Abstract
Miscible gas injection is the most widely applied light oil
enhanced oil recovery (EOR) process. A methodology, based
on well-established physical principles, has been developed
for estimating the conditions under which gas will be miscible
with oil. The methodology enables rapid screening of a range
of potential gas injectants (such as CO2, enriched hydrocarbon
gas, N2, or H2S) through the use of readily available gas and
oil properties.
The methodology has been applied to
numerous reservoirs worldwide.
An overview of the
methodology is provided along with an illustration of its
application to screening of gas injection EOR for the Malay
Basin.
The methodology makes use of a correlation1 that can be
used to rapidly estimate miscible or near-miscible residual oil
saturation, Sorm, minimum miscibility pressure (MMP), or
minimum miscibility enrichment (MME) for a wide range of
injected gases, crude oils, temperature and pressure
conditions. The correlation is based on representation of the
physical and chemical properties of the crude oil and injected
gas through Hildebrand solubility parameters.
Thirty-four offshore reservoirs operated by either
ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Malaysia Inc.
(EMEPMI) or production sharing contract (PSC) partners
were screened for gas injection EOR. Potential injection gases
included pure CO2, CO2 diluted with methane, field separator
gas, CO2 enriched with LPG, and separator gas enriched with
LPG. A spreadsheet was created to facilitate calculation of
MMP or MME using the solubility parameter correlation for a
large number of reservoirs and potential injection gases. The
correlation was useful for ranking reservoirs and potential
injectants with respect to gas injection EOR potential and
identifying which reservoirs to carry forward for in-depth
laboratory and simulation evaluation.
Miscibility Correlations
A variety of correlations1-9 to predict miscibility conditions
have been published in the literature, and in general, these
miscibility correlations relate MMP for a given injectant to
reservoir temperature and some measure of live oil
composition.
Most correlations2-6 for estimating MMP for CO2 are
empirically derived from experimental data. The applicability
of some correlations3,4 is limited by the narrow range of
temperatures and/or oil compositions in the experimental data
set, while other correlations2,5,6 require a detailed
compositional analysis of live oil to calculate correlation input
parameters, such as molecular weight of the C5+ fraction and
mole fraction of methane. A number of correlations5,6 have
been extended to account for impurities (e.g., methane) in the
CO2 injectant, which usually increase MMP. More recently,
Johns and Orr10 described an analytical theory for predicting
miscibility using an equation-of-state (EOS) characterization
for a given gas-oil system, and based on predictions from this
analytical theory, Yuan, et al.7 developed MMP correlations
for pure and impure CO2.
To estimate MMP for enriched hydrocarbon gas, Benham,
et al.8 assumed a simple miscibility criterion based on pseudoternary diagrams to generate graphical correlations relating
MMP to temperature and composition of oil and injectant.
Later, Glaso9 developed equations based on these graphical
correlations and extended the correlation to estimate MMP for
CO2. Estimating the MMP for a given enriched hydrocarbon
gas is relatively straightforward with these correlations, while
estimating MME can require an iterative process.
The focus of this work is the solubility parameter
correlation1, which is based on an empirically derived
miscibility criterion shown to be applicable over a wide range
of reservoir conditions, oil compositions, and gas injectants.
In addition to its robustness, the solubility parameter
correlation requires only live oil molecular weight (more
rigorous calculations of the solubility parameter taking into
account the oil's detailed chemical composition are also
possible). Finally, the procedure for estimating MME with the
correlation is just as easy as that for estimating MMP.
Miscibility predictions from the solubility parameter
correlation are compared with predictions from other
published correlations.
Solubility Parameter Correlation for Estimation of
Miscibility Conditions
The methodology is based on a correlation1 that can be used to
predict Sorm for a wide range of injected gases, crude oils,
temperatures, and pressures. The correlation is based on
representation of the physical and chemical properties of the
crude oil and injected gas through Hildebrand solubility
parameters. The solubility parameter concept has been widely
used to judge the "goodness" of a solvent for a solute, such
that a small difference in solubility parameters between a
solute and a solvent suggests that the solute may dissolve in
the solvent. The solubility parameter of a high-pressure gas
depends primarily on its reduced density, which can be
estimated with an EOS calculation. The solubility parameter
of a crude oil depends primarily on its molecular weight,
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(2)
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Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank Dan Newhouse and Jay
Suchadoll for their assistance in conducting the slim-tube
experiments and thank Kamal Hamdan and Mimi Shuhaimi of
PETRONAS for helpful discussions during the course of the
EOR study. We also thank ExxonMobil and PETRONAS
management for their support and permission to publish this
paper.
References
1.
E+00
E-03
E+00
E-02
E-01
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
g/cm3
J
Pas
C
kPa
m3
m3
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0.4
Immiscible
Miscible
0.35
0.3
0.25
Sorm 0.2
0.15
0.1
0.05
0
0
10
11
12
6000
Pressure (psia)
5000
4000
3000
2000
1000
slim-tube data:
experiment, Tapis
experiment, Dulang
simulations, Tapis
0
Tabu
Lower I
Guntong
Lower I
Dulang
E12
Guntong
Upper I
Tapis
Lower J
Figure 2. MMP estimates for selected Malay Basin reservoirs. Orange bars describe the range of predictions for a miscibility criterion of
3 0.5
3 0.4 (cal/cm ) . Palas K gas is 70 mole% CO2 and 30 mole% methane. Tapis separator gas is 80 mole% methane.
SPE 97650
0.9
0.8
0.7
0.6
0.5
0.4
CO2
CO2 + LPG
Separator Gas
Separator Gas + LPG
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
Pressure (psia)
5000
6000
Figure 3. EOS fit (lines) to liquid dropout data (points) from CCE tests for 60 mole% gas in oil from the Tapis Lower J.
100
90
80
70
60
MMP
50
40
30
Sim ulation
Experim ent
20
10
0
2000
2500
3000
3500
Pressure (psia)
Figure 4. MMP for CO2 in the Tapis Lower J.
4000
4500
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0.7
carbon dioxide
slim-tube data:
experiments
simulation
0.6
Palas K gas
Tapis sep. gas
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0.0
Tabu
Lower I
Guntong
Lower I
Dulang
E12
Guntong
Upper I
Tapis
Lower J
Figure 5. MME estimates for selected Malay Basin reservoirs. Orange bars describe the range of predictions for a miscibility criterion of
3 0.5
3 0.4 (cal/cm ) . Palas K gas is 70 mole% CO2 and 30 mole% methane. Tapis separator gas is 80 mole% methane. LPG is 63 mole%
propane and 37 mole% butane.
100
90
80
70
60
MME
50
40
Sim ulation
30
Experim ent
20
10
0
0
0.05
0.1
0.15
0.2
0.25
0.3
SPE 97650
0.6
0.5
0.4
solubility parameter
correlation
solubility parameter
correlation - modified
slim-tube experiments
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
carbon dioxide
Figure 7. MME estimates for Tapis Lower J. Orange bars describe the range of predictions for a miscibility criterion of 3 0.4 (cal/cm ) .
Tapis separator gas is 80 mole% methane. LPG is 63 mole% propane and 37 mole% butane.
3 0.5
4000
3500
3000
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
Glaso (ref. 9)
slim-tube experiments:
Tapis
Dulang
0
Tabu Guntong Dulang Guntong Tapis
Lower I Lower I
E12
Upper I Lower J
Figure 8. Comparison of correlation predictions of MMP for CO2. Orange bars describe the range of predictions for a miscibility criterion of
3 0.5
3 0.4 (cal/cm ) .
10
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5000
4000
3000
2000
1000
slim-tube simulation
0
Tabu Guntong Dulang Guntong Tapis
Lower I Lower I
E12
Upper I Lower J
Figure 9. Comparison of correlation predictions of MMP for Palas K gas (70 mole% CO2, 30 mole% methane). Orange bars describe the range
3 0.5
of predictions for a miscibility criterion of 3 0.4 (cal/cm ) .
0.7
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
slim-tube experiment
0.0
Tabu
Lower I
Guntong
Lower I
Guntong
Upper I
Tapis
Lower J
Figure 10. Comparison of correlation predictions of MME for Tapis separator gas (80 mole% methane). Orange bars describe the range of
3 0.5
predictions for a miscibility criterion of 3 0.4 (cal/cm ) .
11
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Appendix A - Field Data and Miscibility Predictions for Malay Basin Oil Reservoirs
Reservoir
Dulang E12
Guntong
Lower I
Tabu Lower I
Guntong
Upper I
Tapis Lower J
Reservoir 1
Reservoir 2
Reservoir 3
Reservoir 4
Reservoir 5
Reservoir 6
Reservoir 7
Reservoir 8
Reservoir 9
Reservoir 10
Reservoir 11
Reservoir 12
Reservoir 13
Reservoir 14
Reservoir 15
Reservoir 16
Reservoir 17
Reservoir 18
Reservoir 19
Reservoir 20
Reservoir 21
Reservoir 22
Reservoir 23
Reservoir 24
Reservoir 25
Reservoir 26
Reservoir 27
Reservoir 28
Reservoir 29
current live
oil MW
(g/mol)
reservoir
temperature
(F)
123.5
216
current
reservoir
pressure
(psia)
1200
85.3
94.2
230
244
96.3
98.7
101.1
101.2
82.0
123.5
123.5
123.5
123.5
123.2
153.9
81.9
85.8
107.9
108.6
134.6
83.3
103.8
87.2
97.4
95.9
122.9
81.6
89.2
134.5
122.7
101.7
106.8
97.4
98.1
83.9
212
248
226
246
215
210
210
216
216
212
189
225
196
237
252
201
228
170
243
196
196
217
217
234
185
226
214
230
193
196
224
0.62
MME Palas K
gas
(volume
fraction LPG)
0.63
4601
4800
0.30
0.24
0.37
0.33
0.41
0.39
4768
4897
4900
4946
4507
5312
5312
5332
5332
5313
5899
4528
4518
5062
5040
5518
4561
4737
4658
4729
4703
5325
4505
4684
5436
5351
4876
5025
4719
4745
4563
0.41
0.27
0.25
0.27
0.27
0.57
0.61
0.62
0.57
0.48
0.65
0.25
0.32
0.39
0.26
0.38
0.29
0.42
0.14
0.52
0.46
0.45
0.27
0.29
0.61
0.21
0.36
0.40
0.51
0.44
0.10
0.45
0.35
0.35
0.35
0.35
0.59
0.62
0.63
0.59
0.52
0.66
0.33
0.39
0.44
0.35
0.47
0.36
0.47
0.26
0.54
0.49
0.50
0.35
0.36
0.62
0.35
0.42
0.45
0.53
0.48
0.25
0.48
0.41
0.42
0.41
0.40
0.59
0.62
0.63
0.60
0.54
0.66
0.39
0.44
0.47
0.41
0.52
0.41
0.51
0.35
0.55
0.51
0.53
0.40
0.41
0.63
0.44
0.46
0.48
0.54
0.50
0.35
MMP
CO2
(psia)
MMP Palas
K gas
(psia)
MMP Tapis
sep. gas
(psia)
MME CO2
(volume
fraction LPG)
2882
3636
5332
2101
2400
2758
2929
3338
3527
1801
2384
2335
2408
2099
1400
1200
1200
1400
1800
1250
2186
1894
2079
2498
2123
2100
1631
2590
1300
1550
1900
2100
2198
1200
2590
2000
2000
1340
1630
2517
2675
2989
2833
2994
2614
2826
2826
2882
2882
2843
2761
2694
2464
2972
3055
2797
2730
2272
2864
2524
2516
2895
2633
2811
2603
2982
2724
2903
2494
2528
2701
3316
3599
3477
3616
3197
3590
3590
3637
3637
3601
3726
3267
3081
3630
3689
3630
3305
3003
3439
3189
3175
3644
3211
3402
3465
3718
3385
3566
3163
3196
3282