Evaluation of Emulsified Solvent Flooding For Heavy Oil Recovery
Authors: Sarma H.K. , Maini B.B. , Jha K. 
Published: March 2010

Efficient secondary and tertiary recovery of heavy oil from thin reservoirs, such as those in the Lloydminster area, remains an unsolved challenge to IOR researchers. The primary recovery from these heavy oil reservoirs is generally poor (often less than 5% of original oil in place) and waterflooding is rather inefficient due to very adverse mobility ratio which results in severe viscous fingering and early water breakthrough. Thermal methods are also not viable due to excessive heat losses to the underlying and overlying formations. Non-thermal techniques involving injection of a miscible solvent are uneconomical due to the high cost of solvent in relation to the market value of the heavy oil recovered. Therefore, there is a need for novel processes designed specifically for such reservoirs.

This paper presents an experimental evaluation of the use of emulsified solvents to recover heavy oil from thin reservoirs. The emulsified solvent flooding can potentially provide the high recovery efficiency of miscible solvents at a fraction of the cost. The process, if successful, would have wide application in thin heavy oil reservoirs.

Commercially available emulsifiers were used to formulate solvent-in-water emulsions using natural gas condensate or petroleum naphtha as the solvent. The oil recovery potential of these emulsions was evaluated in one metre long linear sandpacks and in a three-dimensional glass-bead packed visual model. Effects of various process variables, including: solvent volume fraction; surfactant concentration; flow velocity; and oil viscosity, on oil recovery performance were experimentally evaluated.

The results show that the emulsified solvent flooding provides significantly superior displacement efficiency compared to straight solvent injection and waterflooding. The mechanisms responsible for such high efficiency include:reduction in oil viscosity due to dilution by the solvent;mobility control provided by the trapping of emulsion droplets at pore throats; andin situ emulsification of the oil being displaced. The relative importance of these mechanisms was evaluated under different conditions.

An economic analysis showed that, although the process can recover a large fraction of the oil in place, it would not be profitable under current price conditions. Several novel ideas for improving the performance are suggested.

Introduction

Vast reserves of heavy oil which can be mobilized at reservoir conditions exist in the Lloydminster area of east central Alberta and west central Saskatchewan. Although the oil in these reservoirs is mobile, its production is hampered by high viscosity and the primary recovery is typically between 5 – 10%. Enhanced recovery by steam injection is generally not profitable in these relatively thin reservoirs because of the excessive heat losses to the surrounding rock formations. Non-thermal techniques involving injection of a miscible solvent are also uneconomical due to the high cost of solvent in relation to the market value of the heavy oil recovered. Therefore, new recovery processes are needed to economically recover the heavy oil from these reservoirs.

One attractive alternative to miscible solvent injection appears to be the Emulsified Solvent Flooding process. It has the potential to provide the high displacement efficiency of a miscible flood ata significantly lower cost due to the reduced solvent requirements.