Abstract
This study describes a new method that can improve laboratory determination of enhanced oil recovery (EOR) potential for a test fluid relative to a base fluid. The new method uses a modified steady-state fractional flow method to measure the shift in oil saturation in a rock at an intermediate fractional flow when changing from a base brine to a test EOR brine(s). This study uses fractional flow analysis and simulations to illustrate the new method and compare with the conventional unsteady-state approach. Through case studies, this work demonstrates that the conventional unsteady-state approach can under or overestimate EOR brine performance due to poor test design or limitations of the conventional method. The proposed method addresses these limitations. The study also discusses how to determine optimal values of fractional flow and total flow rate, both of which are critical test parameters for the new method.
