The Impact of Variations in Water and Gas Flow Rates on Scaling Potential of Carbonate Reservoirs Under CO₂-WAG Injection

This paper uses reactive transport modelling to analyse the impact of variations in the water and gas injection flow rates from a geochemical perspective on the scaling potential of carbonate reservoirs under CO₂-WAG injection. A sensitivity analysis of the calcite saturation index is performed for different water and gas injection flow rates. Geochemical properties of the injection fronts are analysed through the reservoir.

The study is carried out using a 1D model of water-alternating-gas injection, assuming a light oil with 1.2% CO₂ concentration, desulphated seawater injection and calcite as the rock substrate. The reactive transport modelling is performed using a commercial compositional reservoir simulator with the WOLERY database. Pressure, temperature, formation water (FW) and injected water (IW) compositions are based on published data. The scale potential is measured by calculating the saturation index and water production rates.

Results show that calcite dissolution occurs continuously in the block closest to the injection well, and equilibrium is not reached in this region during water injection, but it is reached during CO₂ injection. The extent of the reaction decreases from the injector to the producer well because the fluid becomes more saturated with CO₂ as it flows through the reservoir. The reaction also decreases as the water and gas injection flow rates decrease, mainly due to the reduced volume throughput. The reactions during the water injection part of the cycle occur further away from the waterflood front as the water injection rate declines, and the reactions during the CO₂ injection part of the cycle occur further away from the gas flood front as the CO₂ injection rate declines. The system takes longer to reach equilibrium at lower flow rates, and so the water composition varies for longer. In the highest water flow rate model, it takes a very short time to reach equilibrium after the water breakthrough in the producer well. In the lowest water flow rate model, it takes more than five times as long.

This work indicates the previously unreported finding that the water and gas injection flow rates may affect the geochemical equilibrium in the reservoir, specifically demonstrating that the reactions during the non-equilibrium stage may occur further away from the water and gas flood fronts, depending on the water and gas flow rates.