Steamflooding in medium oil. Recovery and profitableness

Abstract

The mobility of medium and light oils has allowed that reservoirs are exploited under scenarios of primary production and immiscible displacement as waterflooding. Although the results have been favorable, the need for energy and low recovery rates have generated the possibility of implementing techniques not previously considered viable in such reservoirs. is a process of heat recovery which generates recovery mechanisms such as the expansion of the rock and fluids, reducing oil viscosity and distillation of the lightest of the same fractions, the latter being the most representative effect on deposits medium-rare as cited by the consulted literature. Given the early stage of research and limited applicability of the technique, a study based on numerical simulation to argue the technical feasibility of the process was performed. For this four models with different sizes stratified pattern, which represent a simplified form petrophysical properties of a Colombian oil field of medium oil. This field was chosen based on the ranges set by different authors for the application of the technique. A sensitivity analysis to the injection rate was also performed with the aim of selecting the best scenario of exploitation (rate of injection-spacing). This decision was made based on the analysis performed the behavior of the recovery factor, the steam-oil ratio, break time and financial criteria such as net present value and internal rate of return. Finally a spacing of 2.5 acres (10117 m2) and an injection rate of 500 bbls /d (79.5 m3 / day) make the best scenario, ensuring both the occurrence of recoverymechanisms such as the financial viability of the project.