Enhanced oil recovery or improved oil recovery (EOR/IOR) captures different techniques used to boost oil recovery beyond conventional primary and secondary recovery techniques. On average, around 60% of original oil in place remains unrecovered in mature reservoirs after primary depletion and waterflooding. This unrecovered oil includes unswept (bypassed) oil as well as capillary trapped oil in waterflooded zones. Different EOR techniques are utilized to boost recovery of this oil including chemical (polymer, surfactant, alkaline, or combinations), thermal (hot water, steam, cyclic steam, and in-situ combustion), solvent (gas) injection, and others (microbial, low salinity water injection, etc.). Hybrid EOR applications are also part of this area where combining two or more EOR techniques are investigated.
Evaluation of the Injectivity and Adsorption Characteristics of Polymers For EOR Applications (Completed 2020) (Dr. Waleed Alameri)
Several polymer candidates will be tested by starting with their rheological evaluations at ambient as well as high temperature conditions using high temperature-high pressure cell. Chemical stability will be evaluated by utilizing high-efficiency glove box with O2 levels less than 5ppb, with ovens kept inside the glove box to ensure strict anaerobic conditions. Polymer solutions will be evaluated further for their Filtration Ratio tests and then assessed for the injectivity characteristics using state of the art mini-coreflood system, which employs mini core samples to reduce injectivity tests durations down to only a few hours. Dynamic as well as static adsorption studies and determination of inaccessible pore volume will reveal the suitability of polymer solution for the given EOR project. A simplified proposed steps for polymer evaluation is presented.
Maximizing Recovery In Co2-eor By A Holistic, Bottom-up, And Multi-scale Experimental And Simulation Approach Involving Machine Learning Optimization (Ongoing) (Dr. Waleed Alameri)
The project aims to develop a holistic, yet focused, experimental and Simulation optimization approach involving novel nanoscale experimental tools coupled to artificial intelligence (AI) in order to provide a solid pathway for maximizing efficiency and recovery upon CO2-based EOR. The project involves additives development and evaluation, core-flooding experiments, rheology studies and CO2-additive-oil flow evaluation, studies on rock physicochemical characteristics, pore analysis, and rock–CO2-additives interactions, in-situ neutron scattering experiments, all integrated into the development of Machine Learning (ML) simulations and optimization algorithms. With this approach, we target bottom-up optimization, provided by the proposed toolset, which is applied for the first time in EOR. CO2-EOR will be the focal case study, but the technology to be developed will have the potential to be expanded and applied to other EOR technologies of interest, such as polymer-EOR.
CHEMICAL EOR APPLICATION IN ABU DHABI CARBONATE RESERVOIRS (ONGOING) (DR. WALEED ALAMERI AND DR. EMAD W. AL SHALABI)
The purpose of this study is to characterize the optimal polymer size (post-manufacturing molecular weight) and the amount of mechanical pre-shearing in order obtain an optimal polymer for injection into low-to-moderate permeability Abu Dhabi reservoirs. At the same time, the effect of pre-shearing on injectivity characteristics in low-k zones is to be studied.
RESIDUAL OIL AND REMAINING OIL EVALUATION IN ABU DHABI CARBONATE REERVOIRS (ONGOING) (DR. WALEED ALAMERI AND DR. EMAD W. AL SHALABI)
The focus of this study is on the determination of residual oil saturation in the laboratory for carbonate reservoirs using both centrifuge and flooding experiments. The experiments are performed on both outcrop and reservoir core samples using reservoir and laboratory oils. The core samples used in the study span a wide range of permeability and porosity representing different carbonate reservoirs in Abu Dhabi.
MAXIMIZING OIL RECOVERY FROM CHELEKEN CHALLENGING SANDSTONE RESERVOIRS – HYBRID SMARTWATER NANOPOLYMER: A NOVEL ENVIRONOMIC EOR TECHNIQUE (ONGOING) (DR. MD MOTIUR RAHMAN AND DR. MOHAMED HAROUN)
The proposed research aims to develop a novel in-house Hybrid Smartwater NanoPolymer (HSWNP) technique by utilizing the wettability alteration and preconditioning capability of Smartwater coupled with the sweep ability of polymer flooding. The success of this project could lead to an advanced EOR process, applicable specifically under moderate and harsh reservoir conditions applicable to candidate fields in UAE. The key innovation of this investigation would be to incorporate cost-effective, surface active polymeric system with the smart water flooding to further improve oil recovery efficiency.
THE EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF SMART WATERFLOOD IN AN ADNOC CANDIDATE FIELD (ONGOING) (DR. MOHAMED HAROUN, DR. MD MOTIUR RAHMAN, AND DR. MOHAMMED SAAD AL KOBAISI)
The overall objective of this proposed research is investigating the potential of smart waterflooding to increase the oil recovery from a candidate field in Abu Dhabi. In particular, the project aims to investigate the effect of reducing the salinity and/or changing the composition of the injection brine on oil recovery from the candidate carbonate formation. This includes development of novel strategies that are economical and efficient for field-scale development targeting maximum recovery, enhancing preventive maintenance and optimal resource management along with reduction in costs. An understanding of the brines response and associated performance on displacement efficiency, promotes evaluating the potential of field implementations with the identification of key contributing parameters. In addition, this study demonstrates potential to implement such techniques for Abu Dhabi reservoirs and to augment current implementations in field-scale.
CARBONATE WETTABILITY CHARACTERIZATION AS A FUNCTION OF SURFACE ROUGHNESS AND MINERALOGICAL HETEROGENEITY (ONGOING) (DR. MUHAMMAD ARIF)
In this research, the wetting behavior of carbonates of varying mineralogy is investigated at the prevailing pressure, temperature, and salinity conditions. Besides, the interfacial tensions of fluid/fluid systems are also analyzed. In principle, carbonates tend to demonstrate a greater degree of heterogeneity in terms of surface roughness and lithology distribution. This has a direct influence on rock wetting behavior as demonstrated by the current research. Wettability is characterized at HPHT conditions using a captive-bubble and/or sessile-drop apparatus by direct measurement of the dynamic contact angles. Wettability alteration is examined in the presence of different chemicals as well as CO2. These measurements are supplemented by microscopic imaging of the rock surface via SEM, AFM, and TEM. Furthermore, the associated mechanisms at the interface are analyzed by simulating the interface behavior at the molecular scale.
PROPER CONFIGURATION OF SLIM TUBE APPARATUS FOR CONSISTENT DETERMINATION OF MMP DATA – EXPERIMENTAL/SIMULATION (COMPLETED 2017) (DR. HADI BELHAJ)
This project defines the right combination of parameters of the slim tube apparatus suitable for the measurements of MMP. The effects of length of the slim tube and type of gas injection, gas injection rate, and reservoir fluid properties on MMP measurements were investigated. The experimental findings were supported by 1-D slim tube model and two analytical approaches: Cell to cell /Key Tie Line methods using CMG simulator.
NITROGEN GAS MISCIBLE INJECTION FOR INCREASING OIL/CONDENSATE RECOVERY FROM ABU DHABI RESERVOIRS (COMPLETED 2014) (DR. HADI BELHAJ)
In this project, recovery factor, MMP, and sweep efficiency utilizing N2/CO2 miscible injection, as single components or mixtures, is determined both numerically and experimentally. In addition to setting the ground for practical recovery scheme to increase profitability of N2 miscible injection in oil and condensate reservoirs, this study has a potential to free considerable quantities of natural gas currently used for gas miscible injection. Therefore, this study aims at maximizing oil recovery while keeping low operating cost and observing environment protection.
ASPHALTENE DEPOSITION PROBLEM ASSOCIATED WITH CO2 MISCIBLE GAS INJECTION IN KEY LIBYAN OIL FIELDS (COMPLETED 1994) (DR. HADI BELHAJ)
This is LNOC (Libyan National Oil Corporation) project targeting selected partially depleted reservoirs (Raguba, Farrud, and Ghani Fiels) in an effort to use CO2 and Lean Dry Gas Miscible injection. Field rock and fluid samples provided by the operators of these field, and the study was mostly experimental.
