Tracer - Force

Brief about PetroleumActivities at IFETor BjørnstadChief ScientistInstitute for Energy Technology (IFE)tor.bjornstad@ife.no

Subjects not to be treated here• Multiphase flow in wells and pipelines (OLGA etc.)• CO 2 and H 2 S corrosion in transportation systems• Hydrate prevention (MEG-technology) and mostother flow assurance aspects• Geology/geochemistry/diagenesis/stable isotopesignatures• Micropaleontology/biomarkers/production allocation• Basin modelling• CCS• Application of tracer technology during exploration11.06.2013

The «Tracer Club»The ”core” of the tracer development is the ”Tracer Club” which is anindustry-supported program (JIP) which are being carried out in welldefineddevelopment phases:IFE Tracer ResearchCo-operation ADVanced (ITRC IFE SOR1991-1996 program (ADVISOR) Reservoir Tracing Tracers in EORMain focus on passivewater tracers Main focus on 2002-2007 (TracEOR) (TracIntel)1997-2002 (ResTrac) operations Intelligent tracersand new gas phase-partitioning Main focus ontracers2008-2012 2013-2017tracers environmentally Main focus on Main focus onacceptable tracers trac. for functional EOR tracersoperations for reservoarproperties

“Industry standard” non-radioactivegas tracersPerfluorinatedcyclic hydrocarbonswithcoordinated lighthydrocarbon(methyl) groupsare excellent gastracersPDCBPMCPPMCHCARBONFLUORINE1,3-PDMCH1,2,4-PTMCHPETRADseminar Vietnam10

Fluorescent and radioactive nano-particlesParticle coreemissionParticle core andfunctional layeremissionParticle core andmultifunctionallayer emissionPETRADseminar Vietnam11

Nano-particle tracersTor Bjørnstad12

Interwell tracer simulator• Successful implementation of ARTSim tracer simulator• Tested by IFE, Statoil and Total on 5 field cases. Conclusion:very fast (5% of reservoir simulator CPU), simple to use• 3 journal publications, 7 conference presentations last 3 years• Presently coupled to Eclipse E100 (black-oil) simulatorARTSim results in FloViz (Eclipse suite visualization tool)11.06.2013

11.06.2013Tracers in reservoirs

Tracing ofinjectionfluidsInjectionwellPreferential flowdirectionsHorizontal Production and verticalcommunication well betweenwellsPermeability strataSweep volumesLarge-scale heterogeneitiesStratified reservoir11.06.2013

Tracer response after WAGI2PMCHP4 P8 P7 P511.06.2013

Petromaks KMB, technicalHistorycontentmatchedmodel.φ,kGeostatisticalmodelingTodays workflowReservoirmodelAssisted HMUsed for predictions /decisionsProposed workflowφ,kGeostatisticalmodelingReservoirmodelAssisted HMHistory matchedmodel.Used for predictions /decisionsAdd tracer andproduction dataCommunicate lessons learned back to geo-model11.06.2013

11.06.2013Remaining oil saturation

Passive and partitioning tracer flow in aflooding pore of formation rockFORMATION ROCKThe partitioning tracer becomes delayed withrespect to the passive water tracer.RESIDUAL OIL11.06.2013

K-value (partition coefficient)• Partitioning tracer in waterand oil• Non-partitioning traceronly in water• Water moves, oil is (closeto) stagnant in EOR casesK = (C Tr ) o /(C Tr ) w11.06.2013

Relative respons to peak concentrationPartitioning tracer – Lab Experiments1,210,80,6Silica-packedcolumnprepared withresidual oilT = 40 CP = 170 barSOR = 15.7 %WTP-1WTP-2WTP-3WTP-4WTP-5WTP-6HTO0,40,2040 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130 140Eluted amount (g)11.06.2013

Estimation of S o by scaling x-axisScaling x-axis of the partitioning tracer : x' = x / (1+b)11.06.2013

= 0.6 gives match (So=0.24)b=0.6, K=1.9 gives saturation: So = b/(b + K) = 0.6/(0.6+1.9) = 0.2411.06.2013

RTD analysis of PITTsMust first correct for re-injection & extrapolate toinfinity

LAV-1 resultsTracer β K S o [%]IFE-WTP8 0.6 1.9 24IFE-WTP7 0.75 2.4 24IFE-WTP3 0.50 1.5 25IFE-WTP2 0.50 1.5 25IFE-WTP1 0.70 2.1 25IFE-WTP4 0.80 2.9 22Results are consistent11.06.2013

LAV-2 resultsTracer β K S o [%]IFE-WTP8 0.55 1.9 22IFE-WTP7 0.65 2.4 21IFE-WTP3 0.45 1.5 23IFE-WTP2 0.45 1.5 23IFE-WTP1 0.60 2.1 22IFE-WTP4 0.70 2.9 19Results are consistent11.06.2013

SWCTT stage 1 injectionNPAEtAcEtAcNPANPAEtAcEtAcNPAWater and ester is injected into watered out section

SWCTT stage 2 hydrolysis shut-inNPAEtAcEtAcNPANPAEtOHEtOHNPASome of the ester hydrolyses to alcohol

SWCTT stage 3 back productionNPAEtAcEtAcNPANPAEtOHEtOHNPAThe ester partition to oil and is delayed, compared to the alcoholThe water tracer is catching up on the partitioning tracer.

Concentration Tracers (ppm)Concentration Tracers (ppm)Single Well Chemical Tracer TestProduction Curve20003001800160014001200ProductAlcoholTracerMaterial Balance Tracer2502001000800Unreacted EsterTracer15060010040050200000 500 1000 1500 2000Volume Produced (bbls)011.06.2013

Partitioning interwell tracer test (PITT)• Exploits the delay of partitioning tracers compared tonon-partitioning tracers• Works by injecting partitioning & non-partitioningtracer simultaneously• Saturation can be estimated by:S o = (T p − T i )/(T p + T i (K − 1))= β/(β+K)where T p = T i (1 − β)11.06.2013

11.06.2013EOR-methods

11.06.2013Enhanced oil recovery

11.06.2013CO 2 –EOR challenges

Synthesis of 35 S-labeled surfactant• Synthesis of the sulfonation agent acetylsulfate:H 235SO 4 + CH 3 -COOOC-CH 3 CH 3 -COO 35 SO 3 H + CH 3 -COOH• Sulfonation of 1-dodecene to get the surfactant:CH 3 -COO 35 SO 3 H + R-CH 2 -CH=CH 2 R-CH=CH-CH 2 - 35 SO 3 H + CH 3 -COOH(R = C 9 H 19 )11.06.2013

Tracer response/a.u.Less liquid, more CO 21.00.8CO 2Water14 C3H35S0.6Surfactant0.40.20.00.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0Number of pore volumes11.06.2013

CountsUsing 22 Na + tracer to monitor water front200018001600Water containing 22 Na + displacing waterFront end of coreFlow: 1ml/minPressure: 307barTemp.: 89.5 o C140012001000t = 40mint = 66mint = 100min800600t = 19min0 100 200 300 400 500Position of scanner (mm)11.06.2013

How can CO 2 sweep efficiency beimproved ?CO 2 /foam: What kind of surfactant?Increasing viscosity by polymers:What kind of polymer?WAG: How long (frequency of) slugs?What are the displacementmechanisms with supercritical ordense-phase CO 2 ?11.06.2013

11.06.2013What injection strategy to follow?

GasWaterCO 2 foam flooding: Parameters• Foam stability• Foam quality• Surfactant retention• Component separation11.06.2013

Production andflow assurance11.06.2013

11.06.2013Well inflow monitoring

11.06.2013Complex well inflow monitoring

Generator principles (2)Aqueous solution(complexing agent,salinity, pH)Aqueous solution+ complexeddaughter possiblyextractable intoorganicsAqueous ororganic tracerMother nuclideExample:52Fe 52m MnAnion exch.column,elution with tartrate11.06.2013 Tor Bjørnstad 46

Experimental setup measurementsof scaling kineticsBalanceHeatingcabinetLinepressureDiff.pressureComputerloggingBrine 1HCO 3-ppHelectrodeBPRH 2 OPumpBalanceHeatingfluid HeatingBrine2 coil+ tracer= 47 Ca 2+SandfilledAl pipeGammadetectorSamplecollection11.06.2013

Counts per 100 sColumn scans10000080000Column scansTime: 25 – 90 hT = 99 C, SR = 4.466000040000200000-10 10 30 50 70 90 110 130 150 170 190 210 230Position X (mm)

Counting rate (cp100s)Selected column scans120000100000Selected CaCO 3precipitation curves80000600004000020000t o + t o,y97,38 h81,04 h72,58 h62,71 h52,84 h44,38 h37,33 h31,69 h26,84 h0-10 40 90 140 190 240Position (mm)

Counting rate (cp100s)True scaling rates at x i and x j120000100000X i = 30 mmX j = 90 mm8000060000400002000000 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80Time (t o + t o,y + x i t c , hours)

Shale gas andhydrofracturingTor Bjørnstad51

Tracer projects and contacts world-wideField experience Common R&D projects Technology contactsTor Bjørnstad52

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