Numerical verification of in-situ heavy oil upgrading experiments and thermal processes for enhanced recovery

• Published in: Fuel (Guildford) Vol. 313; p. 122730
• Main Authors: Bueno, Nicolás, Mejía, Juan M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01-04-2022; Elsevier BV
• Subjects: Enhanced oil recovery; Equations of state; Geographical distribution; Heavy oil; In-situ upgrading; Kinetic model; Mathematical models; Nanoparticles; Nanotechnology; Numerical simulation; Oil; Oil recovery; Phenomenology; Production methods; Steam; Thermal recovery; Thermodynamic properties; Thermodynamics; Transport equations; Upgrading; Verification; Kinetic model; Numerical simulation; Thermal recovery; In-situ upgrading; Heavy oil; 35Q-79
• ISSN: 0016-2361; 1873-7153
• DOI: 10.1016/j.fuel.2021.122730

Thermal techniques remain to be one of the most successful recovery methods for heavy oil production. Nanotechnology has opened an opportunity to take the advantage of thermal EOR methods to another level, leading to the emergence of in-situ upgrading: a permanent enhancing of thermodynamic properties leading to an increase in the oil recovery and the commercial value of the upgraded oil. Currently, there is not a clear approach to extrapolate the available experimental findings to reservoir conditions, based on the use of a generalized model representing the relevant phenomenology. This study presents a rigorous mathematical description of in-situ upgrading, by coupling the transport equations with kinetic models and an equation of state, allowing for a thermodynamic description of the complex mixtures. The paper introduces the formulation and implementation of the model, presents a benchmark case to compare thermal results, and numerical verification of a recent upgrading experiment is provided. With the calibrated parameters, the model is able to reproduce experimental measurements during the steam and nanocatalyst injection, such as the enhanced oil recovery and the improving of thermodynamic properties such as density (or API gravity) and viscosity. The model also provides additional insights into important time-dependent processes, such as local kinetic reactions, nanoparticle retention on the porous rock, or species distribution, that cannot be measured in the laboratory. The model can be used to design a field-scale deployment strategy for increasing both, recoverable reserves and the quality of upgraded oil.
•A novel mathematical formulation of in-situ upgrading was used to reproduce experimental results.•Among matched variables are: upgraded API gravity, viscosity at standard conditions, and oil recovery.•The thermal module was successfully compared against a benchmark case, demonstrating the reliability of the model.•The formulation is consistent between the thermodynamic description and the kinetic scheme.•We are able to reproduce correctly the phase behavior while considering the nonequilibrium changes in composition.