Investigating the Performance of Generalized Fick and Maxwell-Stefan Molecular Diffusion Models for Simulation of Oil Recovery from Fractured Reservoirs during CO2 and Methane Gas Injection Processes

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Faculty of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran

2 Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Molecular diffusion is the controlling mechanism for oil recovery from fractured reservoirs with low permeable and low height matrixes during gas injection process. However, the application of conventional models for simulation of molecular diffusion process faces with some limitations. The main purpose of this study is to investigate the performance of different diffusion molecular models for oil recovery from fractured reservoirs during gas injection process and compare the results with a commercial simulator. Therefore, the models are introduced and implemented as a simulator, then the prepared simulator is validated by experimental data. Lastly, the developed simulator is applied for evaluation of CO2 and methane injection in one matrix block. The difference among the results of different models is based on using irreversible thermodynamic for calculating component concentration in gas-oil interface, using matrix form of molecular diffusion coefficients and using chemical potential gradient as the driving force in generalized Fick and Maxwell-Stefan verse classical Fick. In addition, the results of commercial simulator are near classical Fick model results because of same formulation. Also, mole fraction of methane and CO2 and oil viscosity verse time are compared for gas injection. Finally, the result of this work demonstrates that using classical Fick’s law or the commercial simulator for forecasting oil recovery from fractured reservoirs when the molecular diffusion is the main mechanism is not accurate, so generalized Fick and Maxwell-Stefan are more efficient models.
 

Keywords

Main Subjects


[1]. Kathel P. and Mohanty K. K., “EOR in fractured Reservoirs,” SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, Society of Petroleum Engineers, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, 2013.##
[2]. Bakyani A. E., Namdarpoor A., Nematollahi A., Daili A., Raji B. and Esmaeilzadeh F., “A Simulation approach for screening of EOR scenarios in naturally fractured reservoirs,” International Journal of Geosciences, Vol. 9, pp.19-43, 2018.##
[3]. Wan T,. Sheng J. J. and Watson M., “Compositional modeling of the diffusion effect on EOR process in fractured shale oil reservoirs by gas flooding,” Unconventional Resources Technology Conference, Denver, Colorado, 2014.##
[4]. Jamili A., Willhite G. P., and Green D., “Modeling gas-phase mass transfer between fracture and matrix in naturally fractured reservoirs,” SPE Journal, Vol. 16, pp. 795-811, 2011.##
[5]. Hoteit H. and Firoozabadi A., “Numerical modeling of diffusion in fractured media for gas-injection and recycling schemes, SPE Journal, Vol. 14, pp. 323-337, 2009.##
[6]. Al-Mudhafar J., Watheq Rao, Dandina K. and Al-Maliki A., “Gas-assisted gravity drainage GAGD process for enhanced oil recovery: a comprehensive review and field applications,” SPE/IATMI Asia Pacific Oil & Gas Conference and Exhibition, 2017. ##
[7]. Hoteit H., “Modeling diffusion and gas-oil mass transfer in fractured reservoirs,” Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, Vol. 105, pp. 1-17, 2013. ##
[8]. Duncan J.B. and Toor H. L., “An experimental study of three component gas diffusion,” AIChE Journal, Vol. 8, PP. 38-41, 1962.
[9]. Mutoru J.W. and Firoozabadi A., “Form of multicomponent Fickian diffusion coefficients matrix,” J. Chem. Thermodynamics, Vol. 43, pp. 1192–1203, 2011. ##
[10]. Haugen K. and Firoozabadi A., “Composition at the interface between multicomponent non- equilibrium phases,” J. Chem. Phys., Vol. 130, pp. 61-77, 2009. ##
[11]. Ghasemi M., Astutik W., Alavian A., Whitson C. H., Sigalas L., Olsen D. and Suicmez V. S., “Laboratory Tests and Modeling of Carbon Dioxide Injection in Chalk With Fracture/Matrix-Transport Mechanisms,” SPE Reservoir Evaluation & Engineering, Vol. 21, pp.1-15, 2018.##
[12]. Eide O., Ferno M.A. and Graue A.,“Visualization of CO2 EOR by Diffusion in Fractured Chalk,” SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, 27-29 October, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 2014.##
[13]. Ye A., Shen X., Guo P., Wang Sh. and Zhongzhao Cheng Zh., “Research on Molecular Diffusion Coefficient of Gas-Oil System,” Journal of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Vol. 3, No. 2, 2016.##
[14]. Leahy-Dios A. and Firoozabadi A., “Unified model for non-ideal multicomponent molecular diffusion coefficients,” AIChE J., Vol. 53, pp. 2932-2939, 2007. ##
[15]. Da Silva F. V. and Belery P., “Molecular diffusion in naturally fractured reservoirs: a decisive recovery mechanism,” Presented at the SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, San Antonio, Texas, 1989. ##
[16]. Sigmund P., “Prediction of molecular diffusion at reservoir conditions, part i – measurements and prediction of binary dense gas diffusion coefficients,” Can. J. Pet. Technol., pp. 48–57, 1976. ##
[17]. Kooijman H. and Taylor R., “Estimation of diffusion coefficients in multicomponent liquid systems,” Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. Vol. 30, pp. 1217–1222, 1991. ##
[18]. Fuller E., Schettler P. and Giddings J., “A new method for prediction of binary gas-phase diffusion coefficients,” Ind. Eng. Chem., Vol .58, pp. 18–27, 1966. ##
[19]. Fuller E., Ensley K. and Giddings J., “Diffusion of halogenated hydrocarbons in helium. The effect of structure on collision cross sections,” J. Phys. Chem., Vol. 73, pp. 3678–3685, 1966. ##
[20]. Poling B., “The properties of gases and liquids,” 5th ed., Prausnitz JM, O’Connell JP, McGraw-Hill, New York, 2001. ##
[21]. Islas-Juarez R., Samanego-V F., Luna E., Perez-Rosales C. and Cruz J., “Experimental study of effective diffusion in porous media,” Paper SPE 92196 Presented at the 2004 SPE International Petroleum Conference in Mexico, 8-9 November, 2004.##