Open Access

ARTICLE

Visualization of Water Plugging Displacement with Foam/Gel Flooding in Internally Heterogeneous Reservoirs

by Jialiang Zhang¹, Shumei He¹, Tongjing Liu^2,*, Tianlu Ni¹, Jian Zhou^2,3, Fang Huang¹

1 Dagang Oilfield Company, China National Petroleum Corporation, Binhai New Area, Tianjin, 300280, China
2 The Unconventional Oil and Gas Institute, China University of Petroleum, Beijing, 102249, China
3 Beijing Jinshi Liyuan Science Co., Ltd., Beijing, 102206, China

* Corresponding Author: Tongjing Liu. Email:

Fluid Dynamics & Materials Processing 2021, 17(5), 931-946. https://doi.org/10.32604/fdmp.2021.015638

Received 01 January 2021; Accepted 07 April 2021; Issue published 05 July 2021

Abstract

During the displacement of water plugging with binary flooding in internally heterogeneous reservoirs, it is essential to understand the distributions of remaining oil as well as the oil displacement mechanisms at different stages. In this study, two types of internally heterogeneous systems, i.e., vertical and horizontal wells are investigated experimentally through a microscopic approach. The results show that plugging agent types have a greater impact on oil recovery than well types, and foam injection can enhance oil recovery more effectively than gel injection. Additionally, the injection sequence of plugging agents significantly affects oil displacement efficiency. Injecting gel after foam is more beneficial. According to the present results, the main formation mechanisms of remaining oil in each displacement stage are influenced by: capillary force, viscous force, inertial force, shear force, microscopic fingering & channeling.

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Keywords

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