Study on Prevention of Gas Channelling of Acid-resistant Gel Foam in CO₂ Flooding of Low Permeability Reservoir

1-State Key Laboratory of Enhanced Oil Recovery, Research Institute of Petroleum Exploration & Development (RIPED), Beijing, 100083, People’s Republic of China

^* Corresponding author: liuzhaoxia@petrochina.com.cn

Abstract

With the shortage of recoverable reserves in conventional oil reservoirs, the development of low-permeability oil reservoirs has received more and more attention. The oil recovery of low-permeability reservoirs can be significantly improved by CO2 flooding, as it can effectively supply formation energy. CO2 flooding is an effective technology for increasing oil production in low-permeability reservoirs. However, because of the heterogeneity of the reservoir and the effect of natural fractures, CO2 gas channelling easily occurs during CO2 flooding, seriously reducing CO2 flooding effect. In this study, the gas channelling technology of acid-resistant gel foam was investigated. Preferred acid-resistant gel foam system formula was found as 0.1% by mass of AOS foaming agent with 0.3% to 0.4% by mass of instant HPAM polymer and 1% to 2% by mass of water-soluble phenolic resin crosslinking agent. This system still has a good foaming ability and blocking performance under at pH=2 and a salinity of 10×10⁴ mg/L. After 60 days of aging under oil reservoir conditions, there is no obvious water separation, and the plugging strength retention rate reached more than 60%. The gel foam channelling system can be applied to highly heterogeneous and low permeability reservoirs with a permeability gradient higher than 14 and can increase the recovery rate by more than 20% based on the CO2 flooding. Acid-resistant gel foam channelling technology can effectively inhibit CO2 gas channelling and improve CO2 flooding effect in low permeability reservoirs.