Using cyclic alternating water injection to enhance oil recovery for carbonate reservoirs developed by linear horizontal well pattern

Abstract

In view of high water cut and low oil recovery caused by the unidirectional flow in linear pattern of horizontal wells for the carbonate reservoirs in the Middle East, this paper provides a novel approach to improve oil recovery by converting linear water injection to cyclic alternating water injection patterns including cyclic alternating water injection with apparent inverted seven-spot pattern or apparent five-spot pattern and cyclic differential alternating water injection. The main advantage of using this strategy is that the swept efficiency is improved by changing injection-production streamlines and displacement directions, which means displacement from two different direction for the same region during a complete cycle. This technology is effective in increasing the swept efficiency and tapping the remaining oil, thus resulting in higher oil recovery. Field application with three new patterns in a carbonate reservoir in the Middle East is successful. By optimizing injection and production parameters based on the cyclic alternating well pattern, the test well group had a maximum increase of daily oil production per well of 23.84 m 3 and maximum water cut drop of 18%. By further optimizing the distance (keep a long distance) between the heels of injection and production wells, the waterflooding performance could be better with water cut decreasing and oil production increasing.