Miscible Displacement Ii: Unit 5
Miscible Displacement Ii: Unit 5
Unit 5
MISCIBILITY Miscibility exists when two fluids are
able to mix in all proportions without
any interface forming between them
(Clark et al., 1958)
Miscibility
two fluids mix in all proportions to form a single phase.
IFT is eliminated
First Contact Miscibility (FCM)- a single phase is formed upon first contact
when mixed in all proportions with the crude.
Multiple- contact Miscibility (MCM)-miscible conditions are developed in
the reservoir due to composition alteration of the injected fluid or crude as
the fluids move through the reservoir.
Section 6.2 First Contact Miscibility
PRIMARY SLUG- Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) is used as the injected solvent into the
reservoir
• Solvents are usually expensive and thus must be relatively small for economic
purposes.
• Primary slug usually followed by a larger volume of a less expensive secondary slug
(water or lean gas high in CH4)
Section 6.2 Description Miscible Displacement-FCM
PRIMARY SLUG- Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) is used as the injected solvent into the
reservoir
• Mixing zone develops between interface of primary slug and secondary slug
• Mixing of solvent with oil forms oil bank followed by solvent oil mixture which is rich in
oil at the leading end and rich in solvent at the trailing end
Section 6.2 Description Miscible Displacement-FCM
PRIMARY SLUG- Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) is used as the injected solvent into the
reservoir
• If the process is operated as a secondary recovery process, the oil is displaced efficiently
ahead of the LPG slug
Section 6.2 Description Miscible Displacement-FCM
Secondary slug should be miscible with the primary slug to yield efficient displacement
of the primary slug
Displacing water has low mobility which improves sweepout efficiency over that
obtained with solvent. Hence water alternating gas (WAG) injection is used.
So why does this matter?
• Oil is displaced through reservoir as long as the fluid bank
displacing oil is miscible with the oil
• Microscopic efficiency can approach 100% and is generally
greater than for immiscible processes
Miscible water alternating gas (WAG)
In a miscible WAG process, an injected gas-CO2 in this case
mixes with reservoir oil and creates an oil bank ahead of the
miscible zone.
The gas is followed by a slug of water, which improves the
mobility ratio of the displacing fluids to avoid fingering.
Areal Sweep Efficiency Vertical displacment efficiency can be
affected by:
Pattern flood can be affected by -viscous fingering
-heterogeneous formation - high permeability thief zone
(sealing fault) -gravity override of injection gas
-fingering of a less viscous -underride of injection water
injectant into the oil
Miscible water alternating gas (WAG)
The cycle of gas and water injection can be repeated many times, until a
final waterdrive flushes the remaining hydrocarbon, now mixed with CO2
from the reservoir.
Formation heterogenities, such as a higher permeability streak (darker
layer), affects the shapes of the flood fronts
Multiple Contact Miscibility
Oil and injected solvent not miscible upon first contact
Miscibility is dynamically developed as the injection process
continues.
Under proper conditions injected methane might extract certain
hydrocarbon components from oil as slug flows.
Enriched methane slug could thus become miscible with oil.
Principles of Phase Behaviour Related to Miscibility
Locus of the
critical point
conditions for
the different
compositions.
Critical point loci of binary systems
Figure 6.3 Figure 6.4
Pressure/Temperature Diagrams (Figure 6.4)
Typical loci of binary n-paraffin systems.
Conditions at which
binary pairs are
miscible.
Isothermal Compression (Figure 6.5)
1. No phase change @ Dew Point
1. Vapor = z
2. Liquid = x1
2. As Pressure increases to P2
1. Vapor = y2
2. Liquid = x2
3. At Bubble Point
1. Vapor = y1
2. Liquid = z
160 °F
25% 97%
Effect of injected gas composition (Figure 6.9)
Decreasing C1
Concentration
Figure 6.14 a)
1° slug
Figure 6.14 c)
Figure 6.14 b)
Figure 6.15