Article
Engineering, Civil
Sepide Zakeri, Randy Hazlett, Krishna Babu
Summary: Spontaneous imbibition is the primary mechanism for oil expulsion to the fracture network during waterflooding, and a thorough understanding of this phenomenon is crucial for process improvement.
JOURNAL OF HYDROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Geological
Alejandro Cardona, Carlos Santamarina
Summary: We studied immiscible imbibition in fractured rocks using dual porosity microfluidics and fluorescence microscopy. We found that the interplay between advection-dominant flow in fractures and capillary-driven matrix imbibition leads to different displacement patterns. Corner flow imbibition displaces non-wetting fluids trapped in the matrix during fast advective invasion. Fractures control the entry pressure, while the matrix determines storativity.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ROCK MECHANICS AND MINING SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Can Polat
Summary: Oil production from fractured reservoirs faces challenges due to water flowing through fractures, bypassing reservoir oil. The study introduces pressure loss calculations as a supplement to the semi-analytical solution for counter-current imbibition. Analysis shows significant pressure loss in tight unconventional reservoirs compared to conventional ones, while introducing a material balance check methodology to ensure calculation accuracy.
JOURNAL OF PETROLEUM SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Ilia Kuznetcov, Apostolos Kantzas, Steven Bryant
Summary: Water saturation 1D spatial profiles were monitored using real-time domain analysis of the measured frequency domain complex reflection coefficients of electromagnetic sweeps during oil and deionized water flood experiments at ambient conditions. Gravity and viscous induced fingering and piston-like displacement scenarios were explored. A patented coaxial transmission line core holder was designed to host saturated sand packs compressed in their axial and radial dimensions. An inverse chirp z-transform algorithm was used to convert the measured responses from frequency to time domain. An optimization routine was developed to convert the resulting time domain step responses to water saturation profiles at every pore volume fraction of fluids injected. Advancing and trailing fronts and their breakthrough times were detected. Darcy's flow analysis was performed to extract 1D pressure distribution spatial profiles and dynamic capillary pressure curves for 3 drainage floods. The oil ganglia flow and gravity fluid separation were detected in water floods.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Mechanics
Linfeng Piao, Hyungmin Park
Summary: This study experimentally investigates the interfacial instabilities in a cylindrical container oscillating about its axis with two immiscible liquids, oil and water. The thresholds for the onset of different instabilities responsible for each regime are presented by the amplitude and frequency of rotation, with viscosity playing an important role in shaping the boundary of SD and multiple-droplet regimes.
JOURNAL OF FLUID MECHANICS
(2021)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Rundong Gong, Hangyu Li, Xiukun Wang, Junrong Liu
Summary: This paper presents a detailed study on the mechanism of spontaneous imbibition in tight reservoirs and proposes a method to characterize the degree of oil utilization on the core. The study investigates the effects of interfacial tension on spontaneous imbibition and proposes a compound interfacial tension method to improve the recovery factor.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Tufan Ghosh, Yashwanth Kumar Gujjala, Debasis Deb, G. P. Raja Sekhar
Summary: This study investigates the co-current spontaneous imbibition in two-dimensional reservoir formations. The anisotropic ratio between the vertical and horizontal intrinsic permeability significantly affects the recovery dynamics. Cross-flow behavior leads to early water breakthrough and bypassing of oil/non-wetting phase. The onset of forced imbibition is regulated by the mean pressure distribution of the underground formation.
GEOMECHANICS AND GEOPHYSICS FOR GEO-ENERGY AND GEO-RESOURCES
(2022)
Article
Mechanics
Xinlei Qi, Shenghui Liu, Zhengliang Yu, Hedong Sun, Baohua Chang, Zhengyuan Luo, Bofeng Bai
Summary: This study delves into the dynamics of gas-water displacement in fractured porous media using a microfluidic device, revealing that the invasion pattern and interface morphology vary under different pressure conditions. A theoretical model was successfully established to predict the interfacial velocity of gas-water displacement under high pressure, providing valuable insights for preventing water invasion in natural gas reservoirs.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Fuyong Wang, Jiuyu Zhao
Summary: A new mathematical model considering gravity and buoyancy effects during oil imbibition process is established, showing that oil buoyancy can accelerate the imbibition rate. The differences in imbibition rates with and without gravity and buoyancy become more significant with increasing core permeability and decreasing IFT. In low-IFT solutions, the critical inverse Bond number for considering gravity and buoyancy is approximately 1 x 10(-2).
Article
Energy & Fuels
Caoxiong Li, Chenggang Xian, Yinghao Shen, Hongkui Ge, Yang Liu
Summary: This study introduces a new model to describe special gas-liquid spontaneous imbibition behavior in tight matrix, focusing on cases where the imbibition index is not equal to 0.5. By providing typical solutions and matching with experimental data, the results highlight the special influence of factors such as viscosity, imbibition index, and the style of imbibition front on the imbibition process.
JOURNAL OF PETROLEUM SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
V. E. Spooner, S. Geiger, D. Arnold
Summary: By introducing the retardation factor R and new metrics, single-porosity flow diagnostics have been extended to dual-porosity systems for more accurate assessment of displacement efficiency and dynamic heterogeneity in fractured reservoirs. Combining L-c*(star) and E-v*(star) with stochastic optimization algorithms can improve the displacement efficiency of injected fluid. Dual-porosity flow diagnostics have advantages in screening parameter space and quickly identifying scenarios that need further study.
WATER RESOURCES RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Zhenjie Zhang, Tianyi Zhao, Qingbang Meng
Summary: This paper establishes a capillary bundle model of counter-current imbibition and analyzes the characteristics of imbibition and the influences of capillary size and fluid viscosity.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Mehdi Mahdaviara, Mohammad Sharifi, Sahar Bakhshian, Nima Shokri
Summary: In this study, deep and ensemble learning techniques were used to predict spontaneous imbibition (SI) recovery in porous media under different boundary conditions. The analysis was based on an extensive experimental dataset, which resulted in robust models linking SI recovery to various factors. The models showed excellent performance in terms of accuracy and generality, and also alleviated the complexities associated with traditional correlation functions. These findings have significant implications for a more comprehensive understanding of fluid flow in porous materials, and have important applications in environmental and energy-related challenges.
Article
Physics, Multidisciplinary
Wei Gong, Lijun You, Jieming Xu, Yili Kang, Yang Zhou
Summary: The article introduces the concept of permeability jail in tight gas reservoirs and a method for measuring gas-water relative permeability of tight sandstone. It proposes a method for determining the permeability jail range, providing guidance for field applications. The study finds that when the permeability jail phenomenon occurs, the larger the permeability and porosity, the smaller the range of impact. Damage to the reservoir from external fluid and solid particles leads to a decrease in permeability and porosity, resulting in a wider range of impact, so the damage should be strictly controlled.
FRONTIERS IN PHYSICS
(2022)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Mohsen Farrokhrouz, Abbas Taheri, Stefan Iglauer, Alireza Keshavarz
Summary: A new mathematical model is developed to consider the importance of both capillary diffusion and injection fluid advection in spontaneous imbibition processes. The accuracy of the model has been validated by comparing it with numerical and experimental data. Unlike previous models, the suggested mathematical scheme is valid for various rock surface conditions.
Article
Engineering, Petroleum
Madhar Sahib Azad, Japan J. Trivedi
Summary: Since the introduction of viscous/capillary concepts by Moore and Slobod (1956), modifications have been made to capillary number (N-c) for better correlation with residual oil saturation (S-or) during enhanced oil recovery (EOR). A new extensional capillary number (N-ce) is developed to predict S-or during polymer flooding, showing better accuracy compared to conventional N-c, Deborah number (De), and recent correlations. Results suggest that N-ce can effectively predict S-or under various operational and petrophysical conditions, including salinity effects.
Article
Polymer Science
Viralkumar Patel, Yogeshkumar Dalsania, Madhar Sahib Azad, Tushar Sharma, Japan Trivedi
Summary: The structural changes of hydrolyzed PAM under different saline conditions significantly affect rheological properties, with extensional rheology providing a better description than shear rheology. The interactions between polymer chains and cations lead to the formation of cross-linked structures, impacting the molecular weight distribution and radius of gyration. Different types of polymers display distinct microstructures and rheological behaviors based on their interactions with divalent and monovalent cations.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED POLYMER SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Zhongwei Wu, Chuanzhi Cui, Yinzhu Ye, Xiangzhi Cheng, Japan Trivedi
Summary: This paper establishes a model based on fractal theory to quantitatively evaluate the effects of spontaneous imbibition (SI) and displacement on the development of tight reservoirs. It reveals that reservoir properties have a significant impact on the imbibition time, and the effect of SI becomes more substantial when water viscosity decreases. Moreover, the contact angle, interfacial tension force, and displacement pressure difference also play a crucial role in influencing the effect of SI on the recovery of tight reservoirs.
JOURNAL OF PETROLEUM SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Z. Zhang, Madhar Sahib Azad, J. J. Trivedi
Summary: This study addresses research gaps in understanding the dominant recovery mechanisms during surfactant flooding in unconventional, oil-wet reservoirs by investigating physico-chemical interactions and microfluidic studies using zwitterionic surfactant solutions. The observations show that significant IFT reduction and wettability alteration are both crucial for successful oil displacement in water-wet media during surfactant flooding in oil-wet formations.
Article
Energy & Fuels
J. L. Guevara, Rajan Patel, Japan Trivedi
Summary: Conventional steam injection strategies in SAGD are often empirically found rather than through a formal optimization process. Reinforcement learning offers an alternative approach to optimize steam injection policies by training an agent to continuously interact with the reservoir simulation model. In this study, the RL-SARSA algorithm is used to find the optimal steam injection policy and provide insights into the physics of the SAGD process.
JOURNAL OF PETROLEUM SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Najmudeen Sibaweihi, Rajan G. Patel, Jose L. Guevara, Ian D. Gates, Japan J. Trivedi
Summary: A proactive steam allocation workflow that prioritizes steam allocation from low performing wells to high performing wells is proposed in this study. Data-driven predictive modeling is used for short-term forecasting of key performance indicators in real-time, leading to optimal steam allocation and increased net present value.
JOURNAL OF PETROLEUM SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Energy & Fuels
A. Almeida da Costa, J. Mateo, R. Patel, J. J. Trivedi, J. B. P. Soares, P. S. Rocha, G. Costa, M. Embirucu
Summary: Low salinity water injection (LSWI) has been investigated as an enhanced oil recovery method in sandstone reservoirs in Brazil. The study found that LSWI led to increased oil recovery, Ca++ desorption from the rock surface, and a substantial pH increase in the effluent. Zeta potential measurements showed that a thicker water film was formed on the rock and oil surface with brine dilution during LSWI. The study identified key parameters such as Na+ and Ca++ concentration, and water injection rate as important factors in the LSWI process.
JOURNAL OF PETROLEUM SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Ankit Doda, Madhar Sahib Azad, Yohei Kotsuchibashi, Japan J. Trivedi, Ravin Narain
Summary: This study compares the rheological properties of different polymers in alkali-polymer flooding operations and finds that the newly synthesized P(AA-co-VP) copolymer shows improved performance in the presence of strong alkali, leading to better heavy oil recovery and transport.
CANADIAN JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Benedicta N. Nwani, Madhar Sahib Azad, Japan Trivedi
Summary: Smart water flooding combined with surfactants can provide favorable interfacial tension reduction and wettability alteration for enhanced oil recovery in low-permeable, mixed/oil-wet carbonate reservoirs. The impact of different surfactant solutions prepared in various brines on fluid-rock and fluid-fluid interactions has been studied, revealing significant effects at specific brine concentrations.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Amir Narimani, Farid Kordnejad, Prabhjyot Kaur, Japan Trivedi, Ferhi Najmeddine, Mahmood Hemmati, Adam Duong
Summary: The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of graphene oxide (GO) on the structure of copolymer nanocomposite hydrogel based on acrylamide (AM) and 2-acryloamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid (AMPS). The study found that the copolymer nanocomposite hydrogel improved the rheological and mechanical properties of the cement slurry, reduced free water and fluid loss at high temperatures, shortened the thickening time, and increased compressive strength.
JOURNAL OF DISPERSION SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Krishna Raghav Chaturvedi, Sushant Bajpai, Japan Trivedi, Tushar Sharma
Summary: This study investigates the feasibility of using surfactant foams to enhance hydrogen storage in porous media, which is crucial for the future hydrogen-based economy. By controlling factors such as slug size and gas flow rate, significant improvement in hydrogen storage is achieved, offering a new approach for subsurface hydrogen storage.
Article
Polymer Science
Viralkumar Patel, Japan Trivedi, Tushar Sharma
Summary: This study characterized water-soluble associative polymers with varying hydrophobicity and found that intramolecular and intermolecular hydrophobic associations were responsible for polymer shrinkage and aggregation, respectively. The shear behavior of the polymers was similar, but higher shear viscosities were observed in the semi-dilute regime due to intermolecular hydrophobic associations. These associations also contributed to broader molecular weight distribution and higher relaxation time and extensional viscosity. The hydrophobicity affected the strain hardening behavior and the relaxation time and extensional viscosity of the polymers.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Xin Chen, Yiqiang Li, Zheyu Liu, Japan Trivedi, Yongqiang Tang, Mingyue Sui
Summary: This study used a microfluidic model combined with experimental evaluations to analyze the invasion patterns, displacement process, and improvement methods of immiscible fluids in porous media. The results showed that the invasion process can be divided into different modes, and the importance of influencing factors follows the order of viscosity ratio > wettability > injection rate > interfacial tension.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Xin Chen, Yiqiang Li, Zheyu Liu, Jian Zhang, Japan Trivedi, Xianjie Li
Summary: This paper focuses on the migration process and flow resistance prediction of elastic particles in porous media, establishing a migration and plugging model based on the Hertzian contact theory. Experimental results demonstrate that elastic particles form a filter cake within 3 cm of the injection end of the core, with a three-stage Gathered and Energized transport mode. The model can predict injection pressure with high consistency and provides a new method for studying elastic particle migration in porous media.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Zhong-Wei Wu, Chuan-Zhi Cui, Yin-Zhu Ye, Xiang-Zhi Cheng, Japan Trivedi, Shui-Qing-Shan Lu, Yin Qian
Summary: This study proposes a new model for investigating the proppant equilibrium height in hydraulic fractures for slickwater treatments. The comparison and sensitivity analysis confirm the validity of the proposed model. The proppant equilibrium height is influenced by the proppant density, injection rate, and diameter, affecting the friction factor and settling rates.