Experimental study on the CO2-decane displacement front behavior in high permeability sand evaluated by magnetic resonance imaging

CO2 flooding has been proven to be an effective method to improve oil recovery, and the interface characteristics of the displacement front directly affect the oil recovery and CO2 utilization efficiency in reservoirs. In this study, we aimed to investigate the in situ interfacial behavior during CO2 flooding using high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). A series of CO2 flooding tests were carried out using upward and downward injection methods consisting of different rates (28, 56 and 112 pore volume (PV)/day) in porous media. The unstable CO2 front is indicated to significantly impact the gas sweep efficiency, which is not favorable for oil recovery and leads to low energy utilization efficiency. For downward injection, subordinate displacement of CO2 was observed after breakthrough, which can improve oil recovery. The optimum oil recovery and CO2 utilization factor were obtained under upward injection at a low rate in the immiscible state, which was controlled by the stable interface behavior. From the perspective of CO2 storage, miscible flooding improved the storage volume by more than 25% compared to immiscible flooding. For high permeability oil reservoirs, the oil recovery and gas sequestration can be synthetically optimized by adjusting the injection rates and phase state. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

This study investigated the in situ interfacial behavior during CO2 flooding using high-resolution MRI. The unstable CO2 front significantly impacts gas sweep efficiency, while adjusting injection rates and phase state can optimize oil recovery and gas sequestration, especially in high permeability oil reservoirs. Miscible flooding showed improved storage volume compared to immiscible flooding, indicating potential for enhanced CO2 utilization efficiency and oil recovery.