Page 199 - Primer on Enhanced Oil Recovery

188 Primer on Enhanced Oil Recovery

lead to reduction of the calculation accuracy if addressed lightly. Balance between
computation time and accuracy needs to be found for the each field case.

15.3 Hydrodynamic modeling for EOR

Further development (exploration) of deposits at a late stage of production, espe-
cially at the oil fields characterized by a complex structure and a significant propor-
tion of residual reserves, is impossible without the use of Enhanced oil recovery
methods. It is well understood and expected that the oil flow rate at the fields can
be significantly increased due to modern methods of enhanced oil recovery.
Planning for the use of enhanced oil recovery methods is a complex task that
requires a systematic approach to its solution. One of the important requirements in
the planning of EOR before the start of the simulation are preliminary data analysis
and the choice of proposed application method(s).
At present, the EOR method selection for development of an oil field is not a
fully formalized procedure. At the same time, the choice of an effective technology
for enhanced oil recovery for specific geological, physical and economic conditions
of development is one of the most difficult tasks for a development engineer.
Before carrying out pilot works, it is advisable to have estimated data about the
effect of the proposed implementation, to estimate by how much the oil recovery
efficiency and other exploration parameters will change. Calculations and analysis
using software are but essential steps in the development of oil and gas fields. In
particular, hydrodynamic modeling is widely used to assess and predict the effec-
tiveness of enhanced oil recovery.
To achieve this goal, mining and service companies conduct comprehensive
hydrodynamic modeling in order to evaluate the effectiveness of proposed for the
formation or strata enhanced oil recovery method(s). The following software
packages are widely used: ECLIPSE and INTERSECT (Schlumberger); Tempest
MORE (Emerson) and Nexus s Suite (Landmark).
ECLIPSE is used to create hydrodynamic models of oil and gas fields. The
package allows you to calculate various development options, also to conduct the
analysis of the effectiveness of the use of geological and technical measures and
methods of enhanced oil recovery.
The ECLIPSE simulator supports a wide range of enhanced oil recovery meth-
ods, including thermal stimulation of a reservoir, chemical EOR, and also miscible
and immiscible oil displacement by gas.
ECLIPSE modules have a wide range of functionalities, while they are easy to
use and have a fairly simple interface.
INTERSECT EOR allows you to simulate high-resolution chemical EOR,
which justifies its use in fields with various characteristics, such as the geology of
the reservoir, the type of fluid and the strength of the aquifer. Numerous methods
of EOR can be modeled using heavy oils or composite fluids for processes with
low salinity, polymers and gas injection (including hydrocarbon gas, CO 2 and
others).