A method to increase the recovery of oil from shale reservoirs utilizing a cyclic injection and production process that comprises a plurality of injection and production periods, wherein each of the plurality of injection and production periods comprises an injection period and a production period, and wherein the method comprises the steps of:
- (a) determining a hydrocarbon-containing composition for injection to be utilized during a first set of injection and production periods of the plurality of injection and production periods, wherein the hydrocarbon-containing composition is in a liquid state at surface injection conditions;
- (b) determining a maximum injection rate and a maximum injection pressure in a well to be utilized during the injection period in each injection and production period of the first set of injection and production periods;
- (c) determining a maximum production rate of gases and liquids from the well and a minimum production pressure during the production period in each injection and production period of the first set of injection and production periods;
- (d) during the injection period in each injection and production period of the first set of injection and production periods, injecting the hydrocarbon-containing composition for a period of time such that the pressure near a wellbore of the well reaches the determined maximum injection pressure during the injection period;
- (e) during the production period in each injection and production period of the first set of injection and production periods, producing the well for a period of time to produce fluids, such that the pressure at the wellbore reaches the determined minimum production pressure;
- (f) processing the produced fluids at the surface to remove hydrocarbons from the produced fluids;
- (g) performing steps (d)-(f) for each of the injection and production periods in the first set of injection and production periods;
- (h) at or during end of the first set of injection and production periods, assessing the composition of the produced fluids and recalibrating a reservoir simulation model to determine the composition of the residual oil in the shale reservoir;
- (i) adjusting the composition of the hydrocarbon-containing injection fluids to adjusted hydrocarbon-containing injection fluids, wherein the adjusted hydrocarbon-containing composition is in a liquid state at surface injection conditions;
- and
- (j) performing the process of steps (b) through (i) repeatedly for one or more subsequent sets of injection and production periods, wherein the adjusted hydrocarbon-containing injection fluids is utilized as the hydrocarbon-containing injection fluids in each subsequent set of the one or more subsequent sets of injection and production periods.