Study on a Novel Gelled Foam for Conformance Control in High Temperature and High Salinity Reservoirs

Tong Li, Jichao Fang, Baolei Jiao, Long He, Caili Dai and Qing You
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Tong Li: School of Energy Resources, China University of Geosciences, Beijing 100083, China
Jichao Fang: State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing, China University of Petroleum, Qingdao 266580, China
Baolei Jiao: SINOPEC Northwest Branch Company Technology Research Institute of Petroleum Engineering, Urumqi 830011, China
Long He: SINOPEC Northwest Branch Company Technology Research Institute of Petroleum Engineering, Urumqi 830011, China
Caili Dai: State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing, China University of Petroleum, Qingdao 266580, China
Qing You: School of Energy Resources, China University of Geosciences, Beijing 100083, China

Energies, 2018, vol. 11, issue 6, 1-15

Abstract: A novel gelled foam for conformance control was investigated for its ability to enhance oil recovery (EOR) in high temperature and high salinity reservoirs. The formulation optimization, foaming performance, and core flooding performance of the gelled foam were systematically evaluated under harsh reservoir conditions. The gelled foam formulation was optimized with 0.4% polymer (hydrolyzed polyacrylamide; HPAM), 0.06% cross-linker (phenolic) and 0.2% foaming agent (sulphobetaine; SB). The addition of the gel improved the stability of the foam system by 3.8 times that of traditional foam. A stabilization mechanism in the gelled foam was proposed to describe the stabilization process of the foam film. The uniformly distributed three-dimensional network structure of the gel provided a thick protective layer for the foam system that maintained the stability of the foam and improved the strength and thickness of the liquid film. The gelled foam exhibited good formation adaptability, profile control, and EOR performance. The foam flowed into the high permeability layer, plugged the dominant channel, and increased the swept volume. Oil recovery was enhanced by 29.4% under harsh high -temperature and high salinity conditions.

Keywords: gelled foam; conformance control; high temperature and high salinity; stabilization mechanism; enhanced oil recovery (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: 2018
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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