EOR IN NATURALLY FRACTURED

RESERVOIRS

Tayfun Babadagli, PhD, PEng

Short Course - EOR

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WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN

HOMOGENEOUS and FRACTURED RESERVOIRS?

Fracture network controls the flow due to high k.

Matrix stores most of the oil due to high
Frontal advance theory may not be applicable.
Matrix-fracture interaction is the main cause of HC production

Tayfun Babadagli, PhD, PEng

Short Course - EOR

File-12

ELEMENTS OF NATURALLY FRACTURED

RESERVOIR MANAGEMENT

Characterization Reservoir dynamics

Matrix

Fracture

Core
Well test
Well logs
Outcrop

Matrix
effect

Fracture
effect

Monitoring
performance

EOR

Most proper
method

Experiment
(Scaling)

Numerical
simulation

HOMOGENEOUS SYSTEMS
Swept Zone
Unswept Zone
I

I
P

WATER
BREAKTHROUGH

WATER
PRODUCTION

I : INJECTION WELL
P : PRODUCTION WELL

Unrecovered oil can be in pores, never swept (not residual oil!!!!)

OR it can be in pores swept (residual oil!!!!)

Tayfun Babadagli, PhD, PEng

Short Course - EOR

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FRACTURED SYSTEMS

UNSWEPT AREA: Channeling

Tayfun Babadagli, PhD, PEng

Short Course - EOR

File-12

EOR MECHANISMS in NFRs

Fracture Recovery Viscous Flow
Matrix Recovery Capillarity and Mass Transfer
Gravity Drainage
Capillary Imbibition
Convection
Diffusion

Tayfun Babadagli, PhD, PEng

Short Course - EOR

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OIL AND WATER

OIL

a
X
x

Magnitude of gravity

WATER

Magnitude of capillarity

ko a ( w o ) g Pc
qi
o
a
7

CONVECTION AND DIFFUSION

CONVECTION
Result of contrasting oils within the fracture network
Large times are needed to see the effect of convection
High vertical permeability (fractures) accelerates
Oil at the crest is heavier than the base.
Vertical fractures provide communication for convection
DIFFUSION
Contrast in HC properties between fracture and matrix

OIL-WATER : FULLY IMMERSED IN WATER

OIL
Z

H-Z

Height of the water front in the

block above the bottom

H
Z
x

WATER

Pc g ( H Z )

kk rw

[ MH (1 M ) Z ]

High H and small Z Gravity dominates

Water wettability is small Gravity dominates

WATER

WATER

WATER

WATER
x, Core Length (vertical)

min.
66 min.

99 min.
min.

12
12min.
min.

15
min.
15 min.

1
6 min.
30 min.
0

Tayfun Babadagli, PhD, PEng

20

40

60

80

100

Sw , Average

Short Course - EOR

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10

OIL

WATER

WATER

WATER

33min.
min.
x, Core Length (vertical)

OIL

OIL

18 min.
18
min.

WATER

OIL

30min.
min.
30

day
11 day

1
3 min
80 min.
00

Tayfun Babadagli, PhD, PEng

20

40

60

80

100

Sw , Average

Short Course - EOR

File-12

11

OIL RECOVERY IN NATURALLY FRACTURED

RESERVOIRS
Capillary Imbibition Transfer at Static Conditions,
i.e. No Flow of Water in Fracture

Berea Sandstone
Heavy Crude Oil-Brine

Indiana Limestone
Light Crude Oil -Brine

PROBLEM
Matrix recovery by capillary imbibition is not
EFFECTIVE if
IFT is high
Unfavorable matrix boundary conditions
restricting the contact of matrix and water in
fracture exist
Matrix is oil-wet
and
OIL VISCOSITY IS HIGH

SOLUTION
(Babadagli, Coll. And Surface A: Phys. And Eng. Asp., 2003 SPE 69564)

SURFACTANT, POLYMER, HOT WATER INJECTION

to reduce IFT and oil viscosity
or to increase water viscosity
or to overcome unfavorable matrix boundary conditions
and oil wettability
or to have additional recovery mechanisms

OBJECTIVE
EXPERIMENTATION AT STATIC CONDITIONS
Most proper EOR method (injection fluid)
Scaling to reservoir scale

PART I-A
SELECTION OF EOR METHODS

Which method (EOR fluid) yields the most

effective recovery methods

for
different boundary conditions, oil type, IFT, oil
viscosity, wettability.

60
ENGINE-OIL (175 cP)
T=26.5 C

50

Recovery, % OOIP

T=50 C
T=80 C

40

30

20

10

Unfired Berea
0
0.1

1.0

10.0
Time, minutes

100.0

80
MINERAL OIL (235 cP)
70
% 1 SURFACTANT (IFT=6 dyn/cm)

Recovery, % OOIP

60

% 2 SURFACTANT (IFT=5 dyn/cm)

BRINE (IFT=41 dyn/cm)

50
40
30
20
10

Unfired Berea

0
0.1

1.0

10.0
Time, minutes

100.0

1000.0

ROCK & FLUID PROPERTIES

OIL
Rock type : Unfired Berea
Length : 10 cm.
Diameter : 3.8 and 2.5 cm.
Permeability : 500 md.
Porosity : 0.2
Brine : 3 wt % NaCl

Kerosene
Crude Oil (light)
Engine oil
Mineral Oil
SURFACTANT
1 vol %
POLYMER
0.1 and 0.2 wt %

FLUID PROPERTIES
FLUID
TYPES

Density
g/cc

Viscosity
cP

IFT
with
kerosene
dyne/cm

IFT
with
crude oil
dyne/cm

IFT
with
engine oil
dyne/cm

Brine
(3% NaCl)
Surfactant
Solution (1%)
Surfactant
Solution (2%)
Polymer I
(0.1 wt %)
Polymer II
(0.2 wt %)
Kerosene

1.1

40

25

71

1.1

11

11

15

1.1

14

18

17

23

87

22

24

0.79

1.7

Crude Oil

0.81

5.6

Engine Oil

0.89

633
20

COUNTER-CURRENT IMBIBITION (CCI)

(CCI)

(CCI)

(CCI)

Coated Matrix Surface

(Babadagli, Coll. And Surface A: Phys. And Eng. Asp., 2003 SPE 69564)

Open Matrix Surface

CO-CURRENT IMBIBITION (CCI)

(CCI)
(CCI)

(CCI)

Coated Matrix Surface

(Babadagli, Coll. And Surface A: Phys. And Eng. Asp., 2003 SPE 69564)

Open Matrix Surface

DIFFERENT OIL WATER BOUNDARY CONDITIONS

by COATING (CO-CURRENT FLOW)
Coating
Gravity
(oil up water down)
Capillary re-imbibition
(oil down water up)

OIL

Oil saturated rock

(Berea SS)

Capillary imbibition
(water in oil out)

WATER

Movement of water
Movement of oil

INVERSE BOND NUMBER

Capillarity
-1

N =c
B

k
g H
Gravity

REPRESENTATIVE RECOVERY CURVES

Schechter et al. 1994

5 > NB-1 > 0.2

NB-1 > 5

log(t)

NB-1 < 0.2

log(t)

log(t)

O il R eco very, % O O IP

KEROSENE - COUNTER-CURRENT IMBIBITION

60
50
40
30
20
10
0
0.01

0.1

Kerosene-Brine

10
100
Time, minutes

1000

10000

Kerosene-Surfactant

(Babadagli, Coll. And Surface A: Phys. And Eng. Asp., 2003 SPE 69564)

BOUNDARY
CONDITIONS

60 BC: COU-C1

Oil Type : Crude Oil

Core Diameter = 1.5 in.

Oil Recovery, % OOIP

50
40
30
20
10

Brine
Surfactant (1 vol %)

0
0.01

0.1

1
10
Time, minutes

100

27

(Babadagli, Coll. And Surface A: Phys. And Eng. Asp., 2003 SPE 69564)
Tayfun Babadagli, PhD, PEng

Short Course - EOR

1000

File-12

Oil Type : Crude Oil

Core Diameter = 1.5 in.

Oil Recovery, % OOIP

60
50
40
30
20

Brine

10

Surfactant (1 vol %)

0
1

10

100

1000

10000

100000

Time, minutes
(Babadagli, Coll. And Surface A: Phys. And Eng. Asp., 2003 SPE 69564)
Tayfun Babadagli, PhD, PEng

Short Course - EOR

28
File-12

STATIC CONDITIONS
Capillary Imbibition Transfer at Static Conditions,
i.e. No Flow of Water in Fracture

Oil Type : Crude Oil Core Diameter = 1.5 in.

Oil Recovery, % OOIP

60
50
40
30
20

Brine
Heat (40 C)
Heat (80 C)

10
0
0.01

0.1

10
100
Time, minutes

1000

10000

30

(Babadagli, Coll. And Surface A: Phys. And Eng. Asp., 2003 SPE 69564)
Tayfun Babadagli, PhD, PEng

Short Course - EOR

100000

File-12

Oil Type : Crude Oil Core Diameter = 1.5 in.

Oil Recovery, % OOIP

60
50
40
30
20

Brine

10

Polymer (0.1 wt %)
Polymer (0.2 wt %)

0
0.01

0.1

10

100

1000

10000

100000 1000000

Time, minutes

31

(Babadagli, Coll. And Surface A: Phys. And Eng. Asp., 2003 SPE 69564)
Tayfun Babadagli, PhD, PEng

Short Course - EOR

File-12

Oil Type : Engine Oil

Core Diameter = 1 in.

Oil Recovery, % OOIP

30
25
20
15

Brine
Temp. increased to 80 C

10

Surfactant ( 1 vol %)
Surfactant (2.5 vol %)

5
0
100

1000

10000
Time, minutes

100000

32

(Babadagli, Coll. And Surface A: Phys. And Eng. Asp., 2003 SPE 69564)
Tayfun Babadagli, PhD, PEng

Short Course - EOR

1000000

File-12

Oil Type : Engine Oil

Core Diameter = 1 in.

Oil Recovery, % OOIP

30
Brine
Temp. increased to 80 C
Brine (40 C)
Temp. increased to 80 C
Brine (80 C)

25
20
15
10
5
0
1

10

100

1000
10000
Time, minutes

100000

33

(Babadagli, Coll. And Surface A: Phys. And Eng. Asp., 2003 SPE 69564)
Tayfun Babadagli, PhD, PEng

Short Course - EOR

1000000

File-12

Berea Sandstone, Oil Type : Heavy Crude Oil (2200 cP)

Core Diam. = 1 in.
70
Brine-Heavy Crude Oil

Oil Recovery, % OOIP

60

Polymer-Heavy Crude Oil

Surfactant-Heavy Crude Oil

50

Hot Water-Heavy Crude Oil

40
30
20
10
0
1

10

100

1000

10000

100000

1000000

Time, min.
34

(Babadagli, CIPC, 2001-130, 2001

Tayfun Babadagli, PhD, PEng

Short Course - EOR

File-12

Berea Sandstone, Oil Type: Heavy Crude Oil (2200 cP)

Core Diam.= 1.5 in.

Oil Recovery, % OOIP

50
45

Brine-Heavy Crude Oil

40

Hot Water-Heavy Crude Oil

35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
1

10

100

1000

10000

100000

1000000

Time, min.
35

(Babadagli, CIPC, 2001-130, 2001

Tayfun Babadagli, PhD, PEng

Short Course - EOR

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Indiana Limestone, Oil Type : Heavy Crude Oil (2200 cP)

Core Diam. = 1 in.
Oil Recovery, % OOIP

9
Brine-Heavy Crude Oil

Polymer-Heavy Crude Oil

7

Surfactant-Heavy Crude Oil

Hot Water-Heavy Crude Oil

5
4
3
2
1
0
1

10

100

1000

10000

100000

1000000

Time, min.
36

(Babadagli, CIPC, 2001-130, 2001

Tayfun Babadagli, PhD, PEng

Short Course - EOR

File-12

16

DOLOMITIC LIMESTONE

Oil Recovery, % OOIP

14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
1000

10000
100000
Time, minutes

Brine, k=276 mD
Polymer (0.2 wt%), k=155 mD
Surfactant (2.5 vol %), k=24 mD
Heat (80 C), k=4 mD

1000000

Polymer (0.1 wt %), k=128 mD

Surfactant (1 vol %), k=19 mD
Heat (40 C), k=1 mD
Temp. increased from 40 to 80 C
37

(Babadagli, Coll. And Surface A: Phys. And Eng. Asp., 2003 SPE 69564)
Tayfun Babadagli, PhD, PEng

Short Course - EOR

File-12

SELECTION CRITERIA
SANDSTONES
- Light oils: no surfactant. Especially for unfavorable BC.
- Heavy oils: surfactant is desirable. Especially for
unfavorable BC.
- Light oils: polymer is not desirable. For all BCs.
- Heavy oils: polymer is desirable. Especially for
unfavorable BC.
- Thermal is effective to fasten light oil recovery but not
for ultimate recovery.
- Thermal is effective to fasten heavy oil recovery and for
ultimate recovery.

SELECTION CRITERIA
CARBONATES
- They all good!
- Thermal > surfactant > polymer > brine.