Patent ID: 9103201
Filing Date: 2015-08-11
Classification: C09K,E21B,G01N,G05B

Abstract:
1. A computer-implemented method for determining one or more operating modes for a crude oil displacement system, the crude oil displacement system being arranged to inject an aqueous displacement fluid into one or more reservoirs, each reservoir comprising a porous and permeable rock formation, wherein crude oil and formation water are contained within a pore space of the rock formation, said crude oil displacement system being for use in displacing crude oil from the pore space of the rock formation, the method comprising configuring at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code to perform the steps of: receiving measurement data associated with one or more chemical characteristics of the displacement fluid and one or more chemical characteristics of the rock formation, the crude oil and the formation water of the one or more reservoirs; inputting said measurement data and data representing a predetermined volume of oil into a computer-implemented predictive model stored on the at least one memory; executing the predictive model so as to generate predicted data indicative of a predicted additional amount of oil, compared with the predetermined volume of oil, that will be displaced from the pore space of the one or more rock formations by injecting said displacement fluid, wherein said predictive data is generated based on said chemical characteristics; and determining, on the basis of the predicted data, said one or more operating modes of the crude oil displacement system; wherein, if it is determined based on the predicted data that the predicted additional amount of oil that will be displaced from a first section of a said reservoir will be greater than that predicted to be displaced from a second section of the reservoir, the first section is injected with displacement fluid before, or instead, of said second section, and wherein, if it is determined based on the predicted data that the predicted additional amount of oil that will be displaced from a second section of a said reservoir will be greater than that predicted to be displaced from a first section of said reservoir, the second section is injected with displacement fluid before, or instead of, said first section.