A Systemic Comparison of Physical Models for Simulating Surfactant–Polymer Flooding

Muhammad M. Alhotan, Bruno R. Batista Fernandes, Mojdeh Delshad () and Kamy Sepehrnoori
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Muhammad M. Alhotan: Hildebrand Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
Bruno R. Batista Fernandes: Center for Subsurface Energy and the Environment, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
Mojdeh Delshad: Hildebrand Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
Kamy Sepehrnoori: Hildebrand Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA

Energies, 2023, vol. 16, issue 15, 1-34

Abstract: Three different reservoir simulators that utilize both two-phase and three-phase microemulsion phase behavior models are used to model surfactant–polymer flooding to determine and compare their results. Different models are used in each simulator to describe the physical behavior of injected chemicals into the reservoir, which raises the need to benchmark their results. The physical behavior models of polymer and surfactant were constructed and verified on a 1D scale reservoir model and further verified in a 3D model. Finally, simulations were conducted in a field-scale reservoir containing 680,400 grids, where results were compared and analyzed. The 1D and 3D model results suggest an excellent match between the different simulators in modeling surfactant–polymer floods. In the case of the field-scale model, the simulators matched in terms of oil recovery and total volumes produced and injected, while having similar reservoir pressure profiles but with significant discrepancies in terms of injected and produced chemicals. These results indicate that despite the differences in the calculated injected and produced chemicals due to the different models in the simulators, the effect of surfactant–polymer floods on oil recovery, total injected and produced fluids, and average pressure profiles can be comparably modeled in all of the three simulators.

Keywords: EOR; microemulsion; reservoir simulation; surfactant; polymer (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
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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