An Experimental and Numerical Study of the Oxidation/Combustion Reaction Kinetics in High Pressure Air Injection Process
Date
2013-01-30
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Abstract
High Pressure Air Injection (HPAI) as an enhanced oil recovery method has received notable attention during the last decade after its first successful application in Buffalo Red River Unit project. Since then, several other field projects have been initiated and investigations have been carried out to develop the understandings of the controlling mechanisms. Reaction kinetics of the oxidation/combustion reactions are the most crucial mechanism. They control the overall performance and success of air injection processes; however, they are not fully explored for light oils (or even heavy oils) yet. Lack of a reliable kinetics model for incorporation into field numerical simulations has been a limiting factor to the prospective vast applications of HPAI as an enhanced recovery method.
This dissertation was assigned to provide a proper kinetics model for light oils oxidation/combustion reactions under HPAI, through laboratory studies and numerical simulation. For the purpose of this research, a high pressure ramped temperature oxidation reactor (HPRTO) was designed. 15 air injection and nitrogen injection experiments were conducted on the mixture of light oil, water, and core. Nitrogen injection tests were performed to study the distillation behavior and characterize the evaporation drive mechanism and its potential associations with the reaction kinetics; while, air injection tests aimed at understanding the scheme and kinetics of the chemical reactions occurring during HPAI. Also the effect of the operating parameters on the overall outcome of the process was studied with a focus on oil composition, injection gas flux, and initial water saturation.
A comprehensive equation of state phase behavior model using data generated through several PVT tests was developed. A methodology was proposed to employ the phase behavior model and generate compositional equilibrium K-values under conditions of the HPRTO tests. Based on the data, observations, and understandings achieved during the course of the experimental study, a reaction kinetics model was set up. This primary kinetics model was later incorporated into a thermal numerical simulation model to replicate the behavior of the conducted air injection tests. After fine tuning of some kinetic parameters against the experimental data, the final proposed model was verified by its successful application to two other different cases.
The significant finding of this research, which also composed the core of the proposed kinetic model, was the recognition and characterization of the potential vapor phase combustion reactions during the HPAI process.
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Engineering--Petroleum
Citation
Barzin, Y. (2013). An Experimental and Numerical Study of the Oxidation/Combustion Reaction Kinetics in High Pressure Air Injection Process (Doctoral thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/24884