Renewable energies | Eco-friendly production | Innovative transport | Eco-efficient processes | Sustainable resources

AN INTEGRATED WORKFLOW
FOR
CHEMICAL EOR PILOT DESIGN
P. Moreau*, M. Morvan*, P. Rivoal*, B. Bazin**,
F. Douarche**, J.F. Argillier**, R. Tabary**

*Rhodia -**IFPEN
© 2011 - IFP Energies nouvelles
 Outline
„ Introduction
„ Background on chemical EOR processes
„ Chemical EOR workflow for pilot design
„ Reservoir data analysis for process and material selection
„ Chemical formulation optimization
„ Phase behavior and solubility/injectivity test
„ Static and dynamic adsorption tests
„ Core flood experiment and oil recovery efficiency
„ Formulation design with a salinity gradient
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„ Oil recovery efficiency

„ Numerical modeling and data acquisition for pilot design
„ Conclusion

2 IEA Symposium & Workshop – Vienna 17-19 Oct. 2011

 Introduction
Background on Chemical EOR Processes
Residual oil in reservoirs is made up of
disconnected oil ganglia which are
immobilized as a result of capillary forces
To remobilize oil, capillary number Ca,
must be increased by several order of
magnitude from its value in a waterflood

50 μm

Rhodia PDMS micromodel

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One way is to drastically decrease the interfacial tension

This is achieved by injecting surfactant formulations

3 IEA Symposium & Workshop – Vienna 17-19 Oct. 2011
 Chemical EOR workflow for pilot design
An integrated workflow: from lab studies to EOR pilot design
Reservoir engineer competencies for selecting appropriate
process

High Throughput Screening (HTS) platform for formulation

optimization, robustness evaluation and input data for simulation.

Petrophysics: increase in oil recovery and minimum adsorption

must be demonstrated in cores.

Simulation (SARIPCH) is used to simulate corefloods and extract

complementary parameters for pilot simulations.
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Chemical EOR potential has been demonstrated

Based on a reservoir engineering oriented approach
Lab results are scaled to pilot size with reservoir engineering tools

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 Step 1 - Process and Material Selection
Critical information for process selection (SP, ASP...)
„ Reservoir temperature
„ Brine composition (calcium and magnesium, TDS...)
„ Salinity distribution inside the reservoir
„ Oil analysis (API, viscosity, acid number)
„ Rock properties (clay content, permeability)
Salinity distribution inside the reservoir
C a lc ium vs C hlo rid e m e as ured at w e ll he ad
3500
14000

Ca2+ (ppm)
3000
12000

Calcium concentration mg/l

Ca2+ (ppm)

2500
10000

2000
8000

1500
6000
F o rm atio n W ater
1000
4000
In jectio n W ater
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500
2000

00
Calcium concentration distribution 0 20000 40000 60000 80000 100000 120000 140000
- n centratio n m g /l
calculated after waterflooding Cl (ppm)
C h lo rid e co

Injection strategy is strongly dependent on waterflooding results

Waterflooding strategy should anticipate tertiary recovery with chemical process

5 IEA Symposium & Workshop – Vienna 17-19 Oct. 2011

 Step 1 - Process and Material Selection
Material Selection
„ Surfactants:
„ Main surfactant families proposed for chemical EOR: olefin sulfonates,
alkoxylated alcohols, sulfated/sulfonated alkoxylated alcohols, alkyl aryl
sulfonates.
„ Raw material selection and process are critical (alkyl chain length,
branching).
„ Industrially representative samples are critical to guarantee pilot
performances.
„ Alkali:
„Different alkalis are available depending on salinity and temperature.
„ Calcium concentration is critical for the use of alkali.
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„ Polymer is a case by case selection with temperature and salinity limitations.

End Step 1 - The most promising EOR chemicals are pre-selected
according to reservoir conditions

6 IEA Symposium & Workshop – Vienna 17-19 Oct. 2011

 Step 2 - Chemical Formulation Optimization
EOR Formulation: phase behavior
„ Automated formulation and analysis
„ Automated formulation
„ Image processing
„ Selection of best formulations
„ Further optimization to optimize chemicals
concentrations and ratios.
Morvan et al. SPE113705 (2008)
A fully automated formulation and optimization workflow
Data generation for improved simulations
Salinity
Microemulsion
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Solubility Optimal Salinity

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 Step 2 - Chemical Formulation Optimization
EOR Formulation: solubility and injectivity screening
„ High Throughput Solubility screening Robotic microplates (12x8 wells/surfactant)
5°C < T < 80 °C
„ Solubility screening Surfactant concentration

ƒ Test on transparent microplates (96 wells)

Salt concentration
ƒ Based on light transmission measurement
„ Compatibility with different additives
„ Solubility from surface facilities to reservoir
conditions

Temperature (°C)
„ Formulation injectivity/plugging screening test
„ Simple injectivity test prior to coreflood
„ Millifluidic setup with calibrated cores C (g/L) Csalt (g/L)

1.05 cp solution
50-100 data points / day
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74 mD

8 IEA Symposium & Workshop – Vienna 17-19 Oct. 2011

 Step 2 - Chemical Formulation Optimization
Static and Dynamic Adsorption-retention Tests
„ Selection of adsorption methodology
„ Adsorption for surfactant characterization (standard test)
in static with model clay (Na-kaolinite)
„ Adsorption for formulations
in dynamic with cores representative
of the reservoir mineralogy.
„ Adsorption depends mainly on pH Adsorption of an olefin
sulfonate surfactant on Na-
„ Alkali can be used in soft brines Kaolinite as a function of pH

„ Compatibility with hard brines could be challenging

„ A specific evaluation (pH vs solubility) is necessary
depending on reservoir conditions

pH
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The use of alkaline is highly recommended when possible

C NaCl
(g/L)
End Step 2 - The most promising EOR formulation is selected CNaBO2,4H2O (g/L)
pH of soft brine with alkali

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 Step 3 - Core flood experiments
Methodology and Experimental Set up
Core floods in reservoir conditions to simulate oil recovery

Lab methodology adapted from procedures used in Special Core Analysis (SCAL)
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• Characterization of reservoir cores with CT Scan, RMN, HPMI...

• End points relative permeabilities vs saturation, Capillary Desaturation Curve...
Analysis and interpretation of results for a better appraisal of chemicals efficiency
• Surfactant mass balance, alkali propagation, mobility control...

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 Step 3 - Model case: workflow validation
Formulation
„ Model Case Solubilization ratios

„ 60°C (no sulfate surfactants) Optimal salinity

„ Soft brine (50 g/L NaCl)

Formation brine
Surfactant slug
Rock: representative model sandstone

Polymer drive
„
„ Model oil: dodecane
„ Formulation design and injection strategy
„ Optimum salinity of 36 g/L
„ Injection is done with a salinity gradient in order to
promote WII-WIII-WI transition during flooding
„ One possible scenario is illustrated here
Salinity
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11 IEA Symposium & Workshop – Vienna 17-19 Oct. 2011

 Step 3 - Model case: workflow validation
Coreflood results
„ Injection strategy Salinity gradient Conc Conc Conc
Slug size
NaCl Surfactant Alkaline Polymer
Waterflooding - 50 g/L - - -
Alkaline Surfactant 0.5 PV 30 g/L 8 g/L 10 g/L
Polymer 2 PV 25 g/L - 10 g/L 1 g/L
Chase water 5 PV 25 g/L - - -

„ Oil Recovery
- Oil saturation after surfactant flooding is
5% (oil saturation after waterflooding:
35%)
- Acceptable surfactant retention: 0.09 mg/g
of rock 90% OOIP
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- No formation damage during polymer

injection (mobility reduction compared to
relative viscosity)

End Step 3 – Oil recovery performance

and injection strategy

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 Step 4 - Numerical simulation
SaripCH simulator
SaripCH is a reservoir simulator for chemical EOR
„ Black oil simulator with mass balance equations for chemicals
„ Alkaline, Surfactant, Polymer
„ Physics implemented
„ Capillary desaturation curve and Kr, Pc curves
„ Surfactant IFT = f(salinity, pH) from tables of experimental data (HTS methodology)
„ Surfactant adsorption = f(salinity and pH)
„ Alkaline /rock interaction (alkaline adsorption)
„ Polymer: adsorption, mobility reduction.
„ Additional options: ion exchange with clays, calcium carbonate dissolution/precipitation
„ SaripCH simulations at lab scale (1D)
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„ Modeling of coreflood experiments

„ Model calibration for pilot simulations
Surfactant conc.
„ Optimization of injection strategy & sensitivity analysis

Forecast pilot-scale oil recovery performance

13 IEA Symposium & Workshop – Vienna 17-19 Oct. 2011
 Step 4 - Numerical simulation
Application to specific case study
Input Physical Data for ASP Flooding
„ Injection history
Capillary Desaturation Curve Slug size 0.5 PV
Relative permeability Surfactant 8 g/L

Alkaline 10 g/L

Polymer 1 g/L

„ Experimental physical data

IFT = f (Composition) „ Capillary Desaturation Curve
„ Surfactant - Langmuir adsorption
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„ IFT = f(salinity, composition)

Surfactant adsorption
„ Relative permeability: Corey type

Input data from a case study

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 Step 4 - Numerical simulation
Application to a specific case study
Comparison of experiments
0.9

0.6 Surfactant with modeling

concentration
Good agreement between
Recovery factor
„
0.3
experimental data and simulation
„ Validation of experimental input
data
„ Validation of physical relations
implemented in SARIPCH
„ Predictive modeling
Oil cut
„ Computer assisted design for
chemical EOR
pH profile
„ Improved design of lab
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experiments (slug size, conc....)

Accurate predictive simulations with a limited number of adjustable parameters

End Step 4: Data for pilot design and optimization are available
15 IEA Symposium & Workshop – Vienna 17-19 Oct. 2011
 Conclusions
The integrated workflow presented here is based on a reservoir
engineering oriented approach:
„ A fast identification of the best chemicals for given field conditions
„ An extensive optimization study thanks to robotized techniques
„ Core flood experiments for adsorption and oil recovery determination
„ Predictive simulations using extensive experimental input data
Pilot design
„ History matching
„ Optimization of injection strategy and pilot design
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16 IEA Symposium & Workshop – Vienna 17-19 Oct. 2011

 Thank you for your attention
© 2011 - IFP Energies nouvelles

Acknowledgements – We would like to thank Beicip-Franlab for their

involvement in this study.

17 IEA Symposium & Workshop – Vienna 17-19 Oct. 2011

 Renewable energies | Eco-friendly production | Innovative transport | Eco-efficient processes | Sustainable resources
© 2011 - IFP Energies nouvelles

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