Abstract

Enhanced oil recovery through the generation of foam in heavy oil reservoirs proves to be effective albeit of short duration. To address this transient efficacy, the application of foam stabilizers is crucial for ensuring a sustained stability. This research delves into the examination of factors that influence the utilization of nanoparticles as a foam stabilizer in heavy oil recovery. The investigation involved varying concentrations of nanoparticles which was blended with heavy oil and CO2 to generate live oil samples. Pressure depletion tests were carried out employing a 1D sand-pack model. Comprehensive data including produced oil weight, gas volume, and real-time pressure variations were meticulously recorded. The findings unequivocally underscore the effectiveness of nanoparticles in CO2 live oil pressure depletion tests, leading to increased oil recovery and reduced gas recovery compared to test conducted without nanoparticles. Notably, an augmentation in nanoparticle concentration correlates with improved oil recovery and decreased gas recovery. The pinnacle of oil recovery and gas recovery efficiency was attained at a depletion rate of 6 kPa/min. Moreover, nanoparticles, when compared to Monoethanolamine (MEA) at the same concentration and depletion rate, were found to exert a more pronounced influence on mitigating gas recovery.

Keywords:
fluid dynamics, pvt measurement, heavy oil play, unconventional play, flow in porous media, flow assurance, la urtec control id, experiment, test 3, geology
Subjects:
Flow Assurance, Fluid Characterization, Reservoir Fluid Dynamics, Improved and Enhanced Recovery, Unconventional and Complex Reservoirs, Precipitates (paraffin, asphaltenes, etc.), Phase behavior and PVT measurements, Flow in porous media, Chemical flooding methods
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