Low-Salinity Water Flooding Reservoir Model Calibration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for low-salinity water flooding in hydrocarbon recovery are inefficient due to unreliable models predicting residual oil saturation, which require costly and difficult in-situ measurements, and are not effective in optimizing oil recovery.
Innovation Solution
A method combining laboratory measurements and numerical simulations to calibrate a representative model of flow parameters such as residual oil saturation, relative permeabilities, and capillary pressure as a function of salinity, allowing for reliable prediction of microscopic residual oil saturation and optimization of salinity for enhanced recovery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If in-situ measurements are used to predict residual oil saturation, then measurement reliability is improved, but measurement complexity and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a laboratory-scale replica of the reservoir conditions using core samples that mimic the in-situ geological environment. By measuring residual oil saturation on these representative core samples under controlled laboratory conditions, the method obtains reliable data without requiring complex in-situ measurements. The core samples serve as physical copies that reproduce reservoir behavior at a manageable scale.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex mechanical in-situ measurement systems with simpler laboratory-based measurement techniques. Instead of deploying sophisticated equipment into the reservoir, the method uses standard laboratory core flooding apparatus to measure residual oil saturation, thereby substituting a complex field measurement system with a simpler, more reliable laboratory procedure.
2Ease of manufacture
If traditional water flooding is used, then implementation simplicity is maintained, but oil recovery efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the salinity parameter of the injected water from conventional high salinity to optimized low salinity levels. This parameter modification alters the interfacial tension and wettability characteristics between water and oil, thereby improving oil displacement efficiency. The method maintains the simplicity of water flooding while enhancing recovery through controlled changes in water composition parameters.
3Productivity
If low-salinity water flooding is implemented, then oil recovery efficiency is improved, but measurement and optimization complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs measurements on a limited number of carefully selected core samples that are representative of the reservoir, rather than attempting to measure every possible parameter in the entire reservoir. This partial measurement approach provides sufficient data to optimize low-salinity flooding without requiring exhaustive characterization, thereby reducing complexity while maintaining effectiveness.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enables reliable prediction of residual oil saturation and optimization of salinity for improved hydrocarbon recovery, reducing costs and complexities associated with in-situ measurements and enhancing oil extraction efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
it is now an acknowledged fact that the effects of salinity reduction on the recovery of oil in place can be seen as the consequence of a porous media wettability alteration
Implementation Method 2
This partial sweep is notably due to oil entrapment by capillary forces
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for recovery of hydrocarbons in a geological reservoir by injection of a low-salinity aqueous solution. A representative model of the evolution of the flow parameters as a function of the aqueous solution salinity is calibrated by use of laboratory measurements performed on a rock sample from the reservoir for at least two salinity values. Then, by use of a flow simulator including the calibrated model, the injection of aqueous solutions into the sample is simulated, with and without capillary effects, for at least the two salinity values with a microscopic residual oil saturation being determined for each salinity value. Then, from the flow simulator including the calibrated model and the microscopic residual oil saturation values, a reservoir development scheme is determined with hydrocarbons of the reservoir being exploited according to the development scheme.