EOR Studies
Selection of the optimal method for enhanced oil recovery through microfluidic experiments on chips
Enhanced oil recovery methods
Due to the low oil & gas displacement efficiency after the application of primary and secondary recovery, there is a need to implement Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) methods (injection of the specific agents). Mainly EOR methods are divided into three main types: thermal, chemical, and gas. The selection of an effective EOR method is carried out individually for each reservoir interval, depending on the task, the type of reservoir, fluid properties, reservoir conditions, and the value of residual oil saturation.
Microfludic chip design
A complex network of microfluidic channels is used to optimize the simulation parameters of a two-phase flow in a porous system complex enough to observe flow parameters, and relatively simple to know the exact channel geometry needed to build a 3D model. The creation of a 2D analogue requires a proprietary algorithm to reduce 3D object to 2D. The reason lies in impossibility to take a 2D slice of a 3D model since most of the pores will not be connected. Therefore, we suggest several different methodologies of how to eliminate such problem, and get the microfluidic porous structure for your specific deposit.
The methods we offer
Chemical EOR
· Surfactant flooding
· Polymer flooding
· Surfactant-alkali-polymer flooding (ASP)
· Solvent selection for heavy oil
· Stability study of foams and their effectiveness as displacement agents
· CO2 sequestration during foam injection
· Emulsification ability
· Surfactant flooding
· Polymer flooding
· Surfactant-alkali-polymer flooding (ASP)
· Solvent selection for heavy oil
· Stability study of foams and their effectiveness as displacement agents
· CO2 sequestration during foam injection
· Emulsification ability
Gas EOR
· Minimum Miscibility Pressure (MMP) studies
· Huff-n-Puff gas injection tests
· Miscible and Immiscible gas displacement tests
· WAG injection
· Diffusion coefficient studies
· IFT measurements
· Oil swelling
· Minimum Miscibility Pressure (MMP) studies
· Huff-n-Puff gas injection tests
· Miscible and Immiscible gas displacement tests
· WAG injection
· Diffusion coefficient studies
· IFT measurements
· Oil swelling
Thermal EOR
· Steam injection
· SAGD on a chip
· Screening of additives for steam injection
· Evaluation of asphaltene deposition
· Steam injection
· SAGD on a chip
· Screening of additives for steam injection
· Evaluation of asphaltene deposition
The main advantages of using transparent microfluidic chips include:
The ability to visualize two-phase fluid flow in the pore space and control saturation;
Control of sediment and emulsion formation leading to flow channel blockage;
Experiment repeatability;
Speed of execution.
Publications
1. Pereponov D. et al. Radial and Huff-n-Puff Gas Injection on Microfluidic Chips // SPE Gas & Oil Technology Showcase and Conference. – SPE, 2023. doi: 10.2118/214246-MS.
2. Scerbacova A. et al. Visualization of Surfactant Flooding in Tight Reservoir Using Microfluidics // SPE EuropEC-Europe Energy Conference featured at the 84th EAGE Annual Conference & Exhibition. – OnePetro, 2023. doi: 10.2118/214419-MS.
3. Pereponov. D et al. Digital core on a chip // 15th Annual International Conference on Porous Media. – InterPore, 2023.
2. Scerbacova A. et al. Visualization of Surfactant Flooding in Tight Reservoir Using Microfluidics // SPE EuropEC-Europe Energy Conference featured at the 84th EAGE Annual Conference & Exhibition. – OnePetro, 2023. doi: 10.2118/214419-MS.
3. Pereponov. D et al. Digital core on a chip // 15th Annual International Conference on Porous Media. – InterPore, 2023.