Characteristics of Formation Damage and Variations of Reservoir Properties during Steam Injection in Heavy Oil Reservoir
- 23 February 2010
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Taylor & Francis Ltd in Petroleum Science and Technology
- Vol. 28 (5), 477-493
- https://doi.org/10.1080/10916460902780335
Abstract
Steam stimulation and steam flooding are two kinds of effective processes of enhanced oil recovery for a heavy oil reservoir. But steam can lead to severe and permanent formation damage due to interactions between injected fluids and reservoir rock and liquids. This article presents the laboratory studies undertaken to evaluate the influence of fluid composition, temperature, salinity, pH, dissolution and transformation of minerals, and asphalt deposition on formation damage during steam injection. The degree of damage during steam injection is observed to be dependent on pH and temperature. The technology of casting samples micrographs and scanning electron micrographs is employed to study the variations of reservoir properties after steam injection in each experiment. The mechanisms of formation damage and the characteristics of reservoir property variations are analyzed in heavy oil reservoirs during steam stimulation or steam flooding. The results show that the solubilities of rock and clay increase with increasing temperature and pH. Formation pores are blocked and plugged due to migration and precipitation of new minerals and asphalt deposition away from the steam injection well due to temperature drop and pH reduction in reservoirs. A great deal of asphalt deposition alters formation wettability to increase seepage resistance. Average porosity and average permeability increase near the steam injection well due to the generation of earthworm holes and steam channeling zones under the effect of high pH and elevated temperature. But a large amount of crude oil is left in large and mid-size pores during steam injection in heavy oil reservoirs.Keywords
This publication has 10 references indexed in Scilit:
- Removal of silica from heavy oil wastewater to be reused in a boiler by combining magnesium and zinc compounds with coagulationDesalination, 2007
- Investigations on matrix recovery during steam injection into heavy-oil containing carbonate rocksJournal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, 2007
- The study on composition changes of heavy oils during steam stimulation processesFuel, 2002
- POROSITY AND PERMEABILITY EVOLUTION ACCOMPANYING HOT FLUID INJECTION INTO DIATOMITEPetroleum Science and Technology, 2001
- Permeability variations in Berea and Vosges sandstone submitted to cyclic temperature percolation of saline fluidsGeothermics, 1995
- Laboratory simulation of geochemical changes of heavy crude oils during thermal oil recoveryJournal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, 1995
- Asphaltene deposition: a survey of field experiences and research approachesJournal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, 1988
- Chemistry of organosulphur compound types occurring in heavy oil sands:: 1. High temperature hydrolysis and thermolysis of tetrahydrothiophene in relation to steam stimulation processesFuel, 1983
- Entrainment and Deposition of Fine Particles in Porous MediaSociety of Petroleum Engineers Journal, 1982
- Gravel Pack and Formation Sandstone Dissolution During Steam InjectionJournal of Petroleum Technology, 1980