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PAPER
NUMBER
SPE 2383
By
Roger J. Schoeppel,Member AIME, Oklahoma State University,Stillwater,Oklahoma
Demir Ersoy, Jr, Member ADIE, StanfordUniversity,Stanford,California
Amerimm
Institute
0 Copyright 1968
of !Mining, Metallurgical and Petroleum
Engineers,
Inc.
ABSTRACT
.
INTRODUCTION
In-situcombustionconsistsof injecting
ambient temperature air into the reservoir
and burning a portionof the oil to improve
recoveryefficiency. To start this processit
is first necessaryto ignite the oil in the
formationand then to sustaincombustionby
continuousair injection, Severalmethods
have been used to initiatethe combustionprocess. These have used electricalandlor chem
ical means to raise the immediatewell bore
surroundingsto a temperaturelevel sufficien
to sustaincombustion.
Spontaneousignitionis a phenomenon
wherein ignitionoccurs spontaneouslyas a
result of air injectioninto the reservair.
In the initialstagesheat releaseddue to
low temperatureoxidationaccumulatesfaster
than can be dissipatedresultingin an increase in temperature. If heat continuesto
be generatedat a rate greater than can be dis
sipated,a temperatureconditionis soon
reachedwhich is generallyacceptedas the
ignitiontemperature!
Utilizationof this
TUTC
TC
DRFDRTNT
. . .
CIIRTRVP
TA
CflR12UPTTOhl
Cnu
92Q2
Accordingto Arrheniuaprediction,the
reactionrate is given by
. ac
=A
3t
where A
E
R
T
=
=
=
=
exp(-E/RT)
(4)
constant
activationenergy
universalgas constant
absolutetemperature
ChemicalKinetics
The chemicalkineticswhich govern spontaneous ignitiondepend on the low temperature
oxidationcharacteristic of the crude oil.
If it is assumed that oxidationof crude oil
is a simple reaction,such aa
(1)
where a, b, and p are the stoichiometriccoefficientsof A, B and P, then the rate of oxygen consumptionis
aCA
~=kcA
- ~
o CB
= skC exp(-E/RT)
(5)
dC
-Z=Q
(2)
,-
..-
w .
..a-*
-..
-ww*
-,.
..***
-.-,
*
~=~
ar
aaT + (1 - !l&!)+g
2nK
F
i-l-1,1+1
- i-1,1+1
2(
2 Ar
* i+l,j - i-1
2Ar
i)
tct aT
+ # skC exp(- E/RT) =
K at
(6)
a
~=+
(8)
Ti+l,j+l- 2Ti,j+l+1.1,1+1
(~
Oxygen BalanceEauation
For the same differentialradial element,
oxygen concentrationis governedby an oxygen
balance,where concentration within the system are functionsof both time and radial
location, Applyingthis Ilanceover the
elementgives,
=+(S
~r
-WC
.. 1 ac
2;) r &
Q
exp(- E/RT) =~~
(7)
(9)
and
@T= i,jl-l- Ti,$
at
At
(10)
HeaC Balance
~gen
Initia1
Condition: t=O !C=TL
C=c~
Limiting
Conditions:r=rw T=To
C=co
aT-o
=re Z (no flow
boundary)
Balance
The heat balanceequationshown above can
be simplifiedby definingthe constants
~=l.
ii?&
=--sk
i3:
g=o
ar
Pt =t
Y = K
(no flow
boundary)
lMPLICITSOLUTION
As previouslyshown, the mathematical
analysiaof this system yields two parabolic
partialdifferentialequationswhich are
coupledby rate-of-reactionterms. These
equationsmay be solvednumericallyusing the
Crank-Nicolaon3method which is applicable
for all ranges of time (j) and distance (i)
increments. In this method the derivative
terms are replacedby the mean of its finite
differencerepresentationson the (j 1-1) and
(j) time row, where thevaluee on the (j)
time row are known and the valuea on the
(j + 1) time row are tobe calculated.
Accordingto the Crank-Nicolsonimplicit
to give:
a2T+alaT
~
YS
+9 C exp(- E/RT) = y%
(11)
By applyingthe Crank-Nicolsonimplicit
method to derivativeterms and rearrangingso
that unknownsappear on the left and knowns
appear on the right,we obtain
x(z) Ti-l,j+l+y(I) Ti,j+l
+ 2(1) %l,j+l
= W(I)
12)
t
TUTS
TS
PRl?PRTNT
---
where
GDP
Y(I) = - 41 At - 4Ar2 I y
(1) = 21At(-ci+l,j+
i,j-
92Q1
Ci.l,j)
+ tar(-ci+l,j+ Ci-l,j)
- 4Ara I A t Sr Ci 3+1 exp(- E/RT
i,j+l)
9
If initialand limitingconditionsfor
the heat and oxygen balanceequationsare defined$ it is possibleto caLculatetemperature profilesand correspondingoxygen concentrationsafter every time row, Limiting
conditionsassumed for numericalsolutionof
the heat and oxygen equationsare as follows:
i+l,j + i-l,j)
i,j+l Xp(- ERTi,j+l)
4Ar=
1yTiY3
NumericalOxygen BalanceEquation
The numericalsolutionof the oxygen
balanceequationcan be simplifiedin a manner
similarto the heat balance equationto give:
aac
1 rci}j
MC+p
~+arrar
Heat Balance:
Initialcondition: T(i,l) = Ti
1 s j SJ
where
J=~
T(I-l,j)= T(I+l,j)
CYr
i= 1
total
lsjsJ,
1-%5
Oxygen Balance:
Initialcondition: C(i,l) = Ci
@r= -y
yr =
~
l=Ar
j =1
r C exp(- E/RT)
lsi<I
1<1<1
Q/l.
Limitingconditions: C(i,j) = Co
l<jsJ
~ = total
At
C(I-l,j)= C(I+l,j)
lsjsJ.
+ ZZ(I)
Ci+l,j+l = W(I)
(14)
where
XX(I) =21At-@rAt
iY(I)= -41At-
4AraIyr
ZZ(I)=21At-t-urAt
j.sl
CALCULATIONPROCEDURE
Two second-orderparabolicpartial differentialequations,one for heat balanceand
one for oxygenbalance,were approximatedby
Crank-Nicolsonimplicitmethod co a numerical
form. By applytngan implicitequationto
a.-.
/*xl
!?noor
..v~-.
.1.
%-hmennel
--..--rF-.
sand Tkmlr
-----
------
Ersov
----
Thermal conductivity,
Btu/hr-ft-F
Reactionrate constant,lb-mole
(32/hr-ft2
Oxygen flux, lb-mole0Z/hr-ft2
K
k
flc
qr
R
R(C,T)
Gas constant,Btu/lb-moleR
Effectiverate of reaction,lbmole 0e/hr-ft3
Surface to volume ratio, ft2/ftz
Absolute temperature,R
Air injectionrate, SCF/hr-ft
Volumetricair flux, SCF/hr-ft2
Reactionorder of oxygen, dimensionless
Reactionorder of fuel, dimensionless
Density of matrix, lb/ft3
Pf
g
g
2,?,V
Porosity,fractional
(4)
Constants,heat balanceequation
Constants,oxygen balanceequation
X,Y,Z,W
Constants,simultaneousequation
for heat balanceequation
XX,YY,ZZ,WW Constants,simultaneousequation
for oxygen balance equation
i
Radial location
Time increment
j
SPE 23
. 2,.Tr.
t
Q1 = qrlr
2r,13r,vr
qrlr+&
2(r+.r)
(l-
*lr
2.r-t
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The authorswish to recognizethe
graduateprogramat the Universityof Tulsa
wherein this work was completed. The senior
author also wishes to thank the management
of Gulf Researchand DevelopmentCompany for
permissionto extend and publish the results
of a summerwork assignment. Mr. L. A.
Wilson is due special recognitionfor his
initialguidancein the problem.
5J
+ ~r] tih . 2(*ir) .t
(1-
2qr;t
21T(*~r)~t
(l-
REFERENCES
Q3 = H s k C exp(-E/RT)o 21rLr~t (1(1) Gates, C. F., and Ramey, H. J., Jr.,
FieldResults of South BelridgeThermal RecoveryExperiment, Trans.AIME
(1958),~,
236.
%cthit
2TrrAr
- PtctTlt , 2nrLr
(l-
where
(3)
Ptct =(1-
Qg) Pfcf+ Qg Pg Cg
Sl?E2383
Ro~er J. Schoemel
Demir
Ernov
-- ,
. . and
--- ------
I
Combiningthese terms in the form of a heat
balanceaccordingto
Q2+Qj=c&
C3 = R(C,T) 2nrArAt
= s k C exp(-E/RT) 2nr4rAt
Q+
82T ~LB.%%!~
r ar
F
ftct
R(C,T) =~~
K
aT
(1-1
C4 = gClt+At $ 2mrAr
-
tgC(t 2nr4r
(1-1
~)+~
~+(1.
+#skCexp(-E/RT)=
(1-7)
Oxygen BalanceEquation
For the same radial differentialelement
used in derivingthe heat balance equation,
and assumin8an isobaricsystem,an oxygen
balancemust yield an equationwhere ~xygen
concentrationis expressedas a f M-? a.1 of
both time and radial location, Sta- <ng with
the overalloxygen balanceequation
qclr
.
. 2nrAt - cIr+Ar
2n(rl-Ar)
At
(1-8)
where
qc=-D~.
ac
~Clr+Ar
2nrAt
2n(ri-Ar)
At.
where
~.1
(l-9)
217.r
and
R(C,T)= s
c1 =
(1-12)
k * C exp(- E/RT)
SPE
TABLE 1
PROCESS PARAMETERS
Parameter
Selected Values
.08 lb/ft3
.2
1000
SCF)hr-ft
.8
6000
Pf
13tu/lbF
Btu)hr-ftF
Btu/lb 02
2.02 lb/ft3
Cf
20.
Btu/lbF
fig
.2
.68 ftslhr-ft
fractional
TABLE II
PROCESS VARIABLES
Reaction
Run
Surface to
Rate
Activation
Number Volume Ratio Constant
Energy
1
10000
.001
Oxygen
ConcentraInitial
Temperature
tion
10000
540
.2845
10000
10000
540
540
.2845
.2845
S2
20000
S3
30000
K4
K5
K6
10000
10000
10000
.0001
..0005
0050
10000
10000
10000
540
540
540
,2845
,2845
.2845
E7
E8
E9
E1O
10000
10000
10000
10000
:001
..001
..001
.001
8000
9000
11000
12000
540
540
540
540
.2845
.2845
.2845
.2845
Tll
T12
T13
10000
10000
10000
*001
..001
.001
10000
10000
10000
58o
62o
660
.2845
.2845
.2845
C14
C15
10000
10000
..001
001
10000
10000
540
540
,4060
.5420
,.001
.001
2383
TEMPERATURE PROFUES
1208
1100
1000
90
RADIAL 10CATION,
I?ig.
1.
FT.
TEMPERA TVRE,R
MDU1
Fig. 3.
,
/,
LOCATION, -FT.
CMAMGE IM ACliivATIOM
ENERGY
o
&4RtAL DISTANCE,
)
,/
Pig.
4.
F1.
Effect
of Activation Energy on
Temperature Behavior
-..
20
40
60
8fl
100
120
140
1S8
188
20Q
22Q
24t?
260
280
RALM!41 01S7ARWE,FX
Fig. 5.
300
.
.
.