Society of ‘Petroleum Engineers FUNDAMENTALS OF ENHANCED OIL RECOVERY Presented by Dr. Larry W. Lake © copyright 1986 society of Petroleum Engineers All rights reserved. This book or any part thereof \nust not be reproduced in ary form without the ‘written permission of the Society of Petri i8:30 9:00 9:30 9:45 10:15 11:00 12:00 1S 1:45 215 2:30 3:30 430 Fundamentals of Enhanced Oil Recovery Module 1 - Defining EOR Module 2 - Reviewing Displacement Fundamentals Break t Module 3 - Understanding Phase Behavior Module 4 - Defining Polymer Flooding Module 5 - Exploring Micellar-Polymer Flooding Lunch Micellar-Polymer (cont.) Module 6 - Using Other Chemical Methods Break Module 7 - Analyzing Thermal Flooding Module 8 - Acquiring Solvent Flooding Basics SummaryFirst Revision COURSE OVERVIEW FUNDAMENTALS OF ENHANCED OIL RECOVERY INSTRUCTOR Larry W. Lake Department of Petroleum Engineering The University of Texas at Austin NEED FOR Enhanced of] recovery (EOR) 1s being used more and COURSE more as companies recognize the need for making the best use of existing resources, and as field tests are proving that it is economically feasible to use EOR methods. As the potential for gain through EOR becomes more recognized, petroleum and chemical engineers will be asked to evaluate the economié and production potential of individual wells, and to make recommendations regarding the most ‘appropriate method. This course Is designed to help engineers make these reconmendations. TARGETED Chemical and petroleum engineers with at least a AUDIENCE 8.5., experienced engineers who want to review or to broaden their area of expertise, Individuals who sell chemicals or services, chemists who Understand the chemistry and want to know how it is applied. EXPECTED © Better understanding of why EOR is used OUTCOMES 0 Greater awareness of the major clas: and subdivisions of each EOR method 0 Increased ability to judge which EOR method is appropriate for a given application © Increased knowledge of how each EOR method works and the problems encountered with each CONTENT This course reviews fundamental principles of SCOPE displacement and phase behavior needed to understand EOR methods. It covers the four major types of EOR, specific chemicals In each category, conditions under which they work, and special problems encountered with each. The course is designed as a fundamentals course and, as such, can only give an overview of each method. COURSE Student time required Is approximately 18 hours, LENGTH of which seven will be used to view the presentations, discussions, and debriefing activities on the video tape. Other student time will be spent in reading workbook materials and working fourteen exercises interspersed throughout the course. Intro-2ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR Larry W. Lake serves on the petroleum engineering faculty at the University of Texas. His earlier work with Shell Development Company led to his current reputation as an expert in chemical Flooding research. He holds a 8.5. degree from Arizona State University and a Ph.D. from Rice University, both in chemical engineering. ‘ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Fred |. Stalkup, Arco Research, Plano, Texas Gary A. Pope, University of Texas, Austin, Texas R.S. Schechter, University of Texas, Austin, Texas Margaret Zumr, Associates International, Inc., Dallas, Texas Warner Klapprodt, W.K. Productions, Dallas, Texas Mo Kudchacker, Tenneco Oi! Company, Houston, Texas John R. Waggoner, University of Texas, Austin, Texas Myra A. Dria, University of Texas, Austin, Texas Intron3COURSE OUTLINE FUNDAMENTALS OF ENHANCED OIL RECOVERY INTRODUCT | ON PROCESS OVERVIEW... +005 COURSE OVERVIEW, INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION. COURSE OUTLINE. COURSE MAP..... SI CONVERSION CHART AND’! HINTS: MODULE 1...DEFINING EOR MODULE OVERVIEW. OVERVIEW... 2.05 CURRENT STATUS. WHY EOR?.....04 are COMPARATIVE PEFORMANCES. FORECASTS FOR EOR SUMMARY REFERENCES... +--++eeee EXERCISE 1: WHY EOR?.... MODULE 2...REVIEWING DISPLACEMENT FUNDAMENTALS MODULE OVERVIEW...-.---+ FACTORS AFFECTING OIL RECOVERY AREAL SWEEP EFFICIENCY... VERTICAL SWEEP EFFICIENCY DISPLACEMENT SWEEP EFFICIENCY SWEEP EFFICIENCY SUMMARY... TRAPPED OIL SATURATION. REFERENCES... eee EXERCISE 2: CALCULATING CAPILLARY NUMBERS... EXERCISE 3: ANALYZING FACTORS WHICH AFFECT OIL RECOVERY. MODULE 3...UNDERSTANDING PHASE BEHAVIOR MODULE OVERVIEW. . OVERVIEW... Beer PRESSURE-TEMPERATURE DIAGRAMS. PRESSURE-COMPOSITION DIAGRAMS. TERNARY DIAGRAMS. « REPRESENTATIVE SAL. SUMMARY. REFERENCES. Meee EXERCISE 4: SKETCHING A PRESSURE-COMPOSITION DIAGRAM. .. EXERCISE 5: USING A TERNARY DIAGRAM..... Intro=4COURSE OUTLINE FUNDAMENTALS OF ENHANCED OIL RECOVERY MODULE 4...0EFINING POLYMER FLOODING MODULE OVERVIEW... shel USES/TYPES.....++ whe? POLYMER CHEMISTRY. heb POLYMER PROPERTIES. wheB FIELD RESULTS... shel9 FAVORABLE CONDITIONS she 2lt whe whe 27 MODULE 5...EXPLORING MICELLAR-POLYMER FLOODING MODULE OVERVIEW... seeesSel PROCESS DEFINITION. . 5-2 SURFACTANTS...064 5-8 PHASE BEHAVIOR.. +... 5-13 INTERFACIAL TENSION... 5-19 SLUG FORMULATION. ..... 5-23 SURFACTANT RETENTION. 5-25, LAB/FIELD RESULTS. 5-30 SUMMARY... 5-36 REFERENCES... 4. ..04 pee 5-37 EXERCISE 7: ESTIMATING OPTIMAL CONDITIONS... 5-39 EXERCISE 8: DEFINING THE IMPORTANCE OF RETENTION. 5-42 MODULE 6...USING OTHER CHEMICAL METHODS MODULE OVERVIEW. ....206 6-1 FOAM FLOODING. 6-2 FOAM STABILITY. 6-3 CHARACTER! STICS. 265 EFFECTS. ..seeceseeeeee sane 6-6 ALKALINE FLOODING... seen 69 DISPLACEMENT MECHAN! SMS see 6913, ROCK-FLUID INTERACTIONS 6-17 FIELD RESULTS.....-+ 6-21 SUMMARY. « « ooo 6-23 REFERENCES... +. .+00+ eeceeee 6-24 EXERCISE 9: SUMMARIZING ALKALINE AND FOAM FLOODING. 6-27 Intro-5COURSE OUTLINE FUNDAMENTALS OF ENHANCED OIL RECOVERY MODULE 7..-ANALYZING THERMAL FLOODING MODULE OVERVIEW. VISCOSITY REDUCTION. . ENTHALPY OF STEAM. FOUR PROCESS VARIATIONS. OTHER DISPLACEMENT MECHANI SHS. EFFECTS OF LOW STEAM DENSITY HEAT LOSSES.. CALCULATION PROCEDURES. FIELD TESTS SUMMARY. « REFERENCES. EXERCISE 10: ine HOw Viscosity REDUCTION IMPROVES PRODUCTIVITY, EXERCISE 112 CALCULATING HEAT LOSS, wecee eee eeeeeDnhd MODULE 8...ACQUIRING SOLVENT FLOODING BASICS MODULE OVERVIEW. SOLVENT FLOODING FUNDAMENTALS. SOLVENT PROPERTIES...... SOLVENT-CRUDE PHASE BEHAVIOR. SOLVENT DISPLACEMENT CLASSIFICATIONS. ««.+ SOLVENT FLOODING EXPERIEMENTS DISPLACEMENT MECHANISMS. LABORATORY RESPONSE. FIELO RESPONSE...... SUMMARY se eee REFERENCES... EXERCISE 12; USING MINIMUM MiSCIBILITY PRESSURE CORRELATIONS, wee BOIS, EXERCISE 13: MINIMUM MISC GAS DRIVES. ..+seseeereeeees EXERCISE 14: UNDERSTANDING FINGERING... «+ Intro-6COURSE OUTLINE FUNDAMENTALS OF ENHANCED OIL RECOVERY SUMMARY SOLUTION SOLUTION SOLUTION SOLUTION SOLUTION SOLUTION SOLUTION SOLUTION SOLUTION SOLUTION SOLUTION SOLUTION ‘SOLUTION SOLUTION SCREENING GUIDES.....+4.4 GENERAL REFERENCES. Intro-7 EXERCISE EXERC! SE EXERC! SE EXERC! SE EXERCISE EXERCISE EXERCISE EXERCISE 8, EXERCISE EXERCISE EXERCISE EXERCISE EXERCISE EXERCISE + Sum=2u ++ Sum=25 + Sum=28COURSE MAP ACTIVITIES IN EACH MODULE MODULE 1 ‘tape (40) Exercise (10) HOOULE 2 Tape (38) Exercises (30) Course Introduction Module Overview Presentation through EOR Forecasts Reading (1-1 to 1-19) Exercise 1 Debriefing Exercise 1 Module Sunmary Reading (2-1 to 2-16) = Module Overview = Presentation through Trapped 0i1 Saturation = Reading (2-17 to 2-20) - Exercise 2 = Debriefing Exercise 2 = Exercise 3 = Debriefing Exercise 3 = Module Summary = Reading (3-1 to 3-12) MODULE 3 Tape (45) Exercises (40) MODULE & Tape (50) Exercises (20) Module Overview Presentation through Pressure-Composition Diagrams Exercise 4 Debriefing Exer ek = Module Overview ~ Presentation through Mechanical Degradation + Exercise 6 = Debriefing Exercise 6 Presentation= Ternary Diagrams = Presentation through Reading (3-13 to 3-17) Presentation finishing Ternary Diagrams and Representative Salini Exercise 5 Debriefing Exercise 5 Module Summary Reading (4-1 to 4-13) Favorable Conditions = Module Summary - Reading (5-1 to 5-12) Tatro-8COURSE MAP MODULE 5 RODULE 6 Tape (76) Exercises (55) Tape (20) Exercise (15) = Module Overview Module Overview = Presentation through Reading (6-1 to 6-24) Surfactants Exercise 9 then Debrief = Reading (5-13 to 5-24) Module Surmary = Presentation through Slug Formulation Reading (7-1 to 7-6) - Exercise 7 then Debrief = Presentation on Surfactant Retention = Reading (5-25 to 5-36) = Exercise 8 and Debrief = Presentation: Lab/Field Results = Module Summary HOOULE 7 MODULE 8 Tape (60) Exercises (50) Tape (87) Exercises (60) = Module Overview = Module Overview = Presentation through = Presentation through Steaming a Well Solvent Displacement Classifications = Exercise 10 then Debrief = Exercise 12 then Debrief = Presentation through Heat Losses = Exercise 13 then Debrief + Exercise 11 then Debrief = Presentation through Displacement echani sms + Module Surmary = Reading (8-23 to 8-27) = Reading (8-1 to 8-22) = Exercise 14 then Debrief = Presentation on Lab/Field Results and Module Summary = Course Summary Tntro-85In Abridged St Units Guide? ST Base Quantities and Units ST Unit Syrbol SPE Dirensions ("Abbreviation") Syrbol ge Cuantity OF et tne et Use Foman Spisension* a Wpetght) type erisht) Tee Tage ater @ mass Kdlogram kg a tire second : 5 thermodynamic temperature kelvin x t amommt_ of substance: mole’ mol 2 hen the role 1s used, the elementary entities must be specitiedi they may be, atone, then the ions, electrons, other perticles, or specified groups of such particles in Potiole work, the tama *kilogran mole", ‘pound sole", etc., are often erroneously Shortened to “nole*. ‘Same Comon ST Derived Units ‘st Unit Syrbol (abbreviation) , Bante, acceleration area density fpergyr serk force preseure feloctty we Visconity, dyrante Pye Viscosity, Kdneraete ah vise. = ‘to Convert From » mutetply bv 2d acre (0.8. survey! wees ied) 4.046 872 £002 cores Feeiee2) 41386 000 B04 stroephere (standard) feseal (ex) ‘1-013 280 E05 fr Bieca} tye) 2-000 000 £v05 Barrel (for petroleum 42 gal) Bega) geo 672 Eo birmel fee) 5.615 5600 Beieian chemel unit. (International Table) SSalesG) 1.088 086 Esa? earcy Hater?) 9.868 232 E13 Gay ban solar) Second ts) #840 000 0d ane reveog fi) 1-000 000 LoS Gilion 0.8. quid) Pecos) 3.905 412 £03 gan Elloggae, kg) 1-000 000 -03 fectare fetter) 1000 000 E+04 Bie 1.8. survey! eter ta Tens 947 even eeu {ibm svolsepots) Rilogean tkg) 40595 924 5-01 Spool sun km pakke natis conestes eat bien ie & sah mS ee Re} oe ei 4 ae ais ie Geuranen of ie 3 Oe ition ot mo Se Eittionn oe sitianitn 1 Re As, et ale, The SI Heteic System of Units and SPE's Tenta- Intro-9 campbell tive metric Standard, JPr, Dec. 1977, p. 1575.COMMON SI_UNITS USED IN THIS COURSE SI HINTS km? = 1(km)? = 1(10?m)*= 1 X 108m? 1MPa = 147 psi 1K = 1.8F 1k) = 1 Btu 1 um? = 1 Darcy 1ImPa-s= 1p 1mN/m = 1 dyne/cm Intro=10MODULE 1 DEFINING EOR Enhanced O11 Recovery (E0R) is oi! recovery by the Injection of materials not normally found in the reservoir. This module Is an overview to help you analyze the need for EOR, define the major EOR processes, and compare the performance of each. This course focuses on oll recovery, and does not address enhanced gas recovery. Also be aware that only U.S. domestic statistics are cited in this section. OBJECTIVES: During this module you wi 1, Define EOR 2. Analyze the EOR target 3. Discuss the current status of EOR 1), Describe the need for EOR 5. Define incremental oi! recovery 6. Compare performances of chemical, thermal, and solvent processes 7. Examine EOR forecasts OUTLINE: 0 OVERVIEW © CURRENT STATUS 0 WHY EOR? © COMPARATIVE PERFORMANCES : © FORECASTS FOR EOR © SUMMARY ACTIVITIES: During this first section of the course, you will listen toa presentation and discussion, read the reference material in the workbook, and complete an exercise . designed to help you summarize the formation presented. Exercise 1: Why EOR? MATERIALS: Video Tape Hodule 1 Workbook Pages 1-1 to 1-21 TIME: You can expect to take approximately 50 minutes to complete all of the activities in this module in addition to the reading. Tape Time: 40 minutes Exercise: 10 minutes Fundamentals of Enhanced Oi! RecoveryMODULE 1 OVERVIEW DEFINITION Enhanced of! recovery (E0R) is defined as oil recovery by the injection of materials not normally present in the reservo This definition embraces all modes of recovery processes (drive, push-pull, and well treatments), and covers a very large number’ of oi! recovery agents. Most importantly, the definition does not restrict EOR to a particular phase (primary, secondary, or tertiary) in the producing life of a reservoir. Nearly all EOR processes have been at least field-tested as _ secondary displacements. Conmercial primary or secondary thermal floods are common. To be sure, much interest has been focused on tertiary EOR, but the definition does not place any such restriction. DISTINCTIONS The definition does exclude waterflooding and is intended to exclude all pressure maintenance processes. Sometimes the latter distinction is not clear since many pressure maintenance processes have displacement character. Moreover, agents such as methane in a high pressure gas drive or carbon dioxide in a reservoir with substantial resident CO, do not satisfy the definition, yet both are clearly EOR processes. Usually the EOR cases that fall outside of the definition are classified by the intent of the process. 1-2 Fundamentals of Enhanced Oi! RecoveryMODULE 1 OVERVIEW EOR TARGET Much of the interest in £0R centers around the amount of oi] to which it is potentially applicable. Table 1 shows that this "target" oil accounts for 278 billion barrels in the domestic U.S. which represents nearly 70% of the 401 billion barrels of original oil in place. TABLE 1...PRODUCTION, RESERVES AND RESIDUAL OIL IN PLACE U.S. ONSHORE, EXCLUDING ALASKA (from Geffen, 1973) Billions Percent of Category of Barrels Original Oi! In Place Produced 101 25.2 Proved Reserves 22 5. EOR Target 278 63 TOTAL yor 100.0 If EOR could recover only 10% of this amount, it could more than double the proved domestic reserves. 1-3 Fundamentals of Enhanced Oil RecoveryMODULE 1 CURRENT STATUS WHERE WE STAND NOW The possibility of recovering substantial additional oil lies primarily in the future. Recent production trends, Figure 1, show that a steadily growing percentage of the domestic production comes from EOR processes. FIGURE 1 EOR PRODUCTION RATE (from Petroleum Data Book) EOR recovery as % of domestic Production 10.0% 10.0 10.0 9.0% 8.0% 7.0% 6.0% 5.0% 4.0% 3.0% 2.0% 1.0% 0.0% es + © aan es s 3 8g e 8s S&S & Oe ota ee Fundamentals of Enhanced Oil Recovery revised 2/96MODULE 1 CURRENT STATUS ACTIVITY Thermal methods, particularly steam drive and soak (combined on ANALYSIS Table 2) occupy the larges share of EOR projects and have : experienced steady growth between 1971 and 1986. (It has since declined, as all activity in the oil industry has.) PROJECTION Project number measures activity, but oll production rate RATE measures success. Table 3 shows nominal daily oil production rates for the EOR processes. JOMESTIC EOR PRODUCTION RATE BY PROCESS TYPE (from Oil and Gas Journal) TABLE 1982 198419861988 «199019921904 1996 Thermal Methods Steam 288.4 958.1 468.7 455.5 444.1 4540 415.8 419.4 Insitu combustion 102 64 103 65 61 47 25 4s Hot Water 07 29 40 20 a7 03 Total thermal 298.6 364.8 479.7 464.9 454.2 460.7 419.0 424.2 Chemical Micollarpomer 0.928 4.8 458 ° Poymer 29 102 1530288 Akane 06 03 02 0.0 Total chemical 44 18-4 16.9 22.5 11.8 22 41.9 04 Solvent Hycrocarbon miscible 14.4 93.85.8559 118.1 99.7 98.3 C02 miscible 313° 284 643956 145.0 161.5 170.7 C02 immiscible 07 (44 04 ot on Nitrogen 7a) 105 oO) (22.918 eae) | cat 28 Fluogas (miscibleand 298.4281 21.4173 1400 ° immisefble) other 63 0 44 48 Total solvent 83.0 108.2 131.0 190.6 298.0 288.6 299.4 Grand total 903.0 460.9 604.7 618.4 656.6 760.9 709.5 723.7 1-6 Fundamentals of Enhnaced Oil Recovery revised 4/96