Wellbore and Reservoir Thermodynamic Appraisal in Acid Gas Injection for EOR Operations

Abstract

This study provides insights into the experience gained from investigating the thermodynamic behavior of well and reservoir fluids during acid gas injection (AGI) in a hydrocarbon field to enhance oil recovery (EOR) and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Unlike conventional water and natural gas injection, AGI involves complicated phase changes and physical property variations of the acid gas and reservoir fluids at various pressure-temperature (P-T) conditions and compositions, and both constitute crucial parts of the EOR chain. A workflow is developed to deal with the reservoir fluid and acid gas thermodynamics, which is a key requirement for a successful design and operation. The workflow focuses firstly on the development of the thermodynamic models (EoS) to simulate the behavior of the reservoir fluids and of the injected acid gas and their integration in the field and in well dynamic models. Subsequently, the workflow proposes the thermodynamic simulation of the fluids’ interaction to determine the Minimum Miscibility Pressure (MMP), yielding the dynamic evolution of the fluids’ miscibility that may appear within the reservoir. Flow assurance in the acid gas transportation lines and in the wellbore is also considered by estimating the hydrate formation conditions.