Multicomponent Shale Oil Flow in Real Kerogen Structures via Molecular Dynamic Simulation

Jie Liu, Yi Zhao, Yongfei Yang, Qingyan Mei, Shan Yang and Chenchen Wang
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Jie Liu: Key Laboratory of Unconventional Oil and Gas Development, China University of Petroleum (East China), Ministry of Education, Qingdao 266580, China
Yi Zhao: Exploration and Development Research Institute of PetroChina Southwest Oil and Gas Field Company, Chengdu 610041, China
Yongfei Yang: Key Laboratory of Unconventional Oil and Gas Development, China University of Petroleum (East China), Ministry of Education, Qingdao 266580, China
Qingyan Mei: Exploration and Development Research Institute of PetroChina Southwest Oil and Gas Field Company, Chengdu 610041, China
Shan Yang: Exploration and Development Research Institute of PetroChina Southwest Oil and Gas Field Company, Chengdu 610041, China
Chenchen Wang: Hubei Cooperative Innovation Centre of Unconventional Oil and Gas, Yangtze University, Wuhan 430100, China

Energies, 2020, vol. 13, issue 15, 1-12

Abstract: As an unconventional energy source, the development of shale oil plays a positive role in global energy, while shale oil is widespread in organic nanopores. Kerogen is the main organic matter component in shale and affects the flow behaviour in nanoscale-confined spaces. In this work, a molecular dynamic simulation was conducted to study the transport behaviour of shale oil within kerogen nanoslits. The segment fitting method was used to characterise the velocity and flow rate. The heterogeneous density distributions of shale oil and its different components were assessed, and the effects of different driving forces and temperatures on its flow behaviours were examined. Due to the scattering effect of the kerogen wall on high-speed fluid, the heavy components (asphaltene) increased in bulk phase regions, and the light components, such as methane, were concentrated in boundary layers. As the driving force increased, the velocity profile demonstrated plug flow in the bulk regions and a half-parabolic distribution in the boundary layers. Increasing the driving force facilitated the desorption of asphaltene on kerogen walls, but increasing the temperature had a negative impact on the flow velocity.

Keywords: flow; shale oil; kerogen; molecular 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: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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