Research theme: Enhanced Hydrocarbon Recovery

Hydrocarbon Recovery Mechanisms

Theme lead: Prof. Mehran Sohrabi

Research projects:

• Carbonated Water Injection
• Depressurisation
• CO₂ Injection for EOR and Storage Purposes
• Fractured Reservoir
• Gas Condensate Recovery
• Heavy Oil
• Ultrasonic and Sonic Stimulation
• Water Alternating Gas Injection

This theme, which is also known as the Centre for Enhanced Hydrocarbon Recovery and CO₂ Solutions, uses IPE-designed and built experimental micro-model facilities and modelling techniques to understand the fundamental recovery mechanisms governing multiphase displacements in hydrocarbon reservoirs. Techniques combine direct visualisation studies of displacements at the pore scale with core-scale studies carried out under reservoir conditions.

Ground-breaking work in this area has demonstrated how an increase in flow rate leads to improvements in gas-condensate relative permeability. This work is critical for reliable prediction of gas-condensate reservoir performance. The group developed rock-type specific correlations now available in major commercial reservoir simulators (VIP, ECLIPSE).

In the Water-Alternating-Gas and Heavy Oil Depressurisation projects, novel micromodel technology has been used to elucidate the central pore-scale physics governing flow in porous media. The current three-phase network models are considered the most advanced of their type, particularly for the physics of wetting films and layers (which assist in the drainage of oil). One of the main theoretical advances is the application of thermodynamic theory to establish the proper two- and three-phase capillary entry conditions.

Depressurisation pore-scale physics has been extensively studied experimentally and theoretically. 3D network models for analysing pressure depletion in light and heavy oil systems have been developed, the first to explicitly couple non-equilibrium PVT behaviour, gravitational migration of discontinuous gas structures and viscous forces. Network modelling has also been used for to examine flow in biological systems (flow in vascular beds). This innovative approach received a Discipline Hopping Award from MRC and EPSRC and has highlighted a number of important new targets for therapeutic intervention.

Activities have expanded with the launch of several new JIPs and Research Council projects. The Heavy Oil Recovery project investigates a novel method for improving the cold production of heavy oils by combining water and CO₂ injection, whilst the Carbonated Water Injection (CWI) project investigates the effect of CO₂-enriched water flooding on reservoir rock and fluids as a method of oil recovery and CO₂ storage. A new industrial project investigating hysteresis phenomena associated with reservoir re-pressurisation and a new BBSRC grant examining blood flow in developing retinal vasculatures.

A Scottish Enterprise Proof of Concept grant has recently been awarded to develop and commercialise a patented idea for prevention of CO₂ leakage from geological reservoirs, which is considered a major risk for CO₂ capture and storage.