Qualitative and Quantitative Technical Criteria for Determining the Minimum Miscibility Pressures from Four Experimental Methods

Date
2016-04
Authors
Zhang, Kaiqiang
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Publisher
Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research, University of Regina
Abstract

In this study, several qualitative and quantitative technical criteria are examined/developed and applied to determine the minimum miscibility pressures (MMPs) of different light crude oilCO2 systems from four experimental methods, i.e., the slim-tube tests, coreflood tests, rising-bubble apparatus (RBA), and vanishing interfacial tension (VIT) technique. First, five slim-tube tests with the live light crude oilCO2 system and five coreflood tests with the dead light crude oilCO2 system are conducted at different injection pressures and the actual reservoir temperature of Tres = 53.0C. It is found that different MMPs can be obtained from the same measured oil recovery factor (ORF) vs. injection pressure data if different MMP criteria, regression methods, and threshold values or intersection options are adopted. Thus the determined MMP is better given in a small pressure range than specified as a definitive pressure value. By means of the ORF and break-over pressure (BOP) criteria, two MMP ranges of the live and dead light crude oilCO2 systems are determined to be 15.215.4 MPa from the slim-tube tests and 12.412.9 MPa from the coreflood tests at Tres = 53.0C, respectively. Second, two separate series of pure and impure CO2-bubble tests in a light crude oil column with the RBA are conducted at six different test pressures and Tres = 53.0C. The MMPs of the light crude oilpure and impure CO2 systems are estimated and compared by using four existing (i.e., the bubble shape, size, colour, and rising height) and new bubble break-up (BBU) qualitative criteria with the RBA. It is found that the BBU criterion is consistent with the four existing qualitative criteria for estimating the MMPs. Furthermore, by means of newly developed bubble-rising height (BRH) and bubble-rising velocity (BRV) quantitative criteria, two respective MMP ranges of the light crude oil‒pure and impure CO2 systems are found to be 11.7‒12.4 MPa and 23.4‒23.5 MPa at Tres = 53.0C. Third, six series of the dynamic interfacial tension (IFT) tests for the dead and live light crude oilCO2 systems are conducted under different test conditions. Two new linear correlation coefficient (LCC) and critical interfacial thickness (CIT) technical criteria are developed to determine the MMP when the LCC is smaller than 0.990 or the interfacial thickness is smaller than 1.0 nm for the first time. The determined MMPs of 12.9 MPa and 13.2 MPa for the dead and live light crude oilCO2 systems from the VIT technique by using the two new criteria agree well with 12.412.9 MPa for the former system from the coreflood tests but poorly with 15.215.4 MPa for the latter system from the slim-tube tests. In addition, the specific effects of three important experimental factors on the determined MMPs are studied by using the two new technical criteria: the initial vs. equilibrium IFTs, oil composition, and initial gasoil ratio (GOR) in volume. It is found that the measured initial rather than equilibrium IFTs are accurate enough to determine the MMP from the VIT technique. The live light crude oil pre-saturated with CH4-dominated hydrocarbons has a slightly increased MMP, in comparison with the dead light crude oil. Moreover, the initial GOR effect on the MMP is found to be negligible in a lower GOR range (1:110:1 in volume) or in a large CO2 concentration range (31.7694.69 mol.%). It becomes pronounced in a higher GOR range (200:14000:1 in volume) or in an extremely small range of high CO2 concentrations (98.7999.99 mol.%).

Description
A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Applied Science in Petroleum Systems Engineering, University of Regina. xx, 138 p.
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