A Laboratory Study on the Effect of Low Salinity Water Injection on Recovery Factor in Carbonate Reservoirs

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

EOR Study Center, Petroleum Engineering Research Division, Research Institute of Petroleum Industry (RIPI), Tehran, Iran

10.22078/pr.2024.5316.3364

Abstract

With the decline in reservoir pressure and the reduction in oil production rates, a significant Volume of primary oil will Not be produced from the reservoir. In such circumstances, various enhanced oil recovery (EOR) methods are employed. Low salinity water injection is one of the techniques used to increase oil production, which can be ecoNomically viable and environmentally friendly. The effect of low salinity water on reservoir rocks, including carbonates, due to the complex interaction and reaction between rock and fluid, as well as fluid-fluid interaction, still requires extensive research. Some past studies have indicated that the presence of anhydrite minerals in a carbonate rock leads to increased production and permeability enhancement, playing a positive role in improving oil recovery. In this study, various experiments have been conducted to further understand the interaction between rocks containing anhydrite and dolomite and fluids, including injection waters with different salinities. Experiments such as zeta potential, interfacial tension, core flooding, and analysis of produced water have been investigated. According to the results, reducing salinity and dilution of injection water weaken the ion binding capacity and double layer electric properties around particles in the solution, consequently decreasing the zeta potential. The reaction between rock and fluid leads to the dissolution of rock minerals, including anhydrite and dolomite minerals associated with calcium and magnesium ions, resulting in a reduction in the surface rock electric charge. Additionally, it causes the precipitation of other ions. Low salinity water injection, diluted by four and twenty times, has been injected into both secondary and tertiary modes into pure dolomitic rocks containing anhydrite, which have been saturated by live oil. Based on the results, water diluted by four times after the injection of primary injection water has increased oil recovery in both rocks. Elemental analysis and analysis of produced water from core flooding experiments have shown multiple ion exchange and mineral solubility as mechanisms for altering wettability. Moreover, the use of live oil brings the results closer to real reservoir conditions, enabling the possibility of simulating and relying on the results for implementing field-scale EOR projects. Furthermore, using live oil brings the results closer to reservoir conditions, enabling simulation and reference for field development projects. This facilitates the implementation of field development plans based on realistic data and simulations.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

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Journal of Petroleum Research
Volume 34, 1403-2 - Serial Number 135
Special Issues on Water-based EOR
July and August 2024
Pages 36-55

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