An Experimental Investigation of In-Situ Combustion in Heterogeneous Media
Abstract/Contents
- Abstract
- In-situ combustion (ISC) is a technique capable of wresting waterflood residual and heavy oil from the subsurface. It is a thermal, air-injection recovery process that leads to hundreds of oxidation reactions and initiates a number of displacement mechanisms such as oil viscosity reduction, gas drive, steam drive and gravity drainage. Its independence of depth, relatively high thermal efficiency, and tendency for gravity override makes it potentially suitable for a number of scenarios including offshore fields and various heterogeneous reservoir settings. An extensive literature exists on the nature of the reactions that occur when air comes in contact with crude oil; however the effect of reservoir heterogeneity on the ISC process has not been experimentally addressed in prior studies. This thesis presents the results of recent experimental efforts to shed more light on ISC. We probe the effect of pressure, temperature, injection flow-rate, and matrix properties on the combustion of a Middle-Eastern 19.7o API oil in a tight-formation sand. The experimental perspective includes both oil oxidation kinetics and combustion-front dynamics in a 1-m long combustion tube. Most importantly, geological effects on the ISC process are investigated by incorporating various degrees of porous medium heterogeneity in the combustion tube runs. From the experimental data, pre and post burn CT scans of the combustion tube, and postmortem analyses, we deduce the effect of both small and large-scale heterogeneities on the spatial and temporal propagation of the combustion front. Analogous simulation runs are conducted using CMG’s STARS to provide a basis for comparison. Specifically, kinetic runs show typical ISC behavior consistent with oxidation and good reactivity of the oil-rock system. It was observed that the supply pressure, injection flowrate, the reservoir matrix and a metallic additive significantly affected the performance of this particular system. Better combustion resulted from greater oxygen partial pressures and by using the reservoir rock as compared to an artificial sand-clay mix. The combustion tube runs indicate that the process of in-situ combustion can be successfully implemented in a reservoir with small-scale heterogeneities (a few inches) and may be challenged by much larger scales (feet).
Description
| Type of resource | text |
|---|---|
| Date created | June 2007 |
Creators/Contributors
| Author | Awoleke, Olurotimi Gabriel |
|---|---|
| Primary advisor | Gerritsen, Margot |
| Advisor | Kovscek, Anthony R. |
| Advisor | Castanier, Louis |
| Degree granting institution | Stanford University, Department of Energy Resources Engineering |
Subjects
| Subject | School of Earth Energy & Environmental Sciences |
|---|---|
| Genre | Thesis |
Bibliographic information
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Preferred citation
- Preferred Citation
- Awoleke, Olurotimi Gabriel. (2007). An Experimental Investigation of In-Situ Combustion in Heterogeneous Media. Stanford Digital Repository. Available at: https://purl.stanford.edu/dn941wp4376
Collection
Master's Theses, Doerr School of Sustainability
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