Laboratory Evaluation of Fluidity of Heavy Oil Emulsions in Formation Pores Medium

Heavy oil emulsions such as water in oil (W/O), oil in water (O/W), and water in oil in water (W/O/W) would be formed during the development of heavy oil reservoirs. The key to the efficient development of heavy oil reservoirs is to clarify the fluidity of heavy oil emulsions in formation pores medium. In this study, the main factors that determine the fluidity of heavy oil emulsion were analyzed under the condition of simulating the formation pores medium. The reasons for the difference between the viscosity of heavy oil emulsions in formation pores medium and the viscosity measured by laboratory rheometer were analyzed. Then, experiments have confirmed the shortcomings of the current screening and evaluation method of emulsified viscosity reducer. Finally, through experimental research and mechanism analysis, the mechanism of the emulsified viscosity reducer was studied and suggestions were made to improve the effect of emulsified viscosity reducer in the oil field. When heavy emulsions flow in a formation pores medium, since the size of the droplets would be larger than the size of the pores medium, when the heavy emulsion passes through the pores medium, it would receive additional resistance brought by the Jiamin effect. But when a rheometer is used for viscosity testing, this additional resistance is almost nonexistent. Therefore, the current method of viscosity test using rheometer cannot fully reflect the actual flow state of heavy oil emulsion in formation pores medium. The research in this paper proves that the larger the droplets of the emulsion, the less accurate the rheometer test results. Temperature, permeability, oil-water ratio, and the type of emulsified viscosity reducer all have a certain effect on the flow of heavy oil emulsion in formation pores medium. This article evaluated four types of emulsified viscosity reducers. When the viscosity test was performed by a rheometer, the results showed excellent viscosity-reducing effects. However, when simulating formation pores medium conditions, the effects of some types of emulsified viscosity reducers are not so good. It is no longer accurate to judge the effect of emulsified viscosity reducer by the way of measuring viscosity with a rheometer. It should be screened by the flow capacity of the heavy oil emulsions in formation pores medium. In oil field development, the contact area of heavy oil and emulsified viscosity reducer solution should be increased as much as possible and provide more time for the substitution effect of emulsified viscosity reducer molecules.

Automated summary

This study analyzed the factors affecting the fluidity of heavy oil emulsions in formation pores medium and identified the discrepancy between the viscosity measured in the lab and in the actual environment. The research suggested that the current method of viscosity testing using a rheometer may not accurately reflect the flow state of heavy oil emulsions in formation pores medium. Additionally, it proposed evaluating the effectiveness of emulsified viscosity reducers based on the flow capacity of heavy oil emulsions in formation pores medium rather than solely relying on rheometer measurements.