Numerical Simulation of Cyclic Steam Stimulation and Solvents Enhanced With Nanocatalysts: A Methodologic Approach

Abstract

Abstract One of the alternatives to optimize conventional Thermal EOR is using hybrid technologies such as the combination of steam and solvent enhanced with nanomaterials. Due to the necessity to evaluate nanocatalysts' impact in this hybrid technology, it is necessary to forecast different injection scheme scenarios. This work shows a numerical simulation methodology approach for evaluating the impact of including nanocatalysts in Cyclic Steam Stimulation (CSS) supported by experimental data obtained from previous steam-based hybrid evaluations. Based on viscosity curves, phase behavior of reservoir fluids and solvent enhanced with nanomaterials, thermogravimetric tests at high pressure, fluid-fluid and fluid-rock tests, and properties of produced oil samples, among others, it was possible to determine kinetic properties required for the construction of the numerical simulation model of the steam-based hybrid technology. The methodology includes the evaluation of injection scheme scenarios to compare the hybrid Cyclic Steam Stimulation (CSS) - solvent with nanoparticles and conventional CSS. Supported by the experimental results of the hybrid technology and the study of the phenomena involved in this thermal EOR process, a procedure was established that considers the main characteristics of the hybrid cyclic steam technology with solvents enhanced with nanomaterials (HYB-SEN), the reservoir, and some operational variables. The main objective of this procedure is to evaluate the oil production response of the catalysis of aquathermolysis reactions of asphaltenes. Also, this methodology includes the development of the kinetic model based on the thermogravimetric analysis performed on nanoparticles adsorbed by asphaltenes and Friedman's isoconversional kinetic method. The latter allowed for determining the activation energy, pre-exponential factor, and reaction order, which are inputs to numerical simulation. On the other hand, fluid property modeling was useful for integrating experimental tests such as simulated distillation, compositional analysis, properties of crude oil resulting from the aquathermolysis reaction, and the solvent used in the process (Naphtha). The lack of information on how to represent catalytic phenomena by numerical simulation due to the presence of nanomaterials represents a great challenge to evaluating new hybrid technologies. This innovative methodological approach allows integrating the experimental results into the numerical simulation. It represents physical and chemical phenomena that occur during the process to improve the understanding of the impact of using HYB-SEN for CCS.