This paper presents the results of laboratory foam tests that will be used to determine foam parameters for use in foam-flood reservoir simulators. Foam tests were performed at average reservoir conditions of 101 °F and 2100 psig with EVGSAU cores. Foam was generated in situ by simultaneous injection of surfactant solution and C02 into a brine-saturated core. In this study, the gas-liquid volumetric injection ratios of 2, 4, and 6 (with foam qualities of 66.7%, 80.0%, and 85.7%, respectively) were examined. The flow rate in terms of total interstitial velocity varied from 0.36 to 34.38 ft/day. The surfactant was tested at concentrations of 1000 and 2500 ppm active.

The resistance factor of each test ranged from 3 to 63, indicating that foam was generated at all the testing conditions. Brine permeability, which changed after each foam test, had a significant effect on the calculation of foam apparent viscosity. Because of varying brine permeability, the resistance factor data is more suitable for simulator input than the apparent viscosity data.

Keywords:
enhanced recovery, mobility, society of petroleum engineers, miscible method, surfactant, foam generation, resistance factor, foam parameter, foam test, surfactant concentration
Subjects:
Well & Reservoir Surveillance and Monitoring, Reservoir Fluid Dynamics, Improved and Enhanced Recovery, Reservoir Simulation, Flow in porous media, Gas-injection methods, Chemical flooding methods, Miscible methods
Copyright 1994, Society of Petroleum Engineers
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