SAUSSUREA (ISSN: 0373-2525)

Vol. 3(1), PP: 115-124, 2015

RESEARCH ARTICLE

THE SIMULATION STUDY OF LOW SALINITY WATER FLOODING

IN CHEMICAL ENHANCED OIL RECOVERY (EOR) PROCESSES IN
ONE OF THE IRANIAN OIL RESERVOIRS
Majid cheraghi *1 and Bijan Maleki 2
1

Department of petroleum Engineering, Islamic Azad University Omidiyeh branch, Omidiyeh, Iran
Department of petroleum Engineering, International University of Imam Khomeini, Qazvin, Iran

Abstract:
The production techniques of huge oil reserves have been the main challenge of the reservoir
engineers. The importance of giant non-recoverable hydrocarbon resources by natural depletion
mechanism, which are also non-replaceable, the use and development of optimized EOR methods to
have a maximum recovery of oil reservoirs would be essential and necessary. Hence, various
enhanced oil recovery methods are introduced. One of the new EOR methods is Low Salinity Water
Flooding (LSW) process. However, the optimum conditions that improve oil recovery by low salinity
flooding are uncertain due to the lack of understanding of fluid-rock interaction mechanisms. In this
work , Simulation Study of LSW Flooding processes in one of the Iranian Oil reservoirs analyzed
using ECLIPSE package. The oil has an API of 36 and oil FVF of 1.009 bbl/stb. The number of
divisions are 24 and 25 in x and y directions, respectively. According to the high variety of lithology
changes, the model is divided into 12 layers in vertical direction. The effective parameter on LSW
Flooding process such as Pore Volume Injection and etc. are studied and examined and the results
are compared and therefore the reservoir behaviors (such as oil production, water cut, and Oil
Residual Saturation),in each method are investigated.
1.Introduction:
Water flooding is applied intensively worldwide to improve oil recovery. It was observed that
injection of low salinity water can enhance oil recovery as compared to high salinity water injection.
This technology attracts the industrys interest due to its simplicity and low cost. The objectives of
this paper are to investigate the efficiency of low salinity water in secondary and tertiary recovery
modes, and to understand the mechanisms by which the water salinity improves the oil recovery [1,2].
Furthermore, the simulation work was conducted to study the applicability of low salinity water as an
EOR technique in one of Iranian oil field. Therefore, crude oil and synthetic brines were used; these
brines were calculated at salt concentrations similar to an Iranian oil field case.

2.Literature background:
The level of investigation into low-salinity waterflooding has sharply increased in the past three
years as more research groups have become involved (Webb et al. 2008, Alotaibi and Nasr_el_Din
2009, Austad et al. 2010, Boussour et al. 2009, Cissokho et al. 2009, Kumar et al. 2010, Lager et al.
2008, Patil et al. 2008, Seccombe et al. 2008, Pu et al. 2010, Rivet et al. 2010, RezaeiDoust et al.
2010, Gamage and Thyne 2011)[3-14]. Laboratory studies with synthetic formation water, reservoir
and outcrop rocks and reservoir oil have been conducted with injected water diluted by a factor
ranging from 2.5 to 100-fold compared to formation water. Many studies have reported increases in
recovery of 2-30% original-oil-in-place (OOIP) varying with brine and crude oil compositions and
rock types used[5,7]. However, while both laboratory and field studies have had successful results,

115

there are also examples in which low-salinity flooding does not create additional production (Sharma
and Filoco 2000, Rivet et al 2010, Skrettingland et al. 2010)[15,16,17]. During the last two decades a
significant body of evidence has accumulated, indicating that recovery from sandstone oil reservoirs
could be improved by lowering the ionic strength of the injection brine (reviewed in Morrow and
Buckley 2011)[18]. Benefits of low salinity as opposed to high salinity water flooding have been
supported by numerous laboratory tests (reviewed in Sheng 2010)[19], Log-Inject-Log trial (Webb et
al. 2004)[3], single well chemical tracer tests (McGuire et al. 2005)[20], and historical data (Vledder
2010)[21]. An extensively discussed mechanism behind this low salinity phenomenon in sandstones is
wettability alteration of the clay minerals towards a more water-wet state which in turn improves
microscopic sweep by modifying oil and water relative permeabilities (Ligthelm et al. 2009)[22].
Despite growing interest in low salinity flooding, a consistent explanation of the wettability alteration
mechanism has not yet emerged. However, it is generally accepted in the industry that injecting brine
with TDS (Totally Dissolved Solids) below 5,000 ppm leads to additional oil recovery whereas
injection of more saline water will not (Webb et al. 2005)[5]. The threshold value is a balance
between improvement of oil recovery by low salinity brine injection and prevention of formation
damage due to swelling and/or deflocculation of salinity sensitive clays present in sandstone rocks.
3.The field introduction:
The Field of study is divided into four sectors, which studied sector has 3.5 km long and 3.2 km
width and 150 meter thickness. The mentioned field is an oil field which it has 36 API degree oil grad
and 5300 psi initial reservoir pressure. The porosity of reservoir is between 18 to 23 percent and
permeability is variable from 0.38 to 3 md. At the beginning of production in this field, it has been on
under saturated state and after the period production time, its pressure fall down under the bauble
point and decreased production. this led to the field went to saturated state and gas cap is formed on
reservoir. General characteristics and composition of the reservoir fluid are shown in tables 1 and 2,
respectively.
Table 1- General characteristics of reservoir
Total thickness, ft
492
Water FVF,Rbbl/stb
Rock compressibility,1/psi
2.8E-6
Gas viscosity,cp
Water compressibility,1/psi
3.2083E-6
Water viscosity,cp
Oil density,lbm/ft3
49
API
Gas density,lbm/ft3
0.06
Datum depth, ftss
7000
@ datum depth, psi Average reservoir pressure
1750
GOC, ftss
7000
WOC, ftss
8200
Reservoir temperature, F
140

1.009
0.019
0.47
36

Table 2- Composition of components in the fluid reservoir under study

Component H2S CO
C1
C2
C3
iC4 nC4 iC5 nC5
C6
C7+ C14+ C25+
Mole
1.476 1.28 34.56 6.14 4.29 1.09 2.92 1.48 1.95 2.69 29.2 10.7 2.04
Fraction

4.Simulation procedure

4.1.Reservoir characteristics
The initial reservoir pressure and temperature is respectively 5300 psia and 140 F. Bubble point
pressure of the fluid is calculated about 1961 psia. PVTi software (Geo Quest Software product) is the
phase model chosen to configure the equation of state. After obtaining an acceptable fit of the
experimental and calculated data, The PVTi software outputs are used as input to Eclipse 300
software. In order to make a static reservoir modeling Flogrid software is used. This is an interstitial
Geology and Petroleum Engineering software, which is more capable of reservoir grading. Fig 3 and
Fig 4, respectively show the porosity and permeability distribution in 3D model of selected sector.

Fig 1- 3D model of the distribution of porosity in selected sector

Fig 2- 3D model of the distribution of permeability in selected sector

5.Result and Discussion

5.1.The effect of the injection volume scenario with low salinity water injection
To study the effect of the injection volume scenario with low salinity water injection, five different
injection volumes were examined which the results are given in Table 3 and Figures 3 to 5. It is
noteworthy that the study of this scenario has pursued two main goals. First, to determine the
optimum injection volume and two, determine the amount of water cut and total oil production due
low salinity water injection scenario that be able to compare this scenario with fresh water injection
scenario in order to evaluate the effect of salinity on EOR and oil production. It is noteworthy that the
injected water in water injection process, is a general water with a salinity of about 50 lbm / STB. But
in the scenario with low salinity water injection, water salinity is about 10 lbm / STB. Based on the
results presented in the figure below, the Injection volume of 0.3PV is optimum injection volume for
the scenario with low salinity water injection.
Table 3- Effect of injection volume in water injection with low salinity process
Np ( STB )
Sor
Pore Volume Injection
NO.
88.314E7
0.477
0.1 PV
1
92.006E7
0.476
0.3 PV
2
93.646E7
0.489
1 PV
3
97.122E7
0.485
2 PV
4
113.052E7
0.481
5 PV
5

Fig 3- water cut in evaluation of effect of the injection volume scenario with low salinity water
injection

Fig 4- Residual oil saturation in evaluation of effect of the injection volume scenario with low salinity
water injection

Fig 4- Total oil production in evaluation of effect of the injection volume scenario with low salinity
water injection

5.2.Comparison of the low salinity water injection and water injection

The process of water injection was compared to low salinity water injection and the results are given
in table 4 and Fig 5 to 7. As can be seen, the process of low salinity water injection, significantly
decreased the water cut and delayed the time of its occurrence. The rate of oil production had also
increased. This is due to changing the wettability of oil reservoir from oil wet to water wet which is
one of the advantages of low salinity water injection in the EOR processes. Due to wettability
alteration from oil wet to water wet, the oil droplets that attached to the wall and pore throat of
reservoir rock are separated from the rock and started to produces and therefore oil production
increases, Instead of that, the injected water attached to reservoir rock and thus the water cut will
reduce. Finally, using water with low salinity in EOR for oil reservoirs is a good process, especially
when the reservoir rock is an oil wet type.

Table 4- Comparison of the low salinity water injection and water injection
Np ( STB )
Sor
Scenario
NO.
80.72E7
93.646E7

0.489
0.442

Water Injection
Low Salinity Water Injection

1
2

Fig 5- Comparison chart of the water cut process with low salinity water injection and water injection
process

Fig 6- Comparison chart of the residual oil saturation with low salinity water injection and water
injection process

Fig 7- Comparison chart of the total oil production with low salinity water injection and water
injection process

6.Conclusion
In evaluating the Effect of injection pattern on water injection scenario, four different injection
patterns were studied. The 5Spot-Dual Model pattern is the optimal pattern used in water injection

process. The effect of injection volume on the both water injection and low solid water injection
scenarios examined with six different injection volumes, which ultimately injection volume of 0.3PV
was chosen for both as optimum injection volume of two scenarios. The following, two processes of
water and water with low salinity injection were compared with each other. The process of low
salinity water injection significantly decreased the water cut amount and delay the time of its
occurrence.

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