Effect of different injection fluids scenarios on swelling and migration of common clays in case of permeability variations: a micromodel study

Abstract Swelling and migration of present clays make damage to the oil reservoirs due to low salinity waterflooding (LSWF) can induce serious problems in the case of oil recovery improvement and researchers are trying to solve this problem. The purpose of this work is to investigate the mechanism o...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Mehran Karami, Behnam Sedaee, Ali Nakhaee
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SpringerOpen 2023-05-01
Series:Journal of Petroleum Exploration and Production Technology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1007/s13202-023-01628-z
_version_ 1797801593017466880
author Mehran Karami
Behnam Sedaee
Ali Nakhaee
author_facet Mehran Karami
Behnam Sedaee
Ali Nakhaee
author_sort Mehran Karami
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Swelling and migration of present clays make damage to the oil reservoirs due to low salinity waterflooding (LSWF) can induce serious problems in the case of oil recovery improvement and researchers are trying to solve this problem. The purpose of this work is to investigate the mechanism of two phenomena of swelling and migration clays in the porous media of a reservoir rock by injecting a different composition of LSWF using a glass micromodel and providing the appropriate composition and pattern of injection with the removal of damage. Proper water flooding design, application of efficient swelling inhibitors, and migration control are among the most important methods to overcome the problem of formation damage due to swelling and migration of clays. A series of static (bulk or bottle test) and dynamic tests were carried out using a micromodel with a coating of kaolinite and montmorillonite clays in the vicinity and injection of different low salt water compositions. The type and amount of these clays were selected based on the results of XRD and SEM mineralogical tests on real reservoir rock, FW and diluted FW, SW and diluted SW, solution of 1% zirconium oxychloride in 20 times diluted seawater (SI), and composition of nanofluid MgO, SiO2, and Al2O3 in 20 times diluted. In the studies conducted by the micromodel, only the images taken were used in the analysis of the mechanisms, but here, the input and output pressures of the micromodel were recorded with high-precision pressure transmitters, and by using the differential pressure, the permeability was calculated and the formation damage index was introduced. The overlap of the interpretation of the captured images and the changes of the numerical parameter of the damage index in all stages of injection of smart water composition was considered to evaluate the simultaneous and separate mechanisms of swelling and migration of clays. The results of the experiments in this research show that clay swelling has destructive effects on permeability, and migration due to the transfer of clays from the porous medium can have promising effects on reducing the damage index in some conditions. And it is necessary to use the swelling control compound during the flooding process, but the migration inhibitor compound is not always suitable. Gradual reduction of salinity is also introduced as a pattern to prevent swelling damage or clay migration. In general, in this study, the best design and fluid engineering for smart water injection with the least damage in the micromodel scale was presented.
first_indexed 2024-03-13T04:52:28Z
format Article
id doaj.art-b37ebe04313b4ad2ba4450c372115ba8
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 2190-0558
2190-0566
language English
last_indexed 2024-03-13T04:52:28Z
publishDate 2023-05-01
publisher SpringerOpen
record_format Article
series Journal of Petroleum Exploration and Production Technology
spelling doaj.art-b37ebe04313b4ad2ba4450c372115ba82023-06-18T11:07:16ZengSpringerOpenJournal of Petroleum Exploration and Production Technology2190-05582190-05662023-05-011381761178710.1007/s13202-023-01628-zEffect of different injection fluids scenarios on swelling and migration of common clays in case of permeability variations: a micromodel studyMehran Karami0Behnam Sedaee1Ali Nakhaee2Kish International Campus, University of TehranChemical Engineering Department, College of Engineering, Institute of Petroleum Engineering, University of TehranChemical Engineering Department, College of Engineering, Institute of Petroleum Engineering, University of TehranAbstract Swelling and migration of present clays make damage to the oil reservoirs due to low salinity waterflooding (LSWF) can induce serious problems in the case of oil recovery improvement and researchers are trying to solve this problem. The purpose of this work is to investigate the mechanism of two phenomena of swelling and migration clays in the porous media of a reservoir rock by injecting a different composition of LSWF using a glass micromodel and providing the appropriate composition and pattern of injection with the removal of damage. Proper water flooding design, application of efficient swelling inhibitors, and migration control are among the most important methods to overcome the problem of formation damage due to swelling and migration of clays. A series of static (bulk or bottle test) and dynamic tests were carried out using a micromodel with a coating of kaolinite and montmorillonite clays in the vicinity and injection of different low salt water compositions. The type and amount of these clays were selected based on the results of XRD and SEM mineralogical tests on real reservoir rock, FW and diluted FW, SW and diluted SW, solution of 1% zirconium oxychloride in 20 times diluted seawater (SI), and composition of nanofluid MgO, SiO2, and Al2O3 in 20 times diluted. In the studies conducted by the micromodel, only the images taken were used in the analysis of the mechanisms, but here, the input and output pressures of the micromodel were recorded with high-precision pressure transmitters, and by using the differential pressure, the permeability was calculated and the formation damage index was introduced. The overlap of the interpretation of the captured images and the changes of the numerical parameter of the damage index in all stages of injection of smart water composition was considered to evaluate the simultaneous and separate mechanisms of swelling and migration of clays. The results of the experiments in this research show that clay swelling has destructive effects on permeability, and migration due to the transfer of clays from the porous medium can have promising effects on reducing the damage index in some conditions. And it is necessary to use the swelling control compound during the flooding process, but the migration inhibitor compound is not always suitable. Gradual reduction of salinity is also introduced as a pattern to prevent swelling damage or clay migration. In general, in this study, the best design and fluid engineering for smart water injection with the least damage in the micromodel scale was presented.https://doi.org/10.1007/s13202-023-01628-zClay swellingClay migrationDamage controlSwelling inhibitorMigration inhibitorMicromodel
spellingShingle Mehran Karami
Behnam Sedaee
Ali Nakhaee
Effect of different injection fluids scenarios on swelling and migration of common clays in case of permeability variations: a micromodel study
Journal of Petroleum Exploration and Production Technology
Clay swelling
Clay migration
Damage control
Swelling inhibitor
Migration inhibitor
Micromodel
title Effect of different injection fluids scenarios on swelling and migration of common clays in case of permeability variations: a micromodel study
title_full Effect of different injection fluids scenarios on swelling and migration of common clays in case of permeability variations: a micromodel study
title_fullStr Effect of different injection fluids scenarios on swelling and migration of common clays in case of permeability variations: a micromodel study
title_full_unstemmed Effect of different injection fluids scenarios on swelling and migration of common clays in case of permeability variations: a micromodel study
title_short Effect of different injection fluids scenarios on swelling and migration of common clays in case of permeability variations: a micromodel study
title_sort effect of different injection fluids scenarios on swelling and migration of common clays in case of permeability variations a micromodel study
topic Clay swelling
Clay migration
Damage control
Swelling inhibitor
Migration inhibitor
Micromodel
url https://doi.org/10.1007/s13202-023-01628-z
work_keys_str_mv AT mehrankarami effectofdifferentinjectionfluidsscenariosonswellingandmigrationofcommonclaysincaseofpermeabilityvariationsamicromodelstudy
AT behnamsedaee effectofdifferentinjectionfluidsscenariosonswellingandmigrationofcommonclaysincaseofpermeabilityvariationsamicromodelstudy
AT alinakhaee effectofdifferentinjectionfluidsscenariosonswellingandmigrationofcommonclaysincaseofpermeabilityvariationsamicromodelstudy