Method for reducing unphysical solutions in chemical enhanced oil recovery simulations
AssigneeChevron U.S.A. Inc.
InventorsXundan Shi, Choongyong Han, Yih-Bor Chang, Christian Wolfsteiner, Baris Guyaguler
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Abstract
A method for simulating a microemulsion system in a chemical enhanced oil recovery process is disclosed. The method includes receiving a geological model of a subsurface reservoir that defines a grid having a plurality of cells, determining a surfactant concentration for each cell based on a volume of surfactant and a volume of water within the cell and independently from a volume of oil in the cell, and simulating fluids flowing in the subsurface reservoir. Results from simulation can be used to optimize a chemical enhanced oil recovery process in a subsurface reservoir.
Claims19
A method for simulating a microemulsion system in a chemical enhanced oil recovery process, the method comprising:
- receiving a geological model of a subsurface reservoir, the geological model defining a grid having a plurality of cells;
- determining a surfactant concentration for each cell based on a volume of surfactant and a volume of water within the cell and independently from a volume of oil within the cell;
- and
- simulating fluids flowing in the subsurface reservoir.
A system for simulating a microemulsion system in a chemical enhanced oil recovery process, comprising:
- a memory communicatively connected to a processing unit, the memory storing instructions which, when executed by the processing unit, cause the system to simulate a microemulsion system in a chemical enhanced oil recovery process, the instructions causing the system to perform:
- receiving a geological model of a subsurface reservoir, the geological model defining a grid having a plurality of cells;
- determining a surfactant concentration for each cell based on a volume of surfactant and a volume of water within the cell and independently from a volume of oil within the cell;
- and
- simulating fluids flowing in the subsurface reservoir.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.