Method to improve conformance control in carbon dioxide flooding
AssigneeSaudi Arabian Oil Company
InventorsFawaz Al-Otaibi, Sunil Kokal
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Abstract
Embodiments of the invention generally relate to the field of oil recovery from reservoirs. More specifically, embodiments of the invention relate to enhancing the recovery of oil using carbon dioxide flooding processes by providing a process to improve oil recovery from a reservoir by injecting through a well into a reservoir a heavy oil slug composition that includes heavy oil that is mixed carbon dioxide. Following injecting the heavy oil slug composition, a carbon dioxide slug that includes carbon dioxide is injected through the well into the reservoir.
Claims19
A process to improve oil recovery from a reservoir, the process comprising the steps of:
- injecting through a well into a reservoir a heavy oil slug composition comprising heavy oil having a density mixed with carbon dioxide having a density, said heavy oil slug composition having a compositional density and a compositional viscosity, the compositional density being selected based on a density of oil in place in the reservoir;
- and
- injecting through the well into the reservoir a carbon dioxide slug comprising carbon dioxide, the carbon dioxide slug following the heavy oil slug composition,
- wherein the density of the heavy oil is greater than the density of the oil in place in the reservoir.
A process to improve oil recovery from a reservoir, the process comprising the steps of:
- injecting through a well into a reservoir a heavy oil slug composition comprising heavy oil having a density mixed with carbon dioxide having a density, said heavy oil slug composition having a compositional density and a compositional viscosity, the compositional density being about the same as a density of the oil in place in the reservoir;
- injecting through the well into the reservoir a carbon dioxide slug comprising carbon dioxide, the carbon dioxide slug following the heavy oil slug composition;
- and
- injecting through the well into the reservoir water, the water following the carbon dioxide slug,
- wherein the control of the mobility of the carbon dioxide is improved over that of carbon dioxide being injected without a heavy oil slug composition.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.