A Numerical Investigation of Polymeric Nanosphere for Enhanced Oil Recovery

Abstract

Emerging enhanced oil recovery (EOR) technology using nanoparticles, called Nanoflooding, was booming in the past decade. Numerous research studies in the laboratory scale have been conducted and unlocked its potential to be upscaled into field-scale implementation. However, nanoflooding has remained an unattained prospect without having a systematic framework. Based on our knowledge, there is no commercial reservoir simulation software yet that able to model and mimic of nanoflooding processes. Consequently, this condition obstructs the prediction for field performance.

This paper introduces a systematic approach and constructed a simplified core model using a worldwide commercial reservoir simulation software for EOR to observe the effect of nanoparticles on oil recovery. The displacement mechanism using nanoparticles has been concluded into disjoining pressure whereas wettability alteration due to adsorption and flow diversion due to rock properties impairment play dominant roles in the processes. We utilized laboratory coreflooding data using polymeric nanospheres and we validated through this study. The injection scenario has been established: pre-flush, nanoflooding and continued with post-flush using water. The nanoflooding is used after waterflooding (pre-flush) as a tertiary recovery method and followed by post-flush with similar waterflooding process.

The concept of nanoparticles transport and adsorption in porous media has been accounted into the modeling process. The numerical investigation from proposed systematic approach observed the critical parameters in modeling the transport phenomenon and displacement mechanism using nanoparticles. This numerical investigation and further stage of implementing this systematic approach into full-field modeling are very important in term of field modeling practices and its performance prediction.