--> Abstract: In Situ Combustion Simulation - Still A Long Way to Go, by Farouq Ali, Syed; Fuenmayor, Mac; and Ferrer, Jose C.; #90166 (2013)

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In Situ Combustion Simulation - Still A Long Way to Go

Farouq Ali, Syed; Fuenmayor, Mac; and Ferrer, Jose C.1
1[email protected]

In situ combustion is an important enhanced oil recovery process, but its design still relies on Nelson and McNiel’s method, published in 1961. Numerical simulation of the process, first proposed in 1965, is still in the development stage. The reasons for this are: the complexity of the process (it encompasses all oil recovery mechanisms), the requirement for using a small grid size (of the order of 1-2 ft), and the difficulty of obtaining reaction kinetics data (number and types of reactions). This is compounded by the need for reliable relative permeability data with suitable end-points. This paper discusses the authors’ experience with the simulation of laboratory combustion tube data as well as that of other investigators. Laboratory measurement of reaction kinetics is briefly reviewed. The pitfalls of backing out reaction kinetics from combustion tube experiments are discussed, and it is shown that often a history match is obtained merely by adjusting relative permeabilities. The use of such kinetics in field design is also discussed. The relative importance of LTO (Low Temperature Oxidation) in a HTO (High Temperature Oxidation) dominated process is also considered.

 

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90166©2013 AAPG International Conference & Exhibition, Cartagena, Colombia, 8-11 September 2013