Core-scale modeling of surfactant-assisted spontaneous water imbibition in carbonates
This work numerically investigates surfactant effects on spontaneous water imbibition in oil-wet carbonates. An open boundary core-scale imbibition model with 9 × 9 × 10 gridblocks was used in UTCHEM to simulate carbonate core plug exposure to a vast water body. The simulation models were developed...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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KeAi Communications Co., Ltd.
2022-12-01
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| Series: | Petroleum |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405656120301103 |
| _version_ | 1797960172241420288 |
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| author | Xingang Bu Ming Han Abdulkareem M. AlSofi |
| author_facet | Xingang Bu Ming Han Abdulkareem M. AlSofi |
| author_sort | Xingang Bu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This work numerically investigates surfactant effects on spontaneous water imbibition in oil-wet carbonates. An open boundary core-scale imbibition model with 9 × 9 × 10 gridblocks was used in UTCHEM to simulate carbonate core plug exposure to a vast water body. The simulation models were developed based on surfactant-assisted imbibition tests that were conducted in secondary and tertiary oil production modes using Amott cells at 75°C. Capillary and gravity forces were captured by history matching the experiments. Through history matching, the inputs for surfactant adsorption and diffusion, capillary pressure and relative permeability were calibrated. In tertiary mode, the surfactants-assisted imbibition process presents the performance in mixed-wet state rather than oil-wet state, which is governed by wettability alteration. A simulation model for surfactant-assisted imbibition in secondary mode was used to investigate the effects of various factors including interfacial tension (IFT) reduction, wettability alteration, adsorption, volume of surrounding water and capillary force. The simulation results suggest that surfactant-assisted water imbibition in secondary mode is gravity dominant, which is facilitated by both IFT reduction and wettability alteration caused by addition of proper surfactants. Different from water imbibition in water-wet core, it presents vertically dominant oil flow with a hemispherical oil-rich area and uneven remaining oil saturation. It is obvious that sufficient surfactant supply in vast water is required to make effective imbibition, in consideration of surfactant consumption and changes in concentration gradients. This core-scale modeling provides insights of surfactant-assisted imbibition in initially oil-wet carbonates and helps scale up the application in a cost-effective way. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T00:42:08Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0eab781b4450436ab9b121c0f6ea3ef7 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2405-6561 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T00:42:08Z |
| publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
| publisher | KeAi Communications Co., Ltd. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Petroleum |
| spelling | doaj.art-0eab781b4450436ab9b121c0f6ea3ef72023-01-06T04:17:23ZengKeAi Communications Co., Ltd.Petroleum2405-65612022-12-0184458465Core-scale modeling of surfactant-assisted spontaneous water imbibition in carbonatesXingang Bu0Ming Han1Abdulkareem M. AlSofi2Beijing Research Center, Aramco Asia, Beijing, 100102, ChinaBeijing Research Center, Aramco Asia, Beijing, 100102, China; EXPEC Advanced Research Center, Saudi Aramco, Dhahran, 31311, Saudi Arabia; Corresponding author.EXPEC Advanced Research Center, Saudi Aramco, Dhahran, 31311, Saudi ArabiaThis work numerically investigates surfactant effects on spontaneous water imbibition in oil-wet carbonates. An open boundary core-scale imbibition model with 9 × 9 × 10 gridblocks was used in UTCHEM to simulate carbonate core plug exposure to a vast water body. The simulation models were developed based on surfactant-assisted imbibition tests that were conducted in secondary and tertiary oil production modes using Amott cells at 75°C. Capillary and gravity forces were captured by history matching the experiments. Through history matching, the inputs for surfactant adsorption and diffusion, capillary pressure and relative permeability were calibrated. In tertiary mode, the surfactants-assisted imbibition process presents the performance in mixed-wet state rather than oil-wet state, which is governed by wettability alteration. A simulation model for surfactant-assisted imbibition in secondary mode was used to investigate the effects of various factors including interfacial tension (IFT) reduction, wettability alteration, adsorption, volume of surrounding water and capillary force. The simulation results suggest that surfactant-assisted water imbibition in secondary mode is gravity dominant, which is facilitated by both IFT reduction and wettability alteration caused by addition of proper surfactants. Different from water imbibition in water-wet core, it presents vertically dominant oil flow with a hemispherical oil-rich area and uneven remaining oil saturation. It is obvious that sufficient surfactant supply in vast water is required to make effective imbibition, in consideration of surfactant consumption and changes in concentration gradients. This core-scale modeling provides insights of surfactant-assisted imbibition in initially oil-wet carbonates and helps scale up the application in a cost-effective way.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405656120301103SurfactantImbibitionCore-scale modelingSimulationWettability alterationInterfacial tension |
| spellingShingle | Xingang Bu Ming Han Abdulkareem M. AlSofi Core-scale modeling of surfactant-assisted spontaneous water imbibition in carbonates Petroleum Surfactant Imbibition Core-scale modeling Simulation Wettability alteration Interfacial tension |
| title | Core-scale modeling of surfactant-assisted spontaneous water imbibition in carbonates |
| title_full | Core-scale modeling of surfactant-assisted spontaneous water imbibition in carbonates |
| title_fullStr | Core-scale modeling of surfactant-assisted spontaneous water imbibition in carbonates |
| title_full_unstemmed | Core-scale modeling of surfactant-assisted spontaneous water imbibition in carbonates |
| title_short | Core-scale modeling of surfactant-assisted spontaneous water imbibition in carbonates |
| title_sort | core scale modeling of surfactant assisted spontaneous water imbibition in carbonates |
| topic | Surfactant Imbibition Core-scale modeling Simulation Wettability alteration Interfacial tension |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405656120301103 |
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