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A Connectivity Model for the Numerical Simulation of Microgel Flooding in Low-Permeability Reservoirs
1 State Key Laboratory of Petroleum Resources and Prospecting, China University of Petroleum-Beijing, Beijing, 102249, China
2 China Oilfield Service Limited Production Optimization R&D Institute, Tianjin, 300459, China
3 School of Petroleum Engineering, Yangtze University, Wuhan, 430100, China
* Corresponding Authors: Haiyang Yu. Email: ; Xinlong Zhang. Email:
Fluid Dynamics & Materials Processing 2025, 21(5), 1191-1200. https://doi.org/10.32604/fdmp.2025.058865
Received 23 September 2024; Accepted 06 February 2025; Issue published 30 May 2025
Abstract
Oilfields worldwide are increasingly grappling with challenges such as early water breakthrough and high water production, yet direct, targeted solutions remain elusive. In recent years, chemical flooding techniques designed for tertiary oil recovery have garnered significant attention, with microgel flooding emerging as a particularly prominent area of research. Despite its promise, the complex mechanisms underlying microgel flooding have been rarely investigated numerically. This study aims to address these gaps by characterizing the distribution of microgel concentration and viscosity within different pore structures. To enhance the accuracy of these characterizations, the viscosity of microgels is adjusted to account for the shear effects induced by flow rate and the swelling effects driven by salinity variations. The absolute permeability of the rock and the relative permeability of both oil and microgel are also analyzed to elucidate the mechanisms of microgel flooding. Additionally, a connectivity model is employed to achieve a quantitative representation of fluid flow capacity. The proposed model is validated through conceptual examples and applied to real oilfield blocks, demonstrating its accuracy and practical applicability.Keywords
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