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The AAPG/Datapages Combined Publications Database

Alaska Geological Society

Abstract


The Alaska Geological Society 2007 Technical Conference Abstracts Volume, 2007
Page 20

Improve Oil Recovery Efficiency - Abstract

Shivkumar Patil,1 Abhijit Dandekar,2 Shirish Patil,3 Santanu Khataniar4

Wettability has a strong influence on the efficiency of oil recovery. Experiments are being conducted to ascertain the influence of wettability on recovery efficiency in representative Alaskan cores, and demonstrate how influencing is the wettability through injection of fluids with different salinity and composition can be used to improve recovery efficiency. Effects of salinity on wettability and residual oil saturation during water flooding are of particular interest in the ongoing experiments. It is very evident that changing the wettability conditions of ANS reservoirs by means of injected brine composition and salinity may be a viable, economical means to achieve significant improvements in the EOR efficiency in Alaskan reservoirs.

A number of waterfloods were performed in secondary mode (low salinity brine injected from initial water saturation) at partial reservoir conditions (i.e. reservoir temperature and reservoir brine). Experiments thus far showed reduction in residual oil saturation (Sor) and improvement in the oil recovery efficiency with decrease in brine salinity. Study of the role of crude oil constituents on the salinity dependence of the wettability and oil recovery is also one of the prime points of focus in these experiments. (i.e. experiments performed on oil aged cores). Reservoir condition coreflood studies using live crude oil are still to be performed to determine whether the recovery benefits seen in reduced condition experiments, are also obtained with full reservoir conditions.

Acknowledgments and Associated Footnotes

1 Shivkumar Patil: Department of Petrolcum Engineering, UAF

2 Abhijit Dandekar: Department of Petrolcum Engineering, UAF

3 Shirish Patil: Department of Petrolcum Engineering, UAF

4 Santanu Khataniar: Department of Petrolcum Engineering, UAF

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