Visualization of Heavy Oil Chemical Flooding Processes

Date
2017
Journal Title
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Volume Title
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Abstract
The observation made in laboratory core floods is that chemical recovery of oil is achieved under high pressure gradients. A potential shortfall of core tests is their 1D nature: there are only limited water pathways established throughout the core during the initial waterflood. In this case, water channels can be blocked and the additional oil produced before chemical consequently breaks through. In actual reservoirs, with more water pathways present, there is a possibility that this blockage mechanism will not be significant, and production from chemical flooding may not work the way it does in the laboratory. This thesis presents a study on heavy oil production using chemicals in a 2D Hele-Shaw cell system. This system does not allow for capillary trapping of fluids so localized water channel blockage will not occur, and the cell is 2D so non-linear flow pathways can be visualized. Chemical injections (surfactant, polymer and SP systems) are run in the Hele-Shaw cell with the goal being to identify if there is still an improved recovery from chemical floods and, if so, to identify the production mechanisms.
Description
Keywords
Engineering--Chemical, Engineering--Petroleum
Citation
Voroniak, A. (2017). Visualization of Heavy Oil Chemical Flooding Processes (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/28650