Understanding the Multiphysical Processes in Carbon Dioxide Enhanced-Oil-Recovery Operations: A Numerical Study Using a General Simulation Framework

Abstract

Summary In this paper, we aim to enhance our understanding of the multiphysical processes in carbon dioxide (CO2)-enhanced-oil-recovery (EOR) (CO2-EOR) operations using a modeling approach. We present the development of a comprehensive mathematical model for thermal/hydraulic/mechanical (THM) simulation of CO2-EOR processes. We adopt the integrated-finite-difference method to simulate coupled THM processes during CO2-EOR in conventional and unconventional reservoirs. In our method, the governing equations of the multiphysical THM processes are solved fully coupled on the same unstructured grid. To rigorously simulate the phase behavior of a three-phase, nonisothermal system, a three-phase flash-calculation module, dependent on the minimization of Gibbs energy, is implemented in the simulator. The simulator is thus applicable to both miscible and immiscible flooding simulations under isothermal and nonisothermal conditions. We have investigated the effect of cold-CO2 injection on injectivity as well as on phase behavior. We conclude that cold-CO2 injection is an effective way to increase injectivity in tight oil reservoirs and reduces overriding effect in high-water-bearing reservoirs. Using the developed general simulation framework, we have discovered and studied several intriguing multiphysical phenomena that cannot be captured by commonly used reservoir simulators, including the temperature-decreasing phenomenon near the production well and the permeability-enhancement effect induced by the thermal unloading process. These phenomena can be captured only by the fully coupled multiphysical model. The novelty of this paper lies in its integration of multiple physical simulation modules to form a general simulation framework to capture realistic flow and transport processes during CO2 flooding, and in revealing the behavior of cold-CO2 injection under THM effects.