Resistivity Wave for Monitoring Foam Flood Propagation

Abstract

Abstract In order to produce more oil in reservoir, one of the promising methods is Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR). On the average, conventional production methods will produce only 30% of the Oil Initial In place (OIIP). The remaining 70% will be covered by EOR methods. WAG (Water Alternating Gas) has already exist to recover amount of hydrocarbon. Unfortunately, gas has several disadvantages which are less viscous, less density and causes poor sweep efficiency due to the high gas mobility. Foam is used to overcome the advantages of gas by reducing gas mobility, to increase sweep efficiency by reducing the fingering effect of gas and also foam can travel both high and low permeability region along the core sample. The identification of the foam flood location is an important aspect of monitoring the progression of foam. Resistivity is chosen to monitor foam propagation because it has higher sensitivity, suitable for higher concentration, it has no limitation of gas volume fraction, no need high energy. This experiment will focus to study on resistivity measurement, foam and monitoring foam flood. Objectives of this experiment are to determine the relationship between foam injection time, distance of foam propagation, velocity of foam using resistivity wave. To measure the effect of foam and brine concentration changed against resistivity in the presence of oil. To measure foam propagation can displace brine by the changes in saturation as time progresses in various distance. Resistivity measure at several zones to monitoring foam propagation through a core sample. Core sample will be characterized to identify dimensional of the core plug, porosity and permeability of the core plug. The liquids, such as brine, surfactant, nitrogen gas will be characterized to obtain the value of density, viscosity, salinity of brine for each materials. All those properties will influence the resistivity readings of foam propagation. All liquids will be injected into the core sample as time progresses and it will be measured by multimeter to obtain the resistivity readings. By using Archie’s equation, the brine saturation in each zone of the core sample can be calculated and plotted against injection time. From the experiment, it will be concluded that resistivity increases only in zone 1 approximately at 125 minutes from 280 ohm.m to reach the stable stage at 1100 ohm.m and foam disintegration in zone. Decreasing water saturation in zone 1 approximately at 125 minutes, zone 2 approximately at 141 minutes, zone 3 approximately at 150 minutes. Velocity of the foam propagation approximately 0,01 cm/s and the flow rate of foam propagation was 0,11 cm3/s.