ABSTRACT

In order to investigate the effects of viscous ratio (water/oil) and the connectivity of flow paths in fracture network on oil recovery from a single fracture, two kinds of water flooding simulations using lattice Boltzmann method have been conducted to single fracture models of different aperture distribution. For the first simulation, the viscous ratio is changed by changing the water viscosity. For the second simulation, the position of inlet and outlet is changed considering the connectivity of flow paths in fracture network. From these simulations, followings are cleared. Oil recovery improves as the viscous ratio becomes higher, because the sweep efficiency improves and the residual oil on the fracture surface decreases. Oil recovery is affected by the aperture distribution around the inlet and outlet. In particular, oil recovery becomes higher when both inflow and outflow of injected water are difficult by small aperture around both inlet and outlet, and it becomes lower when a simple and straight predominant flow path is formed.

Keywords:
multiphase flow, Fluid Dynamics, single fracture, complex reservoir, Engineering, inlet, hydraulic fracturing, Upstream Oil & Gas, Simulation, connectivity
Subjects:
Hydraulic Fracturing, Reservoir Fluid Dynamics, Improved and Enhanced Recovery, Unconventional and Complex Reservoirs, Waterflooding, Naturally-fractured reservoirs, Multiphase flow
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2012. Society of Petrophysicists and Well Log Analysts
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