Unsteady heat and mass transfer for water-oil mixtures in a system of horizontal wells

• Published in: Thermophysics and aeromechanics 2021-03, Vol.28 (2), p.251-263
• Main Authors: Zhizhimontov, I. N., Shabarov, A. B., Stepanov, S. V.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Complex variables; Coordinates; Exact solutions; Heat transfer; Horizontal wells; Mass transfer; Mathematical models; Oil fields; Oil recovery; Parameters; Physics; Physics and Astronomy; Reservoirs; Thermodynamics; Viscosity
• ISSN: 0869-8643; 1531-8699
• DOI: 10.1134/S0869864321020086

The paper presents the description and results for computational-and-parametric study for the simulation of heat and mass transfer for an water-oil mixture produced from a set of horizontal wells (at the example of high viscosity oil field). The purpose is the theoretical and numerical study of heat and mass transfer for water-oil mixtures with a focus on a set of scientific and production problems in the field of analyzing the development of hydrocarbon reserves in high-viscosity oil fields. The research objects are rocks and natural formations saturated with a multiphase fluid. For computational domain grid construction, the authors proposed and tested a new approach for constructing a dynamic grid in a natural semi-fixed coordinate system. According to this approach, the streamlines and isopotential lines are obtained from an analytical solution based on the complex variable theory. The paper offers a physical and mathematical model of unsteady heat and mass transfer for water-oil mixtures occurring in a system of parallel horizontal wells. The physical and mathematical model and the calculation method are implemented in a computer code complex. The computational and parametric study was carried out and the most general patterns of the oil recovery factor were identified depending on the reservoir geometry and the interwell distance, well operation modes, the hot agent temperature, and the reservoir properties. The study demonstrated a relation of the ultimate oil recovery with the innovative dimensionless parameter. Namely, a growth of this parameter combining the geometry parameters, porosity, permeability, and initial oil saturation of formation corresponds to a logarithmic growth in the oil recovery factor.