Enhanced Oil Recovery by Chemical Flooding from the Biostromal Carbonate Reservoir

Abstract

Abstract Lab study of chemical EOR for the carbonate reservoir was performed through core characterization, chemical formula screening, surfactant adsorption losses experiments and oil displacement core flooding tests of chemical flooding. The research results lay the foundation of future pilot tests for chemical combination flooding applying to carbonate reservoirs. Core characterization by scanning electron microscope and mercury injection capillary pressure experiment prove that there are plenty micropores and a few emposieu within rock, porosity of formation cores is relatively high but permeability is low, the reservoir lithology belonged to typical biostromal carbonate reservoir and the heterogeneity is severe. Chemical flooding formula was investigated by polymer and surfactant screening tests. Salt tolerant polymers including STARPAM and KYPAM showed good viscosifying performances than conventional polymer when prepared with formation water. Amphoteric surfactant AS-13 and anion-nonionic surfactant SPS1708 were selected and ultra-low interfacial tension between crude oil and formation water can be obtained in alkali-surfactant-polymer (ASP) and alkali free surfactant-polymer (SP) systems. Adsorption losses of surfactants on core sample showed that the dynamic adsorption losses of surfactant AS-13 and SPS1708 were 0.46mg/g and 0.37mg/g respectively. Core flooding tests of chemical flooding proved that more than 17~18% incremental oil recovery over water flooding could be obtained with ASP (0.6wt% Na3PO4 + 0.3wt% surfactant + 1000ppm polymer) or SP (0.3wt% surfactant + 1000ppm polymer) flooding. The effect of both ASP and SP flooding was better than that of surfactant flooding. The experimental results are considered to be technical feasibility and confirm the effectiveness of chemical EOR methods especially the SP flooding for the biostromal carbonate reservoir, which may present further understanding for chemical EOR field application in carbonate reservoirs.