Residual Phase Saturations in EOR
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Powered by AISnap-off occurs when a gradient of capillary pressure causes the non-wetting phase to flow back locally, resulting in the detachment or ‘snap-off’ of portions of the wetting phase due to necking in the pore structure. Piston-like advance, on the other hand, occurs during the progression of the wetting phase displacing the non-wetting phase in a braking motion, potentially bypassing and trapping isolated blobs of the non-wetting phase. Both mechanisms are influenced by the pore structure and surface interactions, leading to complex trapping patterns in porous media .
Key chemical factors in permeable media affecting EOR include the dissolution of silica in aqueous solutions, especially at high temperatures or pH, which can alter rock properties and fluid behavior. Calcium minerals provide cations that interact with polymer and micellar solutions, significantly affecting their properties and potentially leading to pH changes through hydroxide precipitation. Clays, which make up about 40% of sediments, affect permeability and can swell, causing changes in flow dynamics, while also capable of cation exchange affecting displacing fluids' composition .
The dissolution and precipitation of minerals can significantly alter pore structures and thus permeability, affecting fluid flow in subsurface reservoirs. Dissolution of minerals like silica can enhance permeability temporarily, while precipitation can decrease it, influencing the efficiency of EOR strategies. These processes can also alter the chemistry of the displacing fluids, thus potentially necessitating adjustments in EOR techniques to maintain efficient recovery operations .
Capillary desaturation curves illustrate the relationship between the Capillary number and the saturation of trapped phases. They demonstrate that above a certain critical Capillary number, the trapped non-wetting phase begins to mobilize. This mobilization signifies the transition point where viscous forces overcome capillary forces, allowing for the release and flow of the previously trapped phase. Understanding these curves helps in modifying EOR processes to optimize recovery rates by targeting operations around the critical Capillary numbers .
Capillary pressure at a given saturation is a measure of the smallest pore being entered by the non-wetting phase, suggesting that the curvature of the capillary pressure curve is a function of the pore size distribution. Smaller pores lead to higher capillary pressures, hindering the flow and resulting in trapping of non-wetting phase droplets when disconnected from each other .
A larger aspect ratio in pore channels leads to higher residual oil saturation because it results in a significant capillary pressure gradient. This gradient facilitates the snapping off and trapping of the non-wetting phase, thus retaining larger blobs of oil in porous media. Additionally, regions of large pores surrounded by smaller pores are prone to trapping the non-wetting phase due to limited drainage .
The snap-off model is significant in explaining phase trapping as it accounts for about 80% of the trapped non-wetting phase. In this model, the pore is visualized as a tube of varying cross section where the wetting phase can displace the oil in a piston-like manner. This variation causes a capillary pressure gradient, leading to the local backward flow of the non-wetting phase and resulting in the snap-off of the wetting phase collar .
Modifying the Capillary number is crucial for enhanced oil recovery because the critical Capillary number for mobilizing the trapped phases differs between the wetting and non-wetting phases. The non-wetting phase generally has a lower critical Capillary number, meaning it can be mobilized more easily compared to the wetting phase. EOR methods aim to adjust the Capillary number to lie between these critical values, thereby effectively mobilizing trapped oil without displacing the desired wetting phase drastically .
In groundwater flow, capillary forces dominate due to low velocities and small pore sizes, resulting in a Capillary number (Nc) of around 10^-6 to 10^-9. Similar dominance of capillary forces occurs in oil reservoirs with Nc around 10^-7. This dominance is explained by the typical flow conditions where the velocity is low and the interfacial tension high, characteristic of these environments. In cases where the velocity increases, such as infiltration into soil, viscous forces may become equally important, shifting Nc to around 10^-4 .
Clays influence fluid interactions during EOR largely due to their particle size and ability to swell with freshwater or through high Na cation concentrations, thus reducing permeability. Additionally, clays possess cation exchange capacities, allowing them to alter the ionic composition and properties of the fluids in the pore space, which can impact the displacing fluid's effectiveness and alter resultant recovery rates .