Gum and asphaltene precipitation pattern in CO2 miscible flooding: A case study of Donghe 6 reservoir
Author of the article:ZHANG Liming1, LI Ruyong1, YUAN Zebo1, HOU Dali2,3, WANG Xiaoqiang1, ZENG Changmin1
Author's Workplace:1. PetroChina Tarim Oilfield Company, Korla, Xinjiang, 841000, China; 2. The State Key Laboratory of Oil and Gas Reservoir Geology and Exploitation, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610059, China; 3. College of Energy, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610059, China
Key Words:Reservoir fluid phase mixing; CO2 miscible flooding; Gum precipitation; Asphaltene precipitation; Donghe 6 reservoir; Crude oil recovery rate
Abstract:
During the CO2 injection process, it's essential to understand whether miscibility
significantly impacts oil displacement efficiency and how asphaltene
precipitation behaves in oil layers under CO2 injection. This paper outlines
the design of a high-temperature and high-pressure mixing and precipitation
experimental apparatus and details experimental studies on the precipitation
pattern of asphaltenes and resins during CO2 miscible flooding. The research
simulates the injection and production processes of the Donghe 6 reservoir,
assessing the miscibility of the injected gas with the formation fluid and
monitoring the precipitation pattern in asphaltene and resin content within the
reservoir. The experimental results indicate that the CO2 flooding mechanism in
the Donghe 6 reservoir is primarily of the contact miscible type. The relative
precipitation of asphaltenes initially surges and then tapers off with
increasing amounts of injected CO2, whereas the precipitation of resins first
diminishes and then rises. After the CO2 injection, employing depressurization
and depletion techniques preferentially extracts saturated hydrocarbons,
resulting in a marked increase in asphaltene concentration in the reservoir's crude oil. To enhance displacement efficiency and
mitigate resin and asphaltene precipitation during extraction, maintaining a
minimum miscibility pressure of 45.4 MPa or higher for CO2 flooding in the
Donghe 6 reservoir is recommended, which also contributes to an elevated crude
oil recovery rate. The research results provide a method for measuring
miscibility pressure and asphaltene precipitation in reservoirs undergoing CO2
injection, thereby supporting the development strategies for such reservoirs.