Experimental investigation of near-miscible water-alternating-gas (WAG) injection performance in water-wet and mixed-wet systems

Seyyed Mobeen Fatemi, Mehran Sedah Sohrabi, Mahmoud Jamiolahmady, Shaun Ireland, Graeme Robertson

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

31 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Laboratory data on WAG injection for non-water-wet systems are very limited especially for near-miscible (very low IFT) gas-oil systems, which represents injection scenarios involving high-pressure hydrocarbon gas and CO2 injection. Simulation of these processes requires three-phase relative permeability (kr) data. Most of the existing three phase relative permeability correlations have been developed for water-wet conditions. However, majority of oil reservoirs are believed to be mixed-wet and hence, prediction of the performance of WAG injection in these reservoirs is associated with significant uncertainties. Reliable simulation of WAG injection, therefore, requires improved relative permeability and hysteresis models verified with reliable measured data.

In this paper, we, first, report the results of a comprehensive series of coreflood experiments carried out in a core under natural water-wet conditions. These included water injection, gas injection and also WAG injection. Then, to investigate the impact of wettability on the performance of the above injection strategies, the wettability of the same core was changed to mixed-wet (by aging the core in an appropriate crude oil) and a similar set of experiments were performed. WAG experiments under both wettability conditions started with water injection (I) followed by gas injection (D) and this cyclic injection of water and gas was repeated (IDIDID).

The results show that in both the water-wet and mixed-wet cores, the performance of WAG injection is better than water injection and gas injection alone. Changing the rock wettability form water-wet to mixed-wet significantly improve the performance of water injection. Under both wettability conditions (water-wet and mixed-wet), the breakthrough (BT) of the gas during gas injection happens sooner than the BT of water in water injection. Ultimate oil recovery by gas injection is considerably higher than that obtained by water injection in the water-wet system, while in the mixed-wet system gas injection recovered considerably less oil.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationOffshore Europe
Subtitle of host publication6-8 September 2011, Aberdeen, UK
PublisherSociety of Petroleum Engineers
Number of pages16
ISBN (Print)9781613991381
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Sept 2011
EventSPE Offshore Europe 2011 - Aberdeen, United Kingdom
Duration: 6 Sept 20118 Sept 2011

Conference

ConferenceSPE Offshore Europe 2011
Country/TerritoryUnited Kingdom
CityAberdeen
Period6/09/118/09/11

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Experimental investigation of near-miscible water-alternating-gas (WAG) injection performance in water-wet and mixed-wet systems'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this