Abstract
Primary production mechanisms do not recover an appreciable fraction of the hydrocarbon initially in place (HIIP). Practical knowledge has shown that, at the point when the natural energy in a heavy oil reservoir is nearly or altogether depleted, the recovery factor does not exceed about 20%. Some heavy oil reservoirs do not produce at all by natural drive mechanisms. This often necessitates adopting a production improvement strategy to augment recovery. Prior to implementing an improved oil recovery method (either secondary or tertiary) in the field, it is very important to investigate its potential for success. Reservoir simulation is a part of a continuous learning process used to gain insight into the feasibility and applicability of improved oil recovery methods. In this project, GEM compositional reservoir simulator has been used to study the efficiencies of different improved oil recovery strategies, ranging from waterflooding to solvent injection. The drainage volume investigated is a hypothetical box-shaped heavy oil reservoir composed of three distinct permeable layers.
Highlights
Improved oil recovery processes broadly encompass all of the measures aimed towards increasing ultimate recovery from a petroleum reservoir
Natural reservoir energies control the ultimate recovery of petroleum during primary production; such drive mechanisms include liquid and rock compressibility drive, solution gas drive, gas-cap drive, natural water influx, and combination drive processes
The objective of this paper is to compare the productivities of different improved oil recovery methods in a hypothetical box-shaped heavy oil reservoir
Summary
Improved oil recovery processes broadly encompass all of the measures aimed towards increasing ultimate recovery from a petroleum reservoir. Most reservoirs are subjected to improved oil recovery (IOR) processes fol-. How to cite this paper: Suman, Y.K., Shirif, E., Ibrahim, H. and Ala-Ktiwi, A. (2014) Investigating Improved Oil Recovery in Heavy Oil Reservoirs. World Journal of Engineering and Technology, 2, 23-31. Natural reservoir energies control the ultimate recovery of petroleum during primary production; such drive mechanisms include liquid and rock compressibility drive, solution gas drive, gas-cap drive, natural water influx, and combination drive processes. Primary recovery from oil reservoirs is influenced by reservoir rock properties, fluid properties, and geologic heterogeneities
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