Recovery Factor

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Efficiency of the Secondary Recovery
Process

# Microscopic Displacement of Fluid in a Reservoir

(Pore to Pore Displacement)

# Macroscopic Displacement of Fluids in a Reservoir

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Efficiency of a Displacement Process
Production
Trapped Oil

EM

Injection

E = ED (Displacement Efficiency) × EV (Volumetric Efficiency)

Or
E = )
( Microscopic Efficiency X (Macroscopic Efficiency)

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Action on Sweep & Displacement Efficiency

By increasing water Polymer

Action on Sweep viscosity flooding
Efficiency at the Steam drive
Macroscopic Scale By decreasing the oil In-situ combustion
viscosity
Carbon dioxide drive
By using a miscible Miscible hydrocarbon
displacing fluid gas flooding
Action on Displacement
By reducing the Surfactant flooding
Efficiency at the Pore
Scale interfacial tension
Alkaline flooding
By action on the
rock wettability 15
 Microscopic Displacement of Fluids
Microscopic efficiency largely determines the success or
failure of any EOR process. For crude oil it is reflected in the
magnitude of Sor ( i.e., the residual oil saturation remaining
in the reservoir rock at the end of the process).
Displacement Sweep Efficiency
Volume of oil mobilized
ED 
Volume of contacted oil
This efficiency is measured directly from a coreflood (since Ev =1). It
can also be evaluated from the Buckley-Leveret (or fractional flow
theory). For an immiscible displacement ED is bounded by a
residual phase saturation of the displaced phase Sor. Miscible
displacements eliminate - in principle – Sor.
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 Important factors relating to microscopic
displacement behavior

Capillary forces have a detrimental effect, being responsible for

the trapping of oil within the pore.
Trapping is a function of the ratio of Viscous to Capillary
forces(Capillary No.)
The residual oil saturation decreases as the ratio (Viscous force/
Capillary force) increases.

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