Mobilization of Trapped Phase

The Role of Phase Behavior

PE3201 – Enhanced Oil Recovery Microscopic Aspect of Enhanced Oil Recovery 27

Mobilization of Trapped Phase – The Role of Phase Behavior

Ternary Diagram Pure- or Pseudo- A
Component Two-Component Mixture

Three-Component Mixture

B C
PE3201 – Enhanced Oil Recovery Microscopic Aspect of Enhanced Oil Recovery 28

Mobilization of Trapped Phase – The Role of Phase Behavior

Ternary Diagram: How to Read

C
PE3201 – Enhanced Oil Recovery Microscopic Aspect of Enhanced Oil Recovery 29

Mobilization of Trapped Phase – The Role of Phase Behavior

Ternary Diagram Pure- or Pseudo- A
Component Two-Component Mixture

60% A
20% B
20% C
40% A
60% C

10% A
60% B
30% C

Three-Component Mixture

90% B
10% C

B C
PE3201 – Enhanced Oil Recovery Microscopic Aspect of Enhanced Oil Recovery 30

Mobilization of Trapped Phase – The Role of Phase Behavior

Ternary Diagram: Inverse Lever Arm Rule

Mixtures of “Pure” Component Mixtures of “Pure” Component

P is a mixture of A, B and C M is a mixture of A and C

Mol A = 40%
Mol B = 40% MC
% Mol A =
Mol C = 20% AC
AM
% Mol C =
AC
Mixtures of Mixtures
P is a mixture of B and Mixture M

Mixtures of Mixtures
MP Mixing mixture P with mixture u
% Mol B =
BM
BP
% Mol M =
BM
PE3201 – Enhanced Oil Recovery Microscopic Aspect of Enhanced Oil Recovery 31

Mobilization of Trapped Phase – The Role of Phase Behavior

Ternary Diagram: Two Phase Envelope
In Two-Phase Region

• Thermodynamic equilibrium
• Recall “Phase Rule” in PVT system
F=C–P+2
• Knowing one-phase composition will
provide information about the other
phase

Along the Tie Lines In Critical Region

• Composition in each phases are • Indistinguishable phase properties

invariant • IFT approaches zero
• Ratio of liquid and phases does vary
• Example: Point J and K
PE3201 – Enhanced Oil Recovery Microscopic Aspect of Enhanced Oil Recovery 32

Mobilization of Trapped Phase – The Role of Phase Behavior

Ternary Diagram: Two Phase Envelope

• Mixture P located in 2-Phase Region

• It would separate into vapor phase Y and liquid phase X

• Relative amount of the two phases

PX PY
% Mol Vapor = % Mol Liquid =
XY XY

• Composition of A, B, and C in each phase

PE3201 – Enhanced Oil Recovery Microscopic Aspect of Enhanced Oil Recovery 33

Mobilization of Trapped Phase – The Role of Phase Behavior

Example for Pseudo-Ternary Diagram
Tie lines are NOT necessarily parallel to each other
Plait point is NOT necessarily at the apex
PE3201 – Enhanced Oil Recovery Microscopic Aspect of Enhanced Oil Recovery 34

Mobilization of Trapped Phase – The Role of Phase Behavior

Pseudo-Ternary Diagram for Reservoir Fluid
▪ Crude oil is a complex mixtures of hydrocarbons (C1 to C40+)
▪ If miscible, injected component will alters the chemical composition of the total
system and the thermodynamic properties
▪ Impossible analysis, because we need to know:
▪ All chemical compositions identified and known
▪ All thermodynamic properties are available
▪ In practice, we create groups of hydrocarbons while preserving important
properties of the system.
▪ The group is called pseudo-components.
▪ The process of grouping is often called lumping.
▪ Main assumption: Composition of a pseudo-component doesn’t change in different phases
PE3201 – Enhanced Oil Recovery Microscopic Aspect of Enhanced Oil Recovery 35

Mobilization of Trapped Phase – The Role of Phase Behavior

Pseudo-Ternary Diagram for Reservoir Fluid
PE3201 – Enhanced Oil Recovery Microscopic Aspect of Enhanced Oil Recovery 36

Mobilization of Trapped Phase – The Role of Phase Behavior

Miscible Displacement
▪ Alcohol is miscible with either oil and water
▪ Point A represent initial volumetric
composition in reservoir (i.e. oil and water
only)
▪ The composition mixture Alcohol and
reservoir fluid would occur along AC.
▪ At high alcohol composition:
▪ Alcohol zone: Behind oil bank (Miscible, zero
IFT, single-phase flow, no residual phase)
▪ Oil bank: Ahead of alcohol (high IFT, two-phase
flow of brine and oil, residual oil phase)
▪ Miscible alcohol front will degrade,
entering two-phase region and become
immiscible process
PE3201 – Enhanced Oil Recovery Microscopic Aspect of Enhanced Oil Recovery 37

Mobilization of Trapped Phase – The Role of Phase Behavior

Immiscible Displacement – Oil Swelling
▪ Tertiary butyl alcohol (TBA) is
preferentially soluble in oleic-phase
▪ If low volume of TBA injected into fluid
system A:
▪ Transition zone will occur; Two-phase flow
▪ Oleic-phase volume will increase (swell)
▪ More favorable fractional flow for oleic-phase
▪ Lesser Sor
▪ If TBA is injected as slug (followed by
brine injection):
▪ Transition zone will exist in both leading and
trailing ends of TBA slugs
PE3201 – Enhanced Oil Recovery Microscopic Aspect of Enhanced Oil Recovery 38

Mobilization of Trapped Phase – The Role of Phase Behavior

Immiscible Displacement – Oleic-Phase Extraction
▪ Isopropyl alcohol (IPA) is preferentially
soluble in the aqueous phase
▪ If low volume of IPA injected into fluid
system A:
▪ Transition zone will occur; Two-phase flow
▪ Aqueous-phase volume will increase much
more than oleic-phase swelling
▪ Flowing aqueous phase will extract some of
the trapped oil
PE3201 – Enhanced Oil Recovery Microscopic Aspect of Enhanced Oil Recovery 39

Mobilization of Trapped Phase - The Role of Phase Behavior

Exercise
PE3201 – Enhanced Oil Recovery Microscopic Aspect of Enhanced Oil Recovery 41

Reference
▪ Green and Willhite, 2018, Enhanced Oil Recovery, SPE Textbook Series
▪ Drelich, Fang, and White, 2002, Measurement of Interfacial Tension in Fluid-Fluid
Systems, Encyclopedia of Surface and Colloid Science