Air-Injection EOR in Highly Water-Saturated Light-Oil Reservoir

Abstract

Abstract Since 1950s In-Situ Combustion (ISC) has been applied to mainly heavy-oil reservoirs. In recent years, High Pressure Air Injection (HPAI) which is a displacement process categorized as ISC, is applied to light-oil reservoirs. And it has proven to be a valuable Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR). Reduction of oil viscosity is very important for ISC process. In contrast, it is not so essential for HPAI because original viscosity of light-oil is not as high as that of heavy oil. HPAI is considered as flue gas injection, since a flue gas sweep is one of the most important recovery factors of HPAI. However a flue gas sweep recovery factor is not effective for highly water saturated light-oil reservoirs, while thermal effects become an important recovery mechanism. This paper discribed the feasibility study of HPAI for watered out light-oil reservoirs, oil recovery mechanism and several simulation studies to establish maximum oil recovery factor. For the feasibility study, Combustion Tube tests (CT tests) and simulation studies were conducted. The oil recovery was observed in the CT test with crushed core which was flooded out by water. This result suggests that HPAI can be applied to highly water saturated light-oil reservoir. The results of simulation studies also indicate its feasibility. They also made clear that distillation process that was one of thermal effects of HPAI was a main recovery factor for a HPAI in this case. In order to maximize the oil recovery, controlling a channeling of injected air is important because early breakthrough of the air reduces oil production period significantly. The results of our studies show that not only a design of well completion but also an adjustment of air injection rate enable to increase vertical sweep efficiency and that line drive injection is effective to increase areal sweep efficiency.