Nano-Water-Alternating-Gas Simulation Study Considering Rock–Fluid Interaction in Heterogeneous Carbonate Reservoirs

Seungmo Ko, Hyeri Park and Hochang Jang ()
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Seungmo Ko: Department of Energy and Mineral Resources Engineering, Kangwon National University, Samcheok 25913, Republic of Korea
Hyeri Park: Department of Energy and Mineral Resources Engineering, Kangwon National University, Samcheok 25913, Republic of Korea
Hochang Jang: Department of Energy Resources and Chemical Engineering, Kangwon National University, Samcheok 25913, Republic of Korea

Energies, 2024, vol. 17, issue 19, 1-15

Abstract: In carbonate reservoirs, nanoparticles can adhere to rock surfaces, potentially altering the rock wettability and modifying the absolute permeability. In the water-alternating-gas (WAG) process, the introduction of nanoparticles into the water phase, termed nano-water-alternating gas (NWAG), is a promising approach for enhancing oil recovery and CO 2 storage. The NWAG process can alter rock wettability and absolute permeability through the adsorption of nanoparticles on the rock surface. This study investigated the efficiency of the NWAG method, which utilizes nanofluids in CO 2 -enhanced oil recovery (EOR) processes to simultaneously recover oil and store CO 2 using 1D core and 3D heterogeneous reservoir models. The simulation results of the 1D core model showed that applying the NWAG method enhanced both oil recovery and CO 2 storage efficiency by increasing to 3%. In a 3D reservoir model, a Dykstra–Parsons coefficient of 0.4 was selected to represent reservoir heterogeneity. Additionally, the capillary trapping of CO 2 during WAG injection was computed using Larsen and Skauge’s three-phase relative permeability hysteresis model. A sensitivity analysis was performed using the NWAG ratio, slug size, injection period, injection cycle, and nanofluid concentration. The results confirmed an increase of 0.8% in oil recovery and 15.2% in CO 2 storage compared with the conventional WAG process. This mechanism suggests that nanofluids can enhance oil recovery and expand CO 2 storage, improving the efficiency of both the oil production rate and CO 2 storage compared to conventional WAG methods.

Keywords: NWAG; rock–fluid interaction; carbonate reservoirs; SiO 2 nanoparticles (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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