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Understanding the Impact of Reservoir Low-Permeability Subdomains in the Steam Injection Process

Beatriz dos Santos Santana, Lorena Cardoso Batista, Edson de Andrade Araújo (edson.andrade@professor.ufcg.edu.br), Cláudio Regis dos Santos Lucas, Daniel Nobre Nunes da Silva and Pedro Tupã Pandava Aum (pedroaum@ufpa.br)
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Beatriz dos Santos Santana: Postgraduation Program of Chemical Engineering PPGEQ-ITEC-UFPA, Federal University of Pará, Belém 66075-110, PA, Brazil
Lorena Cardoso Batista: Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Campinas, Mendeleyev Street, 200, Campinas 13083-860, SP, Brazil
Edson de Andrade Araújo: Petroleum Engineering Academic Unit, Federal University of Campina Grande, R. Aprígio Veloso, 882, Campina Grande 58429-900, PB, Brazil
Cláudio Regis dos Santos Lucas: Petroleum Science and Engineering Laboratory, Federal University of Pará, Raimundo Santana Cruz Street, Salinópolis 68721-000, PA, Brazil
Daniel Nobre Nunes da Silva: Postgraduation Program of Chemical Engineering PPGEQ-ITEC-UFPA, Federal University of Pará, Belém 66075-110, PA, Brazil
Pedro Tupã Pandava Aum: Postgraduation Program of Chemical Engineering PPGEQ-ITEC-UFPA, Federal University of Pará, Belém 66075-110, PA, Brazil

Energies, 2023, vol. 16, issue 2, 1-13

Abstract: Optimizing production in the mature fields of heavy oil reservoirs is still challenging. In most cases, conventional recovery techniques are not effective, although they are suitable for applying thermal recovery methods. Steam injection involves injecting steam into the reservoir where the heat exchange with the oil occurs. This promotes a reduction in oil viscosity and thus increases its mobility. One of the challenges of the EOR project is understanding how the presence of regions with contrasting properties, such as fractures, caves, and barriers, could affect the steam flow. This work investigates the impact of low-permeability barriers in the steam injection process. The barriers were created on a semi-synthetic reservoir characteristic of Brazilian onshore mature fields. We used the three-phase pseudo-compositional reservoir simulation STARS (Steam Thermal Advanced Processes Reservoir Simulation) for simulations. Our results show that the shape, number, and arrangement of barriers in a porous medium can affect the amount of oil recovered. They may also be able to anticipate or delay oil production.

Keywords: heavy oil; steam injection; barriers; mature fields; low permeability; numerical simulation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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