Experimental Evaluation of Enhanced Oil Recovery in Shale Reservoirs Using Different Media

Jiaping Tao, Siwei Meng (), Dongxu Li, Lihao Liang and He Liu
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Jiaping Tao: PetroChina Research Institute of Petroleum Exploration & Development, Beijing 100083, China
Siwei Meng: PetroChina Research Institute of Petroleum Exploration & Development, Beijing 100083, China
Dongxu Li: PetroChina Daqing Oilfield Co., Ltd., Daqing 163002, China
Lihao Liang: PetroChina Research Institute of Petroleum Exploration & Development, Beijing 100083, China
He Liu: PetroChina Research Institute of Petroleum Exploration & Development, Beijing 100083, China

Energies, 2024, vol. 17, issue 14, 1-12

Abstract: The presence of highly developed micro-nano pores and poor pore connectivity constrains the development of shale oil. Given the rapid decline in oil production , enhanced oil recovery (EOR) technologies are necessary for shale oil development. The shale oil reservoirs in China are mainly continental and characterized by high heterogeneity, low overall maturity, and inferior crude oil quality. Therefore, it is more challenging to achieve a desirably high recovery factor. The Qingshankou Formation is a typical continental shale oil reservoir, with high clay content and well-developed bedding. This paper introduced high-precision non-destructive nuclear magnetic resonance technology to carry out a systematic and targeted study. The EOR performances and oil recovery factors related to different pore sizes were quantified to identify the most suitable method. The results show that surfactant, CH 4 , and CO 2 can recover oil effectively in the first cycle. As the huff-and-puff process continues, the oil saturated in the shale gradually decreases, and the EOR performance of the surfactant and CH 4 is considerably degraded. Meanwhile, CO 2 can efficiently recover oil in small pores (<50 nm) and maintain good EOR performance in the second and third cycles. After four huff-and-puff cycles, the average oil recovery of CO 2 is 38.22%, which is much higher than that of surfactant (29.82%) and CH 4 (19.36%). CO 2 is the most applicable medium of the three to enhance shale oil recovery in the Qingshankou Formation. Additionally, the injection pressure of surfactant increased the fastest in the injection process, showing a low flowability in nano-pores. Thus, in the actual shale oil formations, the swept volume of surfactant will be suppressed, and the actual EOR performance of the surfactant may be limited. The findings of this paper can provide theoretical support for the efficient development of continental shale oil reservoirs.

Keywords: high clay content; huff-and-puff; nuclear magnetic resonance; T 2 spectrum; quantitative evaluation (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: 2024
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