Recuperación mejorada de petróleo en areniscas y carbonatos con Smart Water

Abstract

Smart Water injection is a relatively new enhanced oil recovery (EOR) method that improves oil recovery by wettability alteration in both sandstones and carbonates. It disturbs the established chemical equilibrium in the reservoir causing wettability alteration, and during this process, capillary forces increase and water imbibition occurs, resulting in improved microscopic sweep efficiency. The EOR potential is affected by the initial reservoir wetting condition, which is dependent on parameters like mineralogy, formation water composition and crude oil. The same parameters also influence the wettability alteration process. The optimum conditions for observing Smart Water EOR effects appear to be mixed-wet conditions. Focus was made on explaining the role of the mineralogy in the wetting mechanisms and the Smart Water EOR potential in a range of lithologies. A correct mineralogical characterization plays an essential role in the selection of the Smart Water brine. The combination of different experimental techniques can rapidly indicate a high or low Smart Water EOR potential for a reservoir. A valuable relationship was observed between the screening methods and the amount of oil produced by Smart Water injection. However, quantitative information about improved oil recovery with Smart Water can only be determined by running oil recovery tests.