This three-day training course is designed to provide valuable knowledge of the interlinking aspects for the oil recovery technique of waterflooding. Key themes, which will be discussed during the training course include the physics, chemistry, practical application, lessons learnt, operational focus and economics. Participants will delve into technologies, processes involved, and obtain a solid understanding of the important role that each profession plays in a successful waterflood.
Attendees will be shown relevant and real examples to demonstrate the components covered during this course. Exercises carried out during the course will cement key learning topics into the understanding of participants.
Content covered includes:
- Evaluating the application of waterflooding
- The where, when, why and how of sub-surface design
- Complexities of the delivery and specification of the injectant
- Monetising field value with waterflooding
Course content:
The case for waterflooding
The basics of oil recovery
· Properties and genesis of oil
· Rock and water properties
· Imbibition/Drainage process
· Capillary trapping
· Aspects of sweep
The physics of immiscible displacement
· Darcy’s law
· Relative permeability and wettability
· Fractional flow
· Application of BLW
Exercise 01: Estimate a waterflood forecast range
The importance of Chemistry
· Water properties
o Ion concentration and distribution
o Mixing and scaling tendency
· Geochemistry
o Sandstones: Types of clays which can impact flooding
o Carbonates: Salinity and pH
Exercise 02: Estimate the clay swelling potential for a proposed waterflood
Geomechanics:
· In-situ stress
· Impact of depletion and cooling
· Matrix injection design attributes
· Fracturing injection design attributes
Geology and Geophysics:
· Yes, Geology is important
· The role of Geophysics in waterflooding
Flood design:
· Throughput vs recovery
o Determining the volume of required injection water
o Estimate number of wells and how to optimise cash flow
· Pattern selection
o Impact of well cost
o Traditional patterns, the pros and cons
o Matrix vs fracturing
o Phasing
o Repurposing
Exercise 03: Propose the waterflood pattern and recovery forecast for a newly discovered field
Well selection:
· Well orientation
· Well completion aspects
o Sand control
o Crossflow
o Zone selectivity
o “smart” components
o Gauges, fibre and tracers
Facilities Specification:
· Specifying the required water quality
· Facility/process options
· Operability
· Green or Brown?
Exercise 04: Select the required process
Waterflood Management:
· Determining the gearing ratios
· Defining critical equipment
· Key aspects to monitor
· The use of dashboards
Exercise 05: Identify what went wrong and propose how to fix it