Abstract
An in-situ combustion method is an effective method to enhance oil recovery with high economic recovery rate, low risk, fast promotion and application speed. Currently, in-situ combustion technique is regarded as the last feasible thermal recovery technology to replace steam injection in the exploitation of bitumen sands and heavy oil reservoirs. However, the oil-discharging mechanism during the in-situ combustion process is still not clearly understood. In this paper, the in-situ combustion process has been numerically simulated based on the Du 66 block. The effect of production parameters (huff and puff rounds, air injection speed, and air injection temperature) and geological parameters (bottom water thickness, stratigraphic layering, permeability ratio, and formation thickness) on the heavy oil recovery have been comprehensively analyzed. Results show that the flooding efficiency is positively correlated with the thickness of the bottom water, and negatively correlated with the formation heterogeneity. There exist optimum values for the oil layer thickness, huff and puff rounds, and air injection speed. And the effect of air injection temperature is not significant. The results of this paper can contribute to the understanding of mechanisms during in-situ combustion and the better production design for heavy oil reservoirs.
Highlights
In-situ combustion technique is called the inner layer combustion or fire-flooding, which is one kind of enhanced oil recovery (EOR) technology developed in 1930s
The influencing factors of the in-situ combustion process could be analyzed through sensitivity analysis on the production and geological parameters, which could provide the basis for the preliminary screening of the in-situ combustion reservoir and the production design of the target reservoirs
It can be concluded that the air injection speed should be increased to maintain stable combustion and meet the development of the in-situ combustion
Summary
Wilson and Root proposed relevant calculation formulas through dry forward combustion and wet forward combustion experiments and discussed the main influencing factors [3]. Chleh and Gates proposed the methods for estimating the minimum required air flow to maintain oil combustion [5,6]. Parrish et al conducted a forward wet combustion test, discussed the influencing factors of various parameters, and provided a design method for wet combustion [8]. Penberthy et al have proposed a relationship between temperature and crude oil saturation distribution, material balance, air demand and oxygen concentration near the combustion front [9]. Garon et al carried out inverse combustion experiments and discussed the related influencing factors [10]. Suat and Mustafa conducted in-situ combustion technique on Turkish
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