A Knowledge-Based System for Optimal Economic Design of Improved Recovery Processes

Abstract

A Knowledge-Based System for Optimal Economic Design of Improved Recovery Processes R.B.C. Gharbi R.B.C. Gharbi Kuwait University Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Paper presented at the SPE Asia Pacific Oil and Gas Conference and Exhibition, Jakarta, Indonesia, April 2001. Paper Number: SPE-68765-MS https://doi.org/10.2118/68765-MS Published: April 17 2001 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Twitter LinkedIn Get Permissions Search Site Citation Gharbi, R.B.C. "A Knowledge-Based System for Optimal Economic Design of Improved Recovery Processes." Paper presented at the SPE Asia Pacific Oil and Gas Conference and Exhibition, Jakarta, Indonesia, April 2001. doi: https://doi.org/10.2118/68765-MS Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex Search Dropdown Menu nav search search input Search input auto suggest search filter All ContentAll ProceedingsSociety of Petroleum Engineers (SPE)SPE Asia Pacific Oil and Gas Conference and Exhibition Search Advanced Search AbstractThe main challenge of Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) processes at the prevailing low oil prices is to reduce the cost. An optimization methodology, combined with an economic model, is implemented into an expert system for optimizing the net present value of full field development with an EOR process. The approach is automated and combines an economic package and existing numerical reservoir simulators to optimize the design of a selected EOR process using sensitivity analysis. The EOR expert system includes three stages of consultations: (1) select an appropriate EOR process on the basis of the reservoir characteristics, (2) prepare appropriate input data sets to design the selected EOR process using existing numerical simulators, and (3) apply the discounted-cash-flow methods to the optimization of the selected EOR process to find out under what conditions at current oil prices this EOR process might be profitable. The project profitability measures were used as the decision-making variables in an iterative approach to optimize the design of the EOR process. The economic analysis is based on the estimated recovery, residual oil in-place, oil price, and operating costs. Two case studies are presented for two reservoirs that have already been produced to their economic limits and are potential candidates for surfactant/polymer flooding, and carbon-dioxide flooding, respectively, or otherwise subject to abandonment. The effect of several design parameters on the project profitability of these EOR processes was investigated.IntroductionEnhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) processes involve the displacement of one fluid by another in a heterogenous reservoir. EOR processes include thermal, miscible, and chemical methods. Thermal methods add heat to the reservoir, while miscible methods involve the injection of solvents (e.g. carbon dioxide, light hydrocarbons, nitrogen) that will mix with the reservoir oil to increase its mobility. Chemical EOR methods add chemicals (surfactants, polymer) to the injected water to reduce residual oil saturation to very low values in the swept zone of an oil reservoir. Most chemical EOR projects have used polymer with surfactant for mobility control, and in recent years many of the projects have combined alkaline agents with the surfactant and polymer solutions.EOR projects have drawn great attention in the petroleum industry because of their high potential for recovering more oil from depleted reservoirs with conventional production methods. In the past two decades, extensive research in EOR methods have been conducted, resulting in an increase in the number of EOR projects being conducted and field tested and thus large volume of publications. Because of the large capital investment associated with EOR processes, the complexity and uncertainty of the process performance, and low and unpredicable crude oil prices, economic analysis is necessary for good decision making.The steps involved in the implementation of any EOR project in a given reservoir are:selection of a suitable EOR process,performance prediction of the EOR process, anddesign optimization of the EOR process. The selection of an EOR process for a given field can be made based on the reservoir characteristics. However, the process performance of a particular design and the costs associated with it should be estimated before a decision can be made to invest large amount of money to conduct such process in the field. Keywords: chemical flooding methods, eor process, knowledge-based system, artificial intelligence, petrol, concentration, enhanced recovery, fuzzy logic, variation, optimization process Subjects: Improved and Enhanced Recovery, Chemical flooding methods This content is only available via PDF. 2001. Society of Petroleum Engineers You can access this article if you purchase or spend a download.