A new approach to foam flooding modelling with novel parameter Estimation techniques.

Area of Science:

• Petroleum Engineering
• Chemical Engineering
• Reservoir Simulation

Background:

• Dry-Out is a critical phenomenon in foam flooding, particularly in Surfactant-Alternating-Gas (SAG) processes.
• Current commercial reservoir simulators' Dry-Out models exhibit limitations, including incomplete foam drying and reliance on steady-state experimental data for parameter estimation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a modified Dry-Out function that accurately models foam behavior near limiting water saturation without discontinuities.
• To introduce novel approaches for estimating Dry-Out parameters using both steady-state and unsteady-state foam flooding experimental data.
• To validate the modified model and parameter estimation techniques through numerical simulations and experimental data.

Main Methods:

• A modified Dry-Out function employing the error function to address foam coalescence and model singularity.
• Application of Genetic Algorithm and Nonlinear Least Square methods for parameter estimation from steady-state and unsteady-state foam flooding data.
• Numerical simulation of foam flooding to verify the enhanced model and parameter estimation approaches.

Main Results:

• The modified Dry-Out model demonstrates an acceptable fit with experimental data, outperforming commercial simulators.
• The novel parameter estimation methodology using unsteady-state data provides precise parameters, eliminating the need for time-consuming steady-state experiments.
• The developed approaches effectively address the limitations of existing Dry-Out models in reservoir simulation.

Conclusions:

• The proposed modified Dry-Out function enhances the accuracy and reliability of foam flooding simulations.
• The new parameter estimation methods offer a more efficient and precise way to calibrate reservoir simulation models.
• This research provides significant advancements for optimizing foam flooding processes in enhanced oil recovery.