Chemistry and Technology of Fuels and Oils

, Volume 50, Issue 1, pp 55–70 | Cite as

Numerical Simulation of Surfactant-Polymer Flooding

  • Baoguang Jin
  • Hanqiao Jiang
  • Xiansong Zhang
  • Jing Wang
  • Jing Yang
  • Wei Zheng
Article

We propose a mathematical model (numerical simulation) of surfactant-polymer flooding for a three-phase six-component system. The model takes into account various phenomena inherent to flooding, the effect of surfactant—polymer interactions on the viscosity, interfacial tension, and adsorption. We simulated the behavior of different mixtures of polymer and surfactant characterized by mutual attraction, mutual repulsion, or no interaction. We have studied the effect of volume of injected solution, injection rate, and polymer concentration on flooding performance. Taking into account interaction between the surfactant and the polymer results in a better match between the mathematical model and field data.

Key words

surfactant-polymer flooding mutual attraction mutual repulsion mathematical modeling numerical simulation 

References

  1. 1.
    B. M. O’Brien, “Enhanced oil recovery chemical needs,” Journal of the American Oil Chemistry Society, 59, 839-852 (1982).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  2. 2.
    H. B. Li, “S/P combination flooding for high temperature and high salinity sandstone reservoirs: a laboratory study,” Oilfield Chemistry, 22, No. 4, 336-339 (2005).Google Scholar
  3. 3.
    L. W. Lake, Enhanced Oil Recovery, Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs NJ USA (1989).Google Scholar
  4. 4.
    E. P. Katsanis, P. H. Krumrine, J. S. Falcone, Jr., “Chemistry of precipitation and scale formation in geological systems,” in: SPE Oilfield and Geothermal Chemistry Symposium, Denver, 1-3 June 1983; SPE 11082.Google Scholar
  5. 5.
    O. Karazincir, S. Thach, W. Wei, G. Prukop, T. Malik, and V. Dwarakanath, “Scale formation prevention during ASP flooding,” in: SPE International Symposium on Oilfield Chemistry, The Woodlands, Texas USA, 11-13 April 2011; SPE 141410.Google Scholar
  6. 6.
    H. Q. Sun, Formula Research and Field Application of Oil Displacement System of Surfactant-Polymer Combination Flooding, Petroleum Industry Press, Beijing, China (2006).Google Scholar
  7. 7.
    D. K. Han, “Discussions on concepts, countermeasures and technical routes for the redevelopment of high water-cut oilfields,”. Petroleum Exploration and Development, 37, No. 5, 583-591 (2010).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  8. 8.
    P. H. Krumrine and J. S. Falcone, Jr., “Surfactant, polymer, and alkali interactions in chemical flooding processes,” in: International Symposium on Oilfield and Geothermal Chemistry, Denver CO USA, 1-3 June 1983; SPE 11778.Google Scholar
  9. 9.
    H. F. Xia, D. M. Wang, J. Z. Wu, and F. S. Kong, “Elasticity of HPAM solutions increases displacement efficiency under mixed wettability conditions,” in: SPE Asia Pacific Oil and Gas Conference and Exhibition Perth, Australia, 18-20 October 2004; SPE 88456.Google Scholar
  10. 10.
    R. Nagarajan, “Thermodynamics of nonionic polymer-micelle association,” Colloids and Surfaces, 13, 1-17 (1985).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  11. 11.
    H. Q. Sun, Surfactant/Polymer Combination Flooding Technology, China Science and Technology Press, Beijing, China (2007).Google Scholar
  12. 12.
    S. Y. Yuan, P. H. Yang, Z. Q. Dai et al., “Numerical simulation of alkali/surfactant/polymer flooding,” in: International Meeting on Petroleum Engineering, Beijing, China, 14-17 November 1995; SPE 29904.Google Scholar
  13. 13.
    G. A. Pope and R. C. Nelson, “A chemical flooding compositional simulator,” SPE Journal, 18, No. 5, 339-354 (1978).Google Scholar
  14. 14.
    H. Mohammadi, M. Delshad, and G. A. Pope, “Mechanistic modeling of alkaline/surfactant/polymer floods,” SPE Reservoir Engineering, 518-527 (August 2009).Google Scholar
  15. 15.
    D. Bhuyan, L. W. Lake, and G. A. Pope, “Mathematical modeling of high pH chemical flooding,” SPE Reservoir Engineering, 213-220 (May 1990); SPE 17398.Google Scholar
  16. 16.
    UTCHEM-9.0, 2000, Volume II: Technical Documentation, Center for Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering, University of Texas at Austin.Google Scholar
  17. 17.
    H. F. Xia, Seepage Theory and Application of Viscoelastic Polymer Solution, Petroleum Industry Press, Beijing, China (2002).Google Scholar
  18. 18.
    J. Wang, H. Q. Liu, and S. Y. Liu, “Discussions on some problems about the mathematical model of polymer flooding,” Acta Petrolei Sinica , 32, No. 5, 105-112 (2011).Google Scholar
  19. 19.
    C.G. Zhang, B. L. Gall, H. W. Gao, A. E. Miller, and R. S. Bryant, “Effects of polymer adsorption and flow behavior on two-phase flow in porous media,” in: SPE/DOE Improved Oil Recovery Symposium, Tulsa, Oklahoma USA, 19-22 April 1998; SPE 39632.Google Scholar
  20. 20.
    Y. Y. Zhu, Y. Zhang, J. L. Niu, W. D. Liu, and Q. F. Hou, “The progress in the alkali-free surfactant-polymer combination flooding technique,” Petroleum Exploration and Development, 39, No. 3, 346-351 (2012).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  21. 21.
    Y. F. Wang, F. L. Zhao, B. J. Bai, et al., “Optimized surfactant IFT and polymer viscosity for surfactant-polymer flooding in heterogeneous formations,” in: SPE Improved Oil Recovery Symposium, Tulsa, Oklahoma USA, 24-28 April 2010; SPE 127391.Google Scholar
  22. 22.
    G. Chen, G. Zhao, and Y. L. Ma, “Mathematical model of enhanced oil recovery for viscous-elastic polymer flooding,” Journal of Tsinghua University (Natural Sciences Edition), 46, No. 6, 882-885 (2006).Google Scholar
  23. 23.
    Q. J. Du, J. Hou, Z. Q. Li et al., “A mathematical model of polymer enhanced foam flooding,” Chinese Journal of Computational Physics, 26, No. 6, 872-878 (2009).Google Scholar
  24. 24.
    H. Q. Liu, Reservoir Numerical Simulation Topic, Press of Petroleum University, Dongying, Shandong (2001).Google Scholar

Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media New York 2014

Authors and Affiliations

  • Baoguang Jin
    • 1
  • Hanqiao Jiang
    • 1
  • Xiansong Zhang
    • 2
  • Jing Wang
    • 1
  • Jing Yang
    • 3
  • Wei Zheng
    • 2
  1. 1.MOE Key Laboratory of Petroleum Engineering in China University of PetroleumBeijingChina
  2. 2.China National Offshore Oil Corporation Research InstituteBeijingChina
  3. 3.PetroChina Research Institute of Petroleum Exploration & DevelopmentBeijingChina

Personalised recommendations