Miscible Gas/Oil Gravity Drainage

Abstract

Miscible Gas-Oil Gravity Drainage Marco Verlaan; Marco Verlaan Shell Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Paulus Maria Boerrigter Paulus Maria Boerrigter Shell E&P Technology Co. Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Paper presented at the International Oil Conference and Exhibition in Mexico, Cancun, Mexico, August 2006. Paper Number: SPE-103990-MS https://doi.org/10.2118/103990-MS Published: August 31 2006 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Twitter LinkedIn Get Permissions Search Site Citation Verlaan, Marco, and Paulus Maria Boerrigter. "Miscible Gas-Oil Gravity Drainage." Paper presented at the International Oil Conference and Exhibition in Mexico, Cancun, Mexico, August 2006. doi: https://doi.org/10.2118/103990-MS Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex Search Dropdown Menu nav search search input Search input auto suggest search filter All ContentAll ProceedingsSociety of Petroleum Engineers (SPE)SPE International Oil Conference and Exhibition in Mexico Search Advanced Search AbstractOil recovery from oil and mixed-wet naturally fractured reservoirs is difficult. Standard production mechanisms like water injection and countercurrent imbibition will not work. Gas-oil gravity drainage (GOGD) is then the production mechanism of choice. Gravity drainage with immiscible/ solution gas can result in low production rates and/or high residual oil saturation due to capillary holdup.When the injected gas is miscible with the oil, density and viscosity reduction will occur. Miscibility adds the advantages of single-phase flow and interfacial tension reduction, which further improves GOGD rates and ultimate recovery.The paper discusses the modeling and upscaling of first contact miscible gravity drainage as well as the differences from regular gas injection processes. The key parameters for this case were identified to be width over height ratio, layering heterogeneity and gas recycling rate. First contact miscible gas injection benefits the most from the IFT reduction and is most suitable in heterogeneous reservoirs with large capillary hold up and re-imbibition effects.IntroductionOil recovery from oil and mixed-wet naturally fractured reservoirs is difficult. Standard production mechanisms like water injection and countercurrent imbibition will not work. Gas-oil gravity drainage (GOGD) is then the mechanism of choice. The production rate and ultimate recovery are controlled by the matrix rock properties.The structure of this paper is as follows. First the behavior of immiscible GOGD is discussed and the way fully miscible gas injection can affect contribute. The process is then studied in an explicit model of a matrix block. The results of the explicit modeling can then be applied to upscale to a dual permeability model. The miscible GOGD is then tested on a realistic heterogeneous stack where the impact of the miscible gas injection is demonstrated.Production rateHagoort1 extensively describes analytical solutions for an immiscible gas-oil gravity drainage flow in a homogeneous stack and no capillary pressure. The GOGD recovery rate is characterized by an initial period of a constant maximum rate, with decline starting after gas breakthrough at the bottom of the stack. A schematic is shown in Figure 1 Keywords: enhanced recovery, Fluid Dynamics, Upstream Oil & Gas, reservoir simulation, Gravity Drainage, production rate, oil rate, gas rate, fracture system, fracture Subjects: Reservoir Fluid Dynamics, Improved and Enhanced Recovery, Reservoir Simulation, Flow in porous media This content is only available via PDF. 2006. Society of Petroleum Engineers You can access this article if you purchase or spend a download.