Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
` 1060~88
IMPROVED FIRE FLOOD PROCESS
This invention relates to an improved method for conducting under-
ground combustion operations. The invention is applicable to direct or
counterflow in situ combustion processes for the recovery of oil from con-
solidated, partially consolidated, and unconsolidated formations having
permeabilities of at least 2 Darcys. In accordance with another aspect, this
. invention relates to an improved underground combustion process by injecting
a noncombustible liquid, such as water, containing a surfactant and alternate
slugs of air during forward combustion, whereby sufficient condensible foam
containing steam as the gaseous phase is formed upon contacting of the hot
10formation with water to generate a significant resistance factor of at least
5, thus selectively blocking and plugging permeable sections of the subter-
, -
ranean oil-bearing formation, thereby resulting in an increase or improvement
in the volumetric sweep efficiency. In accordance with another aspect, this
invention relates to an improved method for conducting underground combustion
operations by injecting water containing sufficient surfactant together with
air during forward combustion under conditions to form sufficient condensible -
or self-collapsing foam having as its gaseous phase steam to generate a
significant resistance factor of 5 to 10 or greater which is formed upon water
contacting the hot formation, resulting in the selective blocking and plugging -
of the more permeable sections of the subterranean formation. In accordance
with a further aspect, this invention relates to an improved method for
recovering oil from subterranean formations being subjected to direct or
counterflow in situ combustion processes by injecting a noncombustible
liquid, such as water, containing sufficient surfactant together with air or
an oxygen-containing gas or by means of injecting alternate slugs of water
containing sufficient surfactant and air during forward combustion to improve
the volumetric sweep efficiency by retarding the mobility of the steam
generated upon water contacting of the hot formation and produce a self-
collapsing foam which will generate a significant resistance factor of at
least 5.
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; It is known in the art to combine forward combustion and water
` flooding by using alternate slugs of water and air in the in situ combustion
process once the combustion has been started with air or oxygen injection.
In the prior art process the water is injected after the air, with the water
` becoming vaporized upon contact with the formation to create a large volume
of steam, thereby requiring less air for operation of the process than would
normally be needed if no water were present or used. The water, upon contact-
, ing the hot formation, flashes into steam, and the steam thus generated moves
. forward together with vaporized and liquid hydrocarbons through the reservoir.
In the counterflow process, using the principles of the prior art process,
- the water in the air becomes vaporized and pushes the oil vapors into the
production well. It is also known to add small amounts of surfactant to
create foam in such operations, but the amount of foam produced is insufficient
to plug the more permeable zones and insufficient to increase the resistance
factor a significant amount.
The present invention is directed to an improved mode of operation
for the prior art combined forward combustion and water flooding process for
the recovery of oil from highly permeable reservoirs in that the slugs of
water will contain a sufficient amount of a surfactant to produce a foam in
situ having a relatively high, significant resistance factor when the water
becomes vaporized or it contacts free gas which will generate foam in situ.
The water in which the surfactant is placed initially vaporizes causing the
condensible foam to be produced when a surfactant is present. This foam in-
creases the volumetric sweep efficiency of the fire flood, and the foam
generated in situ will retard the mobility of the steam vapor and improve the
reservoir sweep efficiency.
The use of a~ternate slugs of air and water, and possibly some
slugs of`air containing water where surfactants are added to the water slugs,
etc., is the preferred way to carry out the invention. Once in situ combus-
tion has been established in a reservoir, generation of foam in situ can be
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started with this process to improve overall sweep efficiency. Combustion
gases can be added to the air if required or desired.
Accordingly, an ob;ect of this invention is to provide an improved
method for the production of oil from a highly permeable oil-bearing forma-
tion or stratum being subjected to underground combustion operations.
- It is another object of this invention to increase the efficiency
of oil recovery from such a formation.
Another object of this invention is to provide a method for tempo-
rarily or partially plugging the more permeable strata.
'~ 10 It is a further object of this invention to provide a process for
producing a well by selectively blocking and plugging highly permeable sec-
~- tions of subterranean oil-bearing formations with a self-destructive foam
generated in situ exhibiting a significant resistance factor.
Other objects, aspects, and the several advantages of the invention
will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading this specification
and the appended claims.
In accordance with the invention set forth herein, the above and
other objects of the invention are accomplished by forming in situ steam and
a condensible foam having steam as the gaseous phase in subterranean oil-
bearing formations while conducting direct or counterflow in situ underground
i combustion operations.
- In accordance with one embodiment, the invention is carried out by
injecting a noncombustible liquid, such as water, containing a surfactant
together with air or an oxygen-containing gas or by means of injecting alter-
nate slugs of water containing a surfactant and air during forward combustion
whereby foam having steam as the gaseous phase is produced when the water
~ becomes vaporized upon contacting the hot formation.
; In accordance with another embodiment, an improved method is pro-
vided for conducting counterflow combustion in a reservoir by first igniting
the formation to form a combustion zone near a production well, maintaining
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1060788
` said combustion zone while forcing it through the reservoir toward the injec-
tion well and then injecting into the reservoir at the injection well either a
; mixture of air and a noncombustible fluid, such as water, containing a sur-
factant or by alternately injecting air and a noncombustible fluid, such as
water, containing a surfactant and recovering fluids resulting from the com-
bustion process through a producing well.
In accordance with this invention, it has now been found that in the
recovery of oil from formations having permeabilities of at least two Darcys
that a higher concentration of surfactant is required than previously thought
in order to generate a significant resistance factor of 5 to 10 or greater.
Specifically, it has been found that at least about two weight percent sur-
~`~ factant is required to produce a self-collapsing foam having a significant
resistance factor of 5 to 10 or greater.
As used herein, the term "resistance factor" is defined as
L~ P for surfactant + nitrogen.
P for water + nitrogen
The resistance factor, to be called a "significant resistance
; factor," is 5 to 10 or greater, as can be measured by those skilled in the
art by comparative core displacement tests ~n the laboratory, or through the
use of pressure fall-off techniques in oil wells.
In actual operation, the surfactant forms a self-collapsing foam
having a condensible gas as its gaseous phase and therefore functions to
- selectively block and plug permeable sections of the subterranean oil-bearing
formations. The self-collapsing foam produced increases the volumetric
sweep efficiency of the fire flood as it retards the mobility of the steam
vapor and thus improves the reservoir sweep efficiency.
The process of this invention is generally applicable to any
reservoir in which an ordinary forward-burning process can be conducted in-
cluding consolidated, partially consolidated, and unconsolidated formations.
Reservoirs of this type generally have a minimum permeability of about 20 to
50 millidarcys and the oil contained therein has a minimum viscosity of
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about 3 to 5 cps at reservoir conditions. As indicated above, the present in-
vention is particularly applicable to formations having permeabilities of at
least two Darcys and formations having permeabilities ranging up to about 50
Darcys and greater, generally formation permeabilities ranging from about 2 to
about 20 Darcys.
The process comprises first igniting the reservoir at or near an
~ injection well or wel~s or a production well or wells in~a known manner such
- as, for example, by means of a gas such as air or a liquid-fuel burner, an
electrical heater, or the use of suitable pyrophoric materials, a thermite
bomb, or the like. When the reservoir immediately surrounding the wellbores
is brought to ignition temperature, air or an equivalent oxygen-containing
gas is injected in an amount sufficient to establish a definite combustion
- zone or front. When the front is formed in this manner, temperatures of the
order of 1,000F to 2,500F are generated.
After the reservoir has been ignited and a combustion zone or
front has been established, water containing at least about two weight percent
surfactant is injected into the formation and then contacts the front, result-
ing both in vaporization of the water, generating steam, and a sufficient
`~ amount of self-condensing foam having steam as its gaseous phase to generate
a significant resistance factor of at least 5, and cooling of the reservoir
rock at the point of vaporization. The generated steam moves forward to-
gether with the vaporized and liquid hydrocarbons through the highly perme-
able reservoir. The self-collapsing foam formed tends to temporarily plug
the more permeable portions of the formation and thereby diverts steam into
less permeable and producing sections, resulting in an improvement in the
overall efficiency of the recovery process.
,~ After injection of the water and surfactant, air or other oxygen-
containing gas is introduced into the reservoir to develop another high-
temperature front in the vicinity of the reservoir rock just heated as a
result of the condensatlon of steam. Water contalnlng surfactant in~ectlon
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` 106~788
is then resumed, and air injection is stopped. These cycles are repeated
until the combustion front reaches the producing well or wells.
As indicated hereinbefore, the instant invention can be employed by
the simultaneous injection of air and a noncombustible fluid such as water
containing a surfactant at either an injection well or a producing well in
the case of counterflow in situ combustion processes. Also as indicated
hereinbefore, alternate slugs of water containing a surfactant and air can be
injected either at an injection well to forward combustion process or through
an injection well in a counterflow in situ combustion process after the
combustion front is moved from the production well to the injection well
area.
In order to obtain the benefits of the invention, it is desirable
to control the air-water ratio used. Generally speaking, the injected air-
water ratio can vary from about 300 to about 15,000 scf/bbl.
In accordance with said invention, the amount of surfactant present
in the water injected into the formation ranges from about 0.5 to about 6
weight percent which will ordinarily be sufficient to selectively block and
plug permeable sections of subterranean oil-bearing formations with a self-
destructive foam generated in situ. The amounts of surfactant, e.g., one
percent by weight in the specific example, disclosed herein can be varied to
generate more or less foam to provide the desired resistance to flow effects
in situ, thereby improving the overall volume of reservoir swept during the
application of the combustion process in comparison with the known prior art
processes.
In accordance with the present invention, it now has been found
that in order to effectively recover oil from formations having permeabilities
of at least two Darcys with a fire flood system, the amount of surfactant
present will be at least about two weight percent so as to produce a self-
collapsing foam in an amount sufficient to generate a resistance factor of
at least 5. At the present time it is preferred to use at least 4 wt.pe~cent
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`` surfactant. Although amounts of about 6 weight percent can be used, it is
preferred to use about 4 to about 10 weight percent surfactant. Even though
concentrations of surfactant higher than 10 weight percent can be used,
these generally are not economical.
Various types of surface-active agents could be used in the process
of this invention, either nonionic, anionic, or cationic. Commercial surface-
active agents of the alkyl phenoxy polyethoxy ethanol class and commonly
available household cleansers have been tested and found satisfactory in the
practice of the invention. The surfactants must be stable at the operating
conditions of this invention. For example, TREND detergent, manufactured by
Purex Corporation, Ltd., has proved satisfactory, as well as other household
cleaning compounds, hand and laundry soaps, and rug shampoos. Another suit-
able surfactant or liquid detergent that can be used is known commercially as
"OK LIQUID," marketed by the Proctor and Gamble Company. "OK LIQUID" is an
ammonium (alkylpolyoxyethylene) sulfate containing organic builders and is
described in U. S. Patents 2,941,950 and 3,330,346, to Korpi et al (issued
~ June 21, 1960) and Jacobs et al (issued July ll, 1967), respectively.- Other water-soluble surfactants which have been found stable at
temperatures used to carry out this invention are alkylphenoxypoly(ethylene-
oxy)ethanol surfactants sold by GAF Corporation, Chemical Division, 140 West `
; 51st, New York, NY 10020, as Igepal surfactants. The particular Igepal sur-
~ factants are sold under the trade names as DM970, DM730, DM710, and CA720. - -
The aliphatic polyether surfactants sold by the GAF Corporation under the
trade names ANTARAX BL330 and BL344 have also been found to be effective
water-soluble surfactants usable in carrying out this invention.
Surfactants have been used to produce foams in formations.
Society of Petroleum Engineers Journal, December 1970: S. H. Raza, "Foam in
Porous Media: Characteristics and Potential Applications." Note FIGURE 2
and pages 330 and 335. A surfactant solution useful in the present invention
is OK LIQUID (ammonium lauryl sulfate plus amide builder, manufactured by
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Proctor and Gamble) in a water solution at a concentration as low as approxi-
` mately 0.3 weight percent. Such solutions are referred to in the Society of
Petroleum Engineers Journal as useful to produce foam in porous media.
- The following calculated example will serve to further illustrate
the invention.
EXAMPLE I
The following example illustrates how this invention can be used to
recover additional oil from an oil-containing reservoir.
Given: Initial reservoir conditions at start of in situ
combustion process with foam generated in Situ:!
Top of Reservoir Depth 3000 feet -
Producing Zone Thickness 40 feet
.. .
` Type of Formation Sandstone (stratified)
`-- Average Porosity30 percent
Permeability Range 200 to 2800 millidarcys
S Dykstra Parsons Permeability
Variation (Kv) 0.8
Initial Oil Saturation 0.65 (fraction of
- pore space)
, 20 Initial Brine Saturation 0.35 "
~! Oil Gravity18 API
~~; Oil Viscosity in situ 65 centipoises
r~ 8rine Viscosity in situ 0.5 centipoise
, Initial Formation Temperature 130~F
, 5-Acre Well Spacing
5-Spot Normal Patterns
Size of Project Area 90 Acres
Open Hole Completions All wells
' Steps for Conducting Process:
1. Into each of the injection wells begin injecting air at a rate
of 0.5 to 1.0 million standard cubic feet per day. Using a downhole electric
heater initiate combustion in the formation at the injection wellbore. Inject
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sufficient cumulative air to propagate the combustion zone to a radial dis-
tance of at least 25-40 feet from the wellbore.
2. Begin injecting alternate slugs of water interspersed with
slugs of air into each of the injection wells. Include with the water slugs
a surfactant, such as Proctor and Gamble's "OK LIQUID," at a concentration of
1.0 percent based upon the weight of the water. The sequence to be injected
follows:
.- a. After step (1), inject 500 barrels of water containing
one percent of the surfactant.
.;~
b. Inject a 5 pore volume percent slug of air. (The
' volume of air to be injected is calculated at the average
reservoir temperature and pressure.)
.~, c. Inject a slug of water containing one percent
ii surfactant, and the size of the water slug is such to pro-
i
vide an air-water ratio of 1,000 cubic feet per barrel and
is the ratio of cumulative air volume injected (SCF) in
step (b) divided by the cumulative water volume (barrels)
in step (c~.
d. Repeat step (b).
e. Repeat step (c). -
~, f. Repeat step (b), but during air injection begin
simultaneously injecting some water so that the ratio of
- air to water is 20,000 SCF/barrel. Include surfactant
with the water at the same concentration as in step (a).
The different steps shown above should be repeated until the com-
bustion zone is driven across each pattern to the offset producing wells.
The injected air rates and water rates can be adjusted to control produced
' gas to fluid ratios and temperatures at the offset producing wells. It is
apparent that not every water slug has to contain surfactant and that the ` -
concentration of the surfactant, when used, can be varied to generate more
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1060788
or less foam in situ to provide the desired resistance to flow effects in
situ. The use of the foam will improve the overall volume of the reservoir
swept during the application of the combustion process.
EXAMPLE II
Foam tests were made by charging fresh water solutions of disodium
ethoxylated nonyl phenol half ester of sulfosuccinic acid, supplied by
` American Cyanamide Company as their Aerosal A103, to sand packs contained in
a steel cell. The cell, of schedule 40 pipe, was 2.8 cm in diameter and
29.2 cm in length. Provisions were made to introduce nitrogen gas into
the flowing liquid stream before the mix entered the bottom of the sand
- pack. All the tests reported herein were made with liquid flow rates of
220 cc/hr. and the nitrogen or C02 (one run) was 2100 cc/hr. A small volume
Milton Ray Duplex pump was used in the tests, one cylinder pumping water
and the other the surfactant solution. Four channels of a Gulton recorder
having transducer ranges of 0-10, 0-50, 0-100, and 0-200 psi were used to
monitor pressure drop across the sand pack. Nitrogen or C02 (one run using
' C02) was supplied from cylinders of the compressed gases through regulators
and a rotameter with fine needle valve control. Gas pressure on the system
; was limited to 200 psi because of limitation of rotameter construction. The
one C02 test reported was made at 60 psi.
Test Procedure:
1. Pack tube with sand using an electric vibrator to settle the
sand. Tube was supported in a vertical position during test.
2. Connect pumping systems to bottom of tube, fill pack with
water, and measure pack permeability.
3. Start full flow of water, 220 cc/hr., using both pumps, and
measure pressure drop; introduce 2100 cc N2/hr., and measure pressure drop;
connect surfactant side of pump to surfactant supply and finally measure
- pressure drop after maximum foam generation has been reached, indicated by
maximum pressure drop across tube. Resistance factor is defined as the
~ P for surfactant + N~. Surfactant solution is prepared to make 110 cc
~ P for water + N2
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with enough surfactant to yield desired concentration in total pump dis-
charge of 220 cc.
4. Complete test, using transducers of the proper pressure range.
As the pressure drop increases, the low range transducers are removed from
the system to prevent overrange damage.
5. At test conclusion, test lines were flushed before proceeding
with the next test.
Results:
. . ,
~- Test data are summarized below in Table I. Resistance factors,
sand pack permeability, and sand identity are presented. A greater than
(~) sign indicates that the nitrogen flow was completely blocked for that
test and the numerical value is maximum pressure (200 psi) divided by
pressure drop for water-nitrogen flow. It was necessary to use sands with
-- a range of permeabilities (different sands) in order to cover desired range
of surfactant. Permeability is determined by Darcy's equation (see U. S.
3,727,687, Clampitt et al, April 17, 1973, column 13) wherein K is calculated.
In Table I, resistance factors for various concentrations of sur-
factant A103 in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, tap water and sand packs of different
sands having different permeabilities; 220 cc/hr. liquid flow; and 2100 cc/
ZO hr. Nz gas flo: have been deter~ined.
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The resistance factor as defined herein, developed by a surfactant-
stabilized foam flowing through a porous media, is found to be dependent upon
surfactant concentration and media permeability. At a constant rate of
` liquid and gas flow, higher resistance factors will be developed in packs
of lower permeability. Under the same flow conditions, a large bubbled
foam is generated with low surfactant concentrations and high permeability.
Smaller bubbled foams with higher resistance factors may be generated in
packs of high permeability by increasing surfactant concentration.
Referring to Table I, for a given concentration of surfactant, say,
2 percent, as the permeability increases from 2.2 Darcys to 4.2 Darcys, the
data from the sandpack tests show the resistance factor decreases from 4.2
; to 1.49, as shown in Table A. In the 3 to 5 Darcy permeability region, the
resistance factor decreased from ? 37 in a 3 Darcy sandpack to about 1.5
Darcys when using 4 percent of A103 surfactant in the water solution in a
Mill Creek sandpack. This shows the effect of permeability.
At a given permeability, the data show that when the concentration
of the surfactant is increased the resistance factor becomes greater. This ~-
r` is due to a combination of factors, such as an increase in the film tough-
, ness, film viscosity, and a reduced liquid drainage rate on the surface of
the foam bubbles. This points out that in any reservoir it is necessary to
conduct laboratory tests to locate the optimum concentration of surfactant
in the liquid solution which would produce a resistance factor of at least
5.
In situ foam diversion projects where the resistance factors are
between 1 and 2 will probably be unsuccessful. Resistance factors of the
order of 1 to 2 suggests the foam has either collapsed or has insufficient
- toughness and strength, and in a real situation it would be an ineffective
diversion system. Th~ level of resistance factor is readily known to be -
directly relatable to the effective mobility of fluids in a porous media.
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EXAMPLE III
Pressure drops and foam quality has been determined on the sur-
factant AEROSAL A102 in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, tap water at concentrations
of 0.2, 3, and 6 volume percent. AEROSAL A102 is a dialkyl ester of sodium
sulfosuccinic acid supplied by American Cyanamide Co., Industrial Chemicals
and Plastics Div., Berdan Ave., Wayne, NJ 07470, and was chosen for the
example surfactant since solutions are easily prepared and previous tests
indicate that it is effective in foam-oil recovery processes.
A surfactant solution is pumped through a sand pack at a fixed
rate while nitrogen is added, also at a fixed rate, and the pressure drop
across the sand pack is a measure of foam resistant effectiveness. In
these tests the sand pack was 2.67 cm x 28 cm of a medium grade Ottawa
sand having a permeability of about 30 Darcys. Liquid flow rate through the
pack was 131 cc/hr., and nitrogen flow was 1400 cc/hr. Pack pore volume
was 57 cc. Pressure transducers having ranges of 0-10 psi, 0-50 psi, 0-100
. psi, and 0-200 psi were used in ~ P measurements. Transducer outputs were
i~ recorded on a Gulton channel recorder, Model TR 888 having a chart speed ~-
of 0.5 mm/minute.
Test Procedure:
20 1. Pressure drop for 131 cc/hr. tap water across pack was
determined.
i 2. Pressure drop for 131 cc/hr. tap water + 1400 cc N2/hr. was
determined.
3. Pressure drop for 131 cc/hr. of test solution ~ 1400 cc N2/hr.
was determined. Experimental data are summarized in Table II.
TABLE II
Pressure drops across a 30 Darcy sand pack for AEROSAL A102
solutions with concurrent nitrogen flow.
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10607~8
Pressure Drop Across Sand Pack, psig
(a) Water (b) Water + N2 (c) Test Solution + N2
0.2b 0.7 0.2% AEROSAL A102, l.O
0.2 0.5 3% AEROSAL A102, 1.1
0.7 1.3 6% AEROSAL A102, 65.0
Pack was flushed with water overnight for a second test of the
three percent AEROSAL A102 solution:
0.3 4.5a 3% AEROSAL A102, 80.Oa
a - After subjecting the sand pack to high concentrations of surfactant,
thorough washing does not completely remove surfactant. Note that a
second test of 3% surfac~ant results in higher pressure drops than
was obtained by previous 6% solution.
b - Pressures belowlO psi were measured with the 0-10 psi range trans-
ducer, and those above lO psi were measured with the O-100 psi
transducer.
The tests in Table II were made all on one core with the core
being flushed with tap water about two hours betwee~ tests. It might be
considered that there are four sets of tests with the first test going
horizontally across Table II from left to right where the pressure drop
for water alone going through sand pack is measured, then the pressure drop
of water flowing at a fixed rate plus nitrogen going through the sand pack, - -
and last a .2% AEROSAL A102 solution in water plus nitrogen going through
the sand pack. The core was flushed two hours with water between each
test. ~- -
The test for 6% AEROSAL A102 solution showed a pressure drop of
65.0 psig. Since pressure drop for 3% AEROSAL A102 in the second test was
only 1.1 psig, another test was run after the pack was flushed with water
overnight. In this last test (fourth test), using 3% AEROSAL A102 solu-
tion, the pressure drop was 80 psig, indicating that some of the surfactant
had not been removed even though the sand pack had been flushed overnight
with water. The tests indicate that the higher the percent surfactant
being used, the more pressure drop is to be expected, while with a .2%
AEROSAL A102 in the solution gave only 0.3 pounds increase (1.0-0.7~ in --
pressure drop over water alone plus nitrogen.
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