Experimental study of electrical heating to enhance oil production from oil-wet carbonate reservoirs
File(s)Amrouche et al Fuel 2022.pdf (2.83 MB)
Published version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
New approaches for enhanced oil recovery (EOR) with a reduced environmental footprint are required to improve recovery from mature oil fields, and when combined with carbon capture and storage (CCS) can provide useful options for resource maximisation during the net zero transition. Electrical heating is investigated as a potential EOR method in carbonate reservoirs. Samples were placed in an apparatus surrounded by a wire coil across which different DC (direct current) voltages were applied. Monitoring the imbibition of both deionized water (DW) and seawater (SW) into initially oil-wet Austin chalk showed that water imbibed into the rock faster when heated in the presence of a magnetic field. This was associated with a reduction in the water–air contact angle over time measured on the external surface of the sample. Without heating, the contact angle reduced from 127° approaching water-wet conditions, 90°, in 52 min, while in the presence of heating with 3 V, 6 V, and 9 V applied across a sample 17 mm in length, the time required to reach the same contact angle was only 47, 38 and 26 min, respectively, while a further reduction in contact angle was witnessed with SW. The ultimate recovery factor (RF) for an initially oil-wet sample imbibed by DW was 13% while by seawater (SW) the recorded RF was 26% in the presence of an electrical heating compared with 2.8% for DW and 11% for SW without heating. We propose heating as an effective way to improve oil recovery, enhancing capillary-driven natural water influx, and observe that renewable-powered heating for EOR with CCS may be one option to improve recovery from mature oil fields with low environmental footprint.
Date Issued
2022-09-15
Date Acceptance
2022-05-07
Citation
Fuel: the science and technology of fuel and energy, 2022, 324 (Part A), pp.1-12
ISSN
0016-2361
Publisher
Elsevier
Start Page
1
End Page
12
Journal / Book Title
Fuel: the science and technology of fuel and energy
Volume
324
Issue
Part A
Copyright Statement
© 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
Copyright URL
Identifier
http://gateway.webofknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000807566800001&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=1ba7043ffcc86c417c072aa74d649202
Subjects
Science & Technology
Technology
Energy & Fuels
Engineering, Chemical
Engineering
Enhanced oil recovery
Magnetic field
Electrical heating
Surface Tension
Carbonate rock
MAGNETIC-FIELD
RECOVERY
WETTABILITY
TEMPERATURE
STATICS
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
ARTN 124559
Date Publish Online
2022-05-14