In Situ Combustion Simulation for A Heavy Oil Naturally Fractured Reservoir
Date
2019-05-10
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Abstract
Heavy oil contained in naturally-fractured reservoirs is of great importance in several countries and could potentially contribute significantly to the world’s energy supply. Although there are several enhanced oil recovery options available for recovering these resources, a promising one is in situ combustion (ISC). Although studies for more five decades, its use in naturally-fractured reservoirs is not fully-understood. In the research documented in this thesis is divided into two studies. In the first, a two-dimensional reactive thermal homogenous reservoir simulation model was used to investigate how reservoir properties such as porosity, permeability, pressure and oxygen diffusion, affect ISC in naturally-fractured reservoirs. In the second, implicit fractures and bedding shale are introduced into the system to investigate how heterogeneities in a carbonate fractured reservoir impact ISC performance. The results show that semi-vertical fractures not only provide a high permeability pathway but also contributes gravity drainage, promoting a better vertical distribution of injected air and improving ISC performance. Large shale layers and other flow barriers can cause a non-homogenous combustion front advance reducing ISC performance, but the combination of vertical fractures with flow barriers reduce fuel consumption and promotes displacement at lower temperatures.
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NFR, EOR, Heavy Oil
Citation
Vazquez Zamora, A. J. (2019). In Situ Combustion Simulation for A Heavy Oil Naturally Fractured Reservoir (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.