Reservoirs Simulations of Gel Treatments to Control Water Production, Improve the Sweep Efficiency and the Conformance Factor in Eastern Venezuelan HPHT Fractured Reservoirs

Abstract

AbstractA numerical simulation study was undertaken to model the gel treatments in injector and producer wells in Eastern Venezuela Fractured HPHT Reservoirs in exploitation under secondary and tertiary recovery process.The objective of the simulation study is to develop a numerical simulation model based on field and laboratory data to model the gel treatments to block induced fractures and high permeable channels in water injection and oil producer wells, and to improve the conformance and the recovery factors.Field data representation of a HPHT Fractured Venezuelan reservoir with preferential water movement and induced fractures was used to build a conformance field prototype model.The gel used in the simulation study is a polymer system composed by polyacrylamide with phenol and formaldehyde crosslinkers suitable to stand HPHT reservoir conditions. Available laboratory work and field data to characterise the performance of polymer gels in fractured wells were included in the model and were history matched to predict alternate gel treatment scenarios.The developed simulation model provides a tool to predict the production performance of gel treatment in Eastern Venezuela Fractured HPHT Reservoirs under different treatment scenarios; useful to assist in the determination of: optimum treatment intervals, optimum procedures; and to develop data for economic evaluations, improving the design of gel treatment and reducing associated uncertainties.