Naturally Fractured Reservoirs

Part 4 Recovery process

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Flow mechanisms in fractured reservoirs

Water Injection

Depletion

Gas Injection

A
GOC
WOC

Gravity Drainage

Segregation +Convection within fractures

Gas drive

Diffusion Reimbibition
GOC WOC

Imbibition
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Water drive

Flow mechanisms in fractured reservoirs

Main flow mechanism during depletion

GOC in fractures
GRAVITY DRAINAGE

Initial GOC

DIFFUSION
GOC

Expansion and gas drive + Gas segregation within fractures Two-phase expansion (immobile gas) Single-phase expansion WOC in fractures Sg=Sgc P=Pb

Convection in the oil phase within fractures

WOC

IMBIBITION
Initial WOC

Solution gas diffusion to fractures

Part 4 - Recovery process

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Sg= Gas saturation Sgc = Critic saturation gas P = Pressure Pb= Bubble pressure

Flow mechanisms in fractured reservoirs

Transfers associated to fluid contact movements 1. WATER DRIVE RESERVOIRS (active aquifer, injection) Spontaneous (capillary) imbibition and/or gravity effects.

2. GAS DRIVE RESERVOIRS (gas cap expansion, secondary gas-cap, injection) Gravity drainage. If (Non-equilibrium) GAS INJECTION: Compositional effects: thermodynamic transfers (swelling, vaporization),
diffusion.

Part 4 - Recovery process

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Water-Oil matrix-fracture transfer mechanisms

EXPANSION

CAPILLARITY

GRAVITY

VISCOUS DRIVE

O W W

DPmf
negligible

DPcmf
positive/ negative effects

Dr.g.c
positive effects

DPf
sometimes significant
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Part 4 - Recovery process

Water-Oil matrix-fracture transfer mechanisms

Drive mechanisms involved in water-oil matrix-fracture transfers:

CAPILLARITY : Pcm>>Pcf

DPc # Pcm = (IFT/rp).f(Sw)

f(Sw)= dimensionless Pc (Leverett function; rp = characteristic pore dimension # (8k/f)0.5 : rp varies as k0.5

GRAVITY :

Dr.g.H

(gravity head)

H= c (block height) if small blocks or rapid water rise in fractures H< c if high blocks (or vertical capillary continuity of matrix) or slow water rise in fractures

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VISCOSITY :

Pressure gradient in fractures viscous drive in matrix

Capillarity in water-oil systems

* Water-wet matrix: Po-Pw > 0 - water spontaneously sucked (imbibed) by matrix - gravity forces do not much affect the matrix oil recovery process * Oil-wet matrix: Po-Pw < 0

Po-Pw
1-Sorw

oil Sw

Po-Pw
1-Sorw

- oil trapped within pores (no water imbibition) - only gravity forces enable matrix oil recovery
* Intermediate (mixed) wettability: Po-Pw > and < 0 - water imbibes partially - gravity forces enhance oil recovery
Swi = irreducible water saturation

water
Sw

-Drgc
Po-Pw

1-Sorw

oil Sw
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-Drgc

Sorw = residual oil saturation (forced displacement)

Part 4 - Recovery process

Specific studies on spontaneous imbibition

1D laboratory tests on a waterwet sandstone - Effect of boundary conditions COUNTERCURRENT imbibition W W+O Predominantly COCURRENT imbibition O Cocurrent and countercurrent (TOTAL) imbibition W W+O

W+O

W+O
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Ref. : B. Bourbiaux and F. Kalaydjian: "Experimental study of cocurrent and countercurrent flows in natural porous media", SPE Reservoir Engineering, Aug. 1990. Part 4 - Recovery process

Water-Oil matrix-fracture transfer mechanisms

Ultimate recovery from a block immersed in water Average water saturation of the matrix block at the equilibrium between gravitational and capillary forces the end of imbibition (and drainage) by water:

S weq =

1 ( r w - r o ) gc

( r - r
o

w ) gc

S w ( Pc w) dPc w

Oil recovery from matrix block= (Sweq - Swi) / (1-Swi)

c Po-Pw

trapped oil

water

Sw

0
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0 Block fully immersed in water

Part 4 - Recovery process

Drowgc

Water-Oil matrix-fracture transfer mechanisms

Assessment of oil production from water-drive Driving forces: capillarity (if matrix is water-wet) and gravity

Countercurrent and cocurrent flows

Main parameters:
- rock-fluid wettability properties - block dimensions (a,b,c) and matrix permeability (km) - block boundary conditions (speed of WOC rise)

Ultimate recovery = f(Pc curve, gravity head Drgc) Production kinetics = f((a,b,c), km, Pc, Mobilities kr/)
Po -Pw

NECESSARY Lab. information: + Complete Pc curve (Pc's > and < 0) + Relative permeability curves
0
-Drgc

Sw
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Water-Oil matrix-fracture transfer mechanisms

Assessment of oil production from water-drive Important reservoir information:

+ For non-water-wet rocks, block height estimation and capillary continuity assessment is a prerequisite to evaluate oil recovery
+ Assessment of fracture-to-matrix permeability ratio: if not very high, viscous pressure drops in fractures will enhance oil recovery (forced displacement within matrix)

Concerning field process implementation: the production scheme and constraints have to be optimized to synchronize the rate of water-oil contact rise within fractures and the rate of matrix desaturation.
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Influence of block shape on recovery

WATER/OIL - MATRIX CAPILLARY PRESSURE CURVES
6 4 2 0 -2 -4 -6 -8 -10 -12 0 0,2 0,4 0,6 0,8 1
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PC wat PC int PC oil

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Influence of block shape on recovery

WATER/OIL - SINGLE VS DOUBLE POROSITY MODELS
80
One matrix block

70 60

Water wet

Intermediate wet

50 40 30 20 10 0 0,01
Oil wet

1phi_wat 2phi_wat 1phi_int 2phi_int 1phi_oil 2phi_oil

0,1

10

100

1000

10000

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Influence of block shape on recovery

WATER/OIL - K AND BLOCK SIZE - WATER WET
80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 0,1 1
T50 = 27 T50 = 220 4 1 1

10x10x10 1md 20x20x20 1md 10x10x10 4md

10 T50 = 55100

1000

10000

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Influence of block shape on recovery

WATER/OIL - BLOCK SHAPE - MIXT WET
70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 0,1 1 10 100 1000 10000 10x10x10 20x20x2 2x20x10 5x5x50

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Influence of block shape on recovery

WATER/OIL - BLOCK SHAPE - MIXT WET
70

5 x 5 x 50
60 50 40 30 20 10 0 0,1 1 10 100 1000 10000

2 x 20 x 10
10x10x10 20x20x2 2x20x10

20 x 20 x 2

5x5x50

10 x 10 x 10

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Influence of block shape on recovery

WATER/OIL - SHAPE FACTOR - WATER WET
SHAPE FACTOR = 4 * (1/a2 + 1/b2 + 1/c2 ) a = b = c = 20, = 0.03 a = b = 40, c = 12.6, 0.03
80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0
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20x20x20 40x40x12.6

0,1

10

100

1000

10000

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Water drive in fractured reservoirs

Favourable criteria
Isotropic horizontal fracture permeability; good knowledge of this anisotropy if any Water wettability Small blocks (horizontal dimensions) Long matrix block Low mo

Unfavourable criteria
Non-identified horizontal fracture permeability anisotropy Oil wettability Large matrix blocks (horizontal dimensions) Short matrix block High mo
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Good matrix permeability

(Very) low matrix permeability

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Gas-Oil matrix-fracture transfer mechanisms

EXPANSION

GRAVITY CAPILLARITY VISCOUS DRIVE

G G

DIFFUSION

DPmf
significant if P<Pb

Dr.g.c
positive effects

DPcmf
negative effects

DPf
negligible

DCmf
sometimes significant
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Capillarity in gas-oil systems

- Liquid (oil) always wetting - Gravity alone is the driving mechanism of oil recovery - capillary forces always counteract gravity forces - There exists a minimum pressure (displacement pressure Pd) below which gas cannot enter the matrix - Matrix blocks having a height lower than cmin= Pd/Drg cannot be drained at all.

Pg-Po

Drgc
Pd 0
1-Sorg-Swi

Sg

gas

Sorg = residual oil saturation

Swi = irreducible water saturation

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Ultimate oil recovery by gravity drainage

Average gas saturation of the matrix block at the equilibrium between gravitational and capillary forces at the end of gas-oil drainage:

S geq =

1 ( r o - r g ) gc

( r o - r g ) gc

S g ( Pc g ) dPc g

Oil recovery from matrix block = Sgeq / (1-Swi)

Pg- Po

0 z
Gas

Droggc
Pd

Sg

Trapped oil

0
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c Block fully immersed in gas

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Capillary continuity and gas-oil gravity drainage

Existence of porous bridges between superposed blocks (= capillary continuity) has two effects: 1. The oil can flow from one block to another: the effective block height controlling the final oil recovery from the stack of blocks is equal to the height of the stack; 2. The interfaces between superposed blocks form flow restrictions: the kinetics of drainage of the stack is less than that of a single block of equivalent height. Capillary c continuity c Effective height=2c

(c= vertical distance between 2 fractures)

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Impact of heterogeneities on gravity drainage

Flow barriers may exist within the matrix medium (impermeable beds), with the following consequences: the effective block height is reduced (lower matrix oil recovery)

the oil produced from the upper blocks into the fractures just
above the barrier(s) may reimbibe the lower blocks if already drained by gas (this reimbibition phenomenon will not be significant if matrix desaturation follows GOC movement in fractures).
Flow barriers (km=0)

c
Effective block height= c/4
(c= vertical distance between 2 fractures)
Part 4 - Recovery process

Oil reimbibition
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Impact of capillary continuity on gravity drainage

Experiment on a stack of 3 blocks: c1> cmin ; c2 < cmin ; c3 > cmin
(cmin : height of capillary holdup zone) Gas Dynamics of drainage

Final Sg profile

c3

cmin cmin

3
Oil

Sgmax

flow-restricted porous bridges

c2

c1
cmin

1
cmin
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Part 4 - Recovery process

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Assessment of oil production from gravity drainage

Driving force: gravity (adverse effect of capillary forces) Main parameters:
- block height (c) and cross-section (if lateral gas invasion) - matrix permeability (km) - capillary curve

Ultimate recovery = f(Pc curve, gravity head Droggc) Production kinetics = f(c, (a,b), km, Pc, Oil Mobility kro/o) NECESSARY Lab. information: + PVT data, including IFT versus P
Pg-Po

Droggc
Sg 0
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+ Pc curve (depending on IFT)

+ Relative permeabilities (end-points, shape)

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Assessment of oil production from gravity drainage

Important reservoir information:

+ Assessment of the effective block height (vertical capillary continuity of the matrix, horizontal flow barriers) is a prerequisite to evaluate oil recovery by gas-oil gravity drainage
+ Horizontal flow barriers or restrictions within the matrix also control the recovery kinetics (lateral dimensions of matrix blocks may then play a significant role) + The field production strategy (pressure maintenance or depletion) controls gas drive efficiency. + The contribution of convection and diffusion phenomena has to be estimated (from production history, PVT,...) for well-fractured reservoirs and for small-blocks reservoirs subjected to an external gas drive.
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Influence of block shape on recovery

GAS/OIL - SENSITIVITY RUNS : BLOCK HEIGHT and MATRIX PERMEABILITY
60,00

50,00

40,00

Kinetics improves with Matrix permeability increase

30,00

Final recovery depends on Block height

20,00

10,00

0,00 0,01

0,1

10

100

1000

10000

100000

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here c < cmin

Influence of block shape on recovery

GAS/OIL - INFLUENCE OF THE MATRIX BLOCK SHAPE
5 x 5 x 50
45,00

40,00

35,00

2 x 20 x 10
30,00 25,00 20,00

20 x 20 x 5

15,00

10,00

5,00
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0,00 0,01

0,1

10

100

1000

10000

100000

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Influence of Block size and Re-imbibition on Recovery

Impact of vertical block size and block to block re-imbibition ratio on gas oil contact
1962 0 1966 1970 1974 1978 Date 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002

1962 0

1966

1970

1974

1978

Date 1982

1986

1990

1994

1998

2002

GOC Measured Depth Vertical Block Size = 20 ft 1000 Vertical Block Size = 50 ft Vertical Block Size = 100 ft Vertical Block Size = 150 ft 2000 Vertical Block Size = 200 ft

GOC Measured Depth No Re-imbibition 1000 20% Re-imbibition 40% Re-imbibition 60% Re-imbibition 2000 80% Re-imbibition Full Re-imbibition 3000

Depth (ft)

3000

4000

Depth (ft)

4000

5000

5000

6000

6000

a
Gas

Oil reimbibition
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Oil

SPE 93760 Iranian giant field Part 4 - Recovery process

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Influence of Block size and Re-imbibition on Recovery

Matrix oil saturation in a selected cell
1

Fast Kinetic
0.9 0.8

Slow recovery

So = 1-Swi (14%)

Oil Saturation (Fraction)

0.7 0.6 0.5 0.4 0.3 0.2 0.1 0 1937

C= 80 ft = 20%

C= 20 ft = 85%
So = Sorg (25.6%)

History Match
1947 1957 1967 1977 1987 1997 2007 2017 2027 2037

Forecast
2047 2057 2067 2077 2087 2097
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Date (year)

SPE 93760 Iranian giant field Part 4 - Recovery process

30

Gas drive in fractured reservoirs

Favourable criteria
- High fracture permeability (especially vertically); - Thick oil column - Large block height (capillary continuity, no barriers) - Low mo - Good matrix permeability

Unfavourable criteria
- Low fracture permeability

- Thin oil column - Small block height and/or presence of horizontal permeability restrictions (high matrix permeability anisotropy) - High mo - (Very) low matrix permeability
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