Back to results
US 2019/0055824 A1Published application
Systems and methods of optimizing y-grade ngl enhanced oil recovery fluids
AssigneeLinde Aktiengesellschaft
InventorsJohn A. BABCOCK, Charles P. SIESS, III, Kevin G. Watts
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems and methods of optimizing enhanced oil recovery fluids in the form of a hydrocarbon foam, an emulsion based foam, an emulsion, and a gelled enhanced oil recovery fluid, each comprising Y-Grade NGL, which is an unfractionated hydrocarbon mixture that comprises ethane, propane, butane, isobutane, and pentane plus, wherein the unfractionated hydrocarbon mixture is a byproduct of a condensed and demethanized hydrocarbon stream.
Claims50
A method of optimizing a Y-Grade NGL enhanced oil recovery fluid, comprising:
- gathering geostatic data and reservoir fluid data of a hydrocarbon bearing reservoir;
- assessing availability of a supply of Y-Grade NGL and a gas;
- using the reservoir fluid data and data regarding the composition of the Y-Grade NGL and the gas to determine an equation of state;
- generating a hydrocarbon foam through a foam generation module, wherein the foam generation module includes customizing a surfactant to be mixed with the Y-Grade NGL and the gas to form the hydrocarbon foam, adjusting foam stability of the hydrocarbon foam, customizing the hydrocarbon foam, and determining a foam rheology of the hydrocarbon foam;
- formulating computational algorithms for the equation of state and the foam rheology;
- formulating a 3-D compositional reservoir simulation model as represented by the geostatic data, previously matched historical production and pressure data, and the computational algorithms to simulate an enhanced and/or improved oil recovery process of the reservoir using the hydrocarbon foam;
- and
- running multiple simulations for different hydrocarbon foams generated by the foam generation module to determine which hydrocarbon foam will obtain an optimum fluid recovery.
5 more elements
A method of optimizing a Y-Grade NGL enhanced oil recovery fluid, comprising:
- gathering geostatic data and reservoir fluid data of a hydrocarbon bearing reservoir;
- assessing availability of a supply of Y-Grade NGL, a gas, and water;
- using the reservoir fluid data and data regarding the composition of the Y-Grade NGL, the gas, and the water to determine an equation of state;
- generating an emulsion based foam through an emulsion based foam generation module, wherein the emulsion based foam generation module includes customizing a surfactant to be mixed with the Y-Grade NGL, the gas, and the water to form the emulsion based foam, adjusting foam stability of the emulsion based foam, customizing the emulsion based foam, and determining an emulsion based foam rheology of the emulsion based foam;
- formulating computational algorithms for the equation of state and the emulsion based foam rheology;
- formulating a 3-D compositional reservoir simulation model as represented by the geostatic data, previously matched historical production and pressure data, and the computational algorithms to simulate an enhanced and/or improved oil recovery process of the reservoir using the emulsion based foam;
- and
- running multiple simulations for different emulsion based foams generated by the emulsion based foam generation module to determine which emulsion based foam will obtain an optimum fluid recovery.
5 more elements
A method of optimizing a Y-Grade NGL enhanced oil recovery fluid, comprising:
- gathering geostatic data and reservoir fluid data of a hydrocarbon bearing reservoir;
- assessing availability of a supply of Y-Grade NGL and water;
- using the reservoir fluid data and data regarding the composition of the Y-Grade NGL and the water to determine an equation of state;
- generating an emulsion through an emulsion generation module, wherein the emulsion generation module includes customizing a surfactant to be mixed with the Y-Grade NGL and the water to form the emulsion, adjusting stability of the emulsion, customizing the emulsion, and determining a rheology of the emulsion;
- formulating computational algorithms for the equation of state and the emulsion rheology;
- formulating a 3-D compositional reservoir simulation model as represented by the geostatic data, previously matched historical production and pressure data, and the computational algorithms to simulate an enhanced and/or improved oil recovery process of the reservoir using the emulsion;
- and
- running multiple simulations for different emulsions generated by the emulsion generation module to determine which emulsion will obtain an optimum fluid recovery.
5 more elements
A method of optimizing a Y-Grade NGL enhanced oil recovery fluid, comprising:
- gathering geostatic data and reservoir fluid data of a hydrocarbon bearing reservoir;
- assessing availability of a supply of Y-Grade NGL;
- using the reservoir fluid data and data regarding the composition of the Y-Grade NGL to determine an equation of state;
- generating a gelled enhanced oil recovery fluid through a gel generation module, wherein the gel generation module includes customizing a gelling agent to be mixed with the Y-Grade NGL to form the gelled enhanced oil recovery fluid, adjusting gel stability of the gelled enhanced oil recovery fluid, customizing the gelled enhanced oil recovery fluid, and determining a gel rheology of the gelled enhanced oil recovery fluid;
- formulating computational algorithms for the equation of state and the gel rheology;
- formulating a 3-D compositional reservoir simulation model as represented by the geostatic data, previously matched historical production and pressure data, and the computational algorithms to simulate an enhanced and/or improved oil recovery process of the reservoir using the gelled enhanced oil recovery fluid;
- and
- running multiple simulations for different gelled enhanced oil recovery fluids generated by the gel generation module to determine which gelled enhanced oil recovery fluid will obtain an optimum fluid recovery.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.