Carbon Dioxide Oil Repulsion in the Sandstone Reservoirs of Lunnan Oilfield, Tarim Basin

Zangyuan Wu, Qihong Feng (), Liming Lian, Xiangjuan Meng, Daiyu Zhou, Min Luo and Hanlie Cheng
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Zangyuan Wu: School of Petroleum Engineering, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao 266580, China
Qihong Feng: School of Petroleum Engineering, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao 266580, China
Liming Lian: Research Institute of Petroleum Exploration & Development, China National Petroleum Corporation, Beijing 100083, China
Xiangjuan Meng: School of Petroleum Engineering, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao 266580, China
Daiyu Zhou: Tarim Oilfield Company, PetroChina, Korla 841000, China
Min Luo: Tarim Oilfield Company, PetroChina, Korla 841000, China
Hanlie Cheng: School of Energy Resource, China University of Geosciences, Beijing 100083, China

Energies, 2024, vol. 17, issue 14, 1-15

Abstract: The Lunnan oilfield, nestled within the Tarim Basin, represents a prototypical extra-low-permeability sandstone reservoir, distinguished by high-quality crude oil characterised by a low viscosity, density, and gel content. The effective exploitation of such reservoirs hinges on the implementation of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) flooding techniques. This study, focusing on the sandstone reservoirs of Lunnan, delves into the mechanisms of CO 2 -assisted oil displacement under diverse operational parameters: injection pressures, CO 2 concentration levels, and variations in crude oil properties. It integrates analyses on the high-pressure, high-temperature behaviour of CO 2 , the dynamics of CO 2 injection and expansion, prolonged core flood characteristics, and the governing principles of minimum miscible pressure transitions. The findings reveal a nuanced interplay between variables: CO 2 ’s density and viscosity initially surge with escalating injection pressures before stabilising, whereas they experience a gradual decline with increasing temperature. Enhanced CO 2 injection correlates with a heightened expansion coefficient, yet the density increment of degassed crude oil remains marginal. Notably, CO 2 viscosity undergoes a substantial reduction under stratigraphic pressures. The sequential application of water alternating gas (WAG) followed by continuous CO 2 flooding attains oil recovery efficiency surpassing 90%, emphasising the superiority of uninterrupted CO 2 injection over processes lacking profiling. The presence of non-miscible hydrocarbon gases in segmented plug drives impedes the oil displacement efficiency, underscoring the importance of CO 2 purity in the displacement medium. Furthermore, a marked trend emerges in crude oil recovery rates as the replacement pressure escalates, exhibiting an initial rapid enhancement succeeded by a gradual rise. Collectively, these insights offer a robust theoretical foundation endorsing the deployment of CO 2 flooding strategies for enhancing oil recovery from sandstone reservoirs, thereby contributing valuable data to the advancement of enhanced oil recovery (EOR) technologies in challenging, low-permeability environments.

Keywords: Tarim Basin; Lunnan oilfield; sandstone reservoirs; CO 2 drive (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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