Enhanced Oil Recovery by Nitrogen Injection: The Effect of Increased Temperature and the Amount of Gas in Solution

Field: Energy (Physical Sciences)

Enhanced Oil Recovery by Nitrogen Injection: The Effect of Increased Temperature and the Amount of Gas in Solution C.F. Alcocer; C.F. Alcocer Montana C. of Mineral Science and Technology Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar D.E. Menzie D.E. Menzie U. of Oklahoma Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Paper presented at the SPE Enhanced Oil Recovery Symposium, Tulsa, Oklahoma, April 1984. Paper Number: SPE-12709-MS https://doi.org/10.2118/12709-MS Published: April 15 1984 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Get Permissions Search Site Citation Alcocer, C.F., and D.E. Menzie. "Enhanced Oil Recovery by Nitrogen Injection: The Effect of Increased Temperature and the Amount of Gas in Solution." Paper presented at the SPE Enhanced Oil Recovery Symposium, Tulsa, Oklahoma, April 1984. doi: https://doi.org/10.2118/12709-MS Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex Search nav search search input Search input auto suggest search filter All ContentAll ProceedingsSociety of Petroleum Engineers (SPE)SPE Improved Oil Recovery Conference Search Advanced Search AbstractThe results of laboratory research conducted to study displacement of crude oil by high-pressure nitrogen injection are presented in this paper. The objectives of this research were to study the effect of temperature and original gas-oil ratio in solution on crude oil recovery and the miscibility process in high-pressure (H-P) nitrogen injection. Also in addition, the effectiveness of nitrogen injection after waterflooding and the effect of nitrogen-driven propane slugs was examined. Nine experimental tests were propane slugs was examined. Nine experimental tests were performed using crude oil of 42.3 API recombined with performed using crude oil of 42.3 API recombined with natural gas. The experimental tests were made using two temperatures (70F and 120F) and three gas-oil ratios in solution (575 SCF/STB, 400 SCF/STB and 200 SCF/STB). The reservoir model used was a stainless steel tube 125 feet long and 0.435 inches in diameter, packed with sand consolidated to give an average packed with sand consolidated to give an average permeability of 910 md. The model was provided with five permeability of 910 md. The model was provided with five sampling valves to collect vapor samples. The vapor samples were analyzed by using a gas chromatograph. A temperature control system was built based on the results obtained from a heat transfer mathematical model specifically prepared for this research. The results obtained in this study suggest very strongly that crude oil recovery and miscibility in this kind of oil depend on temperature and oil-gas ratio in solution. Multiple-regression equations to predict crude oil recovery using temperature and gas-oil ration in solution were developed based on the experimental data.IntroductionA relatively new process of vaporization gas drive, the application of high-pressure nitrogen (N) injection to increase ultimate production, has been receiving special attention because of the high cost and limited supply of natural gas.The main goal of injection of N2 is to achieve miscibility with the reservoir fluid. The miscibility obtained by nitrogen injection in a light crude oil reservoir is a conditional miscibility; where the fluids are not miscibles on the first contact, but form two phases, with one of the fluids absorbing components from the other. After sufficient contacts and exchange of components, the system becomes miscible. N2 -light crude oil miscibility phenomenon is complex and depends on the composition of the reservoir fluid, temperature, pressure, as well as other factors such as interphase mass transfer, effect of relative permeability, capillary pressure and gravity.This research is the continuation of an investigation conducted by Tarek Ahmed and Donald Menzie (1983). These researchers studied the displacement of light crude oil by nitrogen at different injection pressures at room temperature and using a constant gas pressures at room temperature and using a constant gas oil ratio in solution.The primary objectives of this research are:Formulation and preparation of a computer program to simulate the heat transfer process in the physical model,To confirm the validity of the data obtained by various researchers using the same physical model,Injection of nitrogen into the reservoir model at one pressure and different temperatures,Injection of nitrogen into the reservoir model at one pressure above the miscibility pressure and different pressure above the miscibility pressure and different solution gas-oil ratio to study the effect of the gas-oil solution on oil recovery, miscibility and track the compositional changes taking place during displacement,Run a regular waterflood and then displace nitrogen to study if miscibility is obtained under those conditions, andRun a nitrogen-driven propane slug test to study the possibility for future propane slug test to study the possibility for future investigation of using the same laboratory equipment.Literature ReviewIn 1928, Power performed a laboratory study to determine whether air is superior to natural gas as a driving medium or vice versa. Power also used nitrogen in his experiments.P. 383 Keywords: scf stb, gor, gas-oil ratio, crude oil recovery, procedure, gas injection method, pressure nitrogen injection, miscibility, displacement, upstream oil & gas Subjects: Fluid Characterization, Improved and Enhanced Recovery, Phase behavior and PVT measurements, Gas-injection methods This content is only available via PDF. 1984. Society of Petroleum Engineers You can access this article if you purchase or spend a download.