenuwa J.B. Taiwo O.A., Mohammed I.U., Dala, J.A and Olafuyi, O.A., Effect of Viscosity of Heavy Oil (Class-A) on Oil Recovery in SP Flooding Using Lauryl Sulphate and Gum Arabic. SPE 172401, Presented at SPE-NAICE, Annual Meeting, Lagos, August 5-7, 2014.
Avwioroko J.E., Taiwo O.A., Mohammed I.U., Dala, J.A and Olafuyi, O.A.,  A Laboratory Study of ASP Flooding on Mixed Wettability for Heavy Oil Recovery Using Gum Arabic as a Polymer. SPE 172401, Presented at SPE-NAICE, Annual Meeting, Lagos, August 5-7, 2014.
Bataweel, M. A., YadhalliShivaprasad, A., & Nasr-El-Din, H. A. (2012, January) Low-Tension Polymer Flooding Using Amphoteric surfactant in HighSalinity/High Hardness and High Temperature Conditions in Sandstone Cores.Society of Petroleum Engineers. doi:10.2118/155676-MS
Bera, A., Ojha, K., Mandal, A., & Kumar, T. (2011). Interfacial Tension and Phase Behavior of Surfactant-Brine-Oil System. Coll. Surf. A., 383 , 114-119
Department of Energy (DOE), Chemical flooding projects for unconventional hydrocarbons(1993)
Gabitto JF (2006) Combined microbial surfactant-and-polymer system for improved oil mobility and conformance control. Presented at the 2006 SPE annual technical conference and exhibition, San Antonio, TX, Paper SPE 102328
Gao, B., & Sharma, M. M. (2013, June 6). A New Family of Anionic Surfactants for Enhanced-Oil-Recovery Applications. Society of Petroleum Engineers. doi:10.2118/159700 PA
Gary Walker (DOE), Increasing heavy oil reserves in the Willmington oilfield through advanced reservoir characterization and thermal production technologies. (Annual report, March 31, 2000)
Guo, S. P., & Huang, Y. Z. (1990). Physical Chemistry Microscopic Seepage Flow Mechanism (pp. 100–102). Beijing: Science Press
Green, D.W., &Willhite, G.P. (1998). Enhanced Oil Recovery. Richardson Taxis: Society of Petroleum Engineers, SPE Textbook Series, 6, pp. 1-7,
Healy, R. N., & Reed, R. L. (1974, October 1). Physicochemical Aspects of Microemulsion Flooding. Society of Petroleum Engineers. doi:10.2118/4583-PA
Hill, H. J., Reisberg, H., &Stegemeier, G. L. (1973). Aqueous Surfactant System for Oil Recovery. J. Pet. Tech., 25 , 186-194.
Hongyan W, Xulong C, Jichao Z, Zhang A. Development and application of dilute surfactant–polymer flooding system for Shengli oilfield. J Pet SciEng 2009;65:45–50. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.petrol.2008.12.021
Keijzer, P.P.M., & De Vries, A.S. (1990). Imbibitions of Surfactant Solutions. Paper presented at SPE/DOE 7thSymp. On Enhanced Oil Recovery, Tulsa, OK
Krumrine PH, Falcone Jr, James S, Campbell, Thomas C (1982) Surfactant flooding 1: the effect of alkaline additives on IFT, surfactant adsorption, and recovery efficiency. SPE J 22:503–513
Needhan, R. B., & Peter, H. D. (1987). Polymer flooding review. J. Pet. Technol., 12 , 1503-1507
Nelson, R.C., Lawson, J.B., Thigpen, D.R., and Stegemeier, G.L. 1984. Cosurfactant-Enhanced Alkaline Flooding, SPE/DOE 12672 presented at the SPE/DOE Fourth Symp. on EOR, Tulsa, OK April 15-18
Oluwaseun A. Taiwo, Olalekan A. OlafuyiSurfactant and Surfactant-Polymer flooding for light oil: a gum Arabic approach(2014)
Osterrloh WT, Jante MJ (1992) Surfactant-polymer flood with anionic PO EO surfactant microemulsions containing polyethylene glycol additives. Presented at the SPE/DOE improved oil recovery 8th symposium, Tulsa, OK, Paper SPE 24151

Comments are closed.

Hey Hi

Don't miss this opportunity

Enter Your Details