The article shows the new approaches in development and application of the enhanced oil recovery (EOR) methods based on steam injection and in-situ combustion for carbonate oil fields. The unique laboratory tests were conducted for evaluation of new EOR methods for the hydrophobic carbonate reservoirs with combustion tubes setups. The following set of parameters had been determined along the tests: combustion initiation, combustion maximum temperatures, which can be achieved during combustion front propagation in the reservoir at high pressure air injection. Combustion front velocity, maximum temperatures, composition of the produced fluids and gases are processed from the experimental data for numerical simulation of steam and air injection EOR methods.
The laboratory study has shown the EOR capabilities for complicated tight oil reservoirs. The technological parameters such as air injection rate were determined. For existing development of the oil field by steam injection, the steam temperature was verified experimentally. The steam injection test shows that more than 70 % vol. of recovered oil had been produced at temperature 283 °С. By this fact, present temperature of the steam injection in the oil field was confirmed. It was also shown that increase of steam injection temperature up to 305 °С gave additional recovered oil increase on 10-15 %.
Combustion initiation happened at 200°C in the laboratory model for Central Khoreveyskoye elevation. Stable combustion front had 14,3 cm/h velocity along model. A high displacement coefficient near 80 % OOIP in the model was obtained.
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