Multiphase Flow Of Water And Oil In Heterogeneous Reservoir

Abstract

This paper presents a study of oil production in an outcrop considered as an
analogous subsurface reservoir. This outcrop (Barreiras do Boqueirão) is located in the
northeast coast of Brazil. The analysis considers a multiphase porous medium, with water
and oil as fluid phases. Oil production is stimulated by water flooding in the reservoir. The
influence of flooding water temperature is also considered in the analysis (non isothermal
conditions). In this case, the flooding process, besides displacing the oil toward the
production well, will also result in temperature changes inside the formation, affecting
directly the fluid properties of the displaced fluids as viscosity and density. According to the
geological characterization, the formation is stratified with great permeability variations
between the layers. This consideration increases the numerical solution complexity of flow
and heat equations. The numerical tool used in this study is the Finite Element program
CODE_BRIGHT, which solves in a coupled way the flow equations of water and oil and the
internal energy balance (heat equation) for a multiphase porous medium, which in the
particular case of this application is considered a rigid medium. By using reservoir
engineering indicators, the impacts on oil production are analyzed when the formation
heterogeneity and the influence of flooding water temperature are considered, showing the
importance of this numerical tool in controlling fluid production.