Microfluidic Studies on Minimum Miscibility Pressure for n-Decane and CO 2

Dmitrii Pereponov, Michael Tarkhov, Desmond Batsa Dorhjie, Alexander Rykov, Ivan Filippov, Elena Zenova, Vladislav Krutko, Alexey Cheremisin () and Evgeny Shilov
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Dmitrii Pereponov: Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, 121205 Moscow, Russia
Michael Tarkhov: Institute of Nanotechnology of Microelectronics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 119991 Moscow, Russia
Desmond Batsa Dorhjie: Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, 121205 Moscow, Russia
Alexander Rykov: Institute of Nanotechnology of Microelectronics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 119991 Moscow, Russia
Ivan Filippov: Institute of Nanotechnology of Microelectronics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 119991 Moscow, Russia
Elena Zenova: Institute of Nanotechnology of Microelectronics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 119991 Moscow, Russia
Vladislav Krutko: Gazpromneft STC LLC, 190000 Saint-Petersburg, Russia
Alexey Cheremisin: Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, 121205 Moscow, Russia
Evgeny Shilov: Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, 121205 Moscow, Russia

Energies, 2023, vol. 16, issue 13, 1-21

Abstract: Oil production is a complex process that can be made more efficient by applying gas enhanced oil recovery (EOR) methods. Thus, it is essential to know the minimum miscibility pressure (MMP) and minimum miscibility enrichment (MME) of gas in oil. Conventional slim-tube experiments for the measurement of MMP require hundreds of millilitres of real or recombined oil and last over 30 days. Advances in microfluidic technology allow the reduction of the amount of fluid and the time required in determining MMP (or MME), hence making the process rapid. In this study, we developed a microfluidic model with a stochastically distributed pore network, porosity of 74.6% and volume of 83.26 nanolitres. Although the volume was six orders of magnitude smaller than the slim tube, it retained the same proportions, guaranteeing a proper comparison between the tests. This microfluidic chip allowed the study of the MMP of n-decane with carbon dioxide at two different temperature conditions. The experimental results coincided with the results received both from conventional and microfluidic experiments. Furthermore, a numerical simulation of a section of the microfluidic model under the experimental conditions presented results within acceptable margins of the experimental ones. The results of the presented methodology indicate the potential to replace conventional technology for the measurement of MMP with microfluidic technology. Its promise lies in accelerating laboratory tests and increasing the reliability of experimental results and, subsequently, the quality of field gas EOR operations.

Keywords: lab on a chip; HPHT microfluidics; gas EOR; minimum miscibility pressure (MMP); slim-tube analogue (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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