Acoustic and Vibrational Enhanced Oil Recovery. George V. Chilingar

will be the ratio of acceleration of oil to that of water due to applied vibro-energy. Thus, the time of possible static contact of oil molecules with a solid phase will decrease with decreasing density of oil. In turn, this will lead to a decrease of adhesion of oil molecules to the walls of the pore channels and better mobility of the oil phase. Mobility of the water will also increase, but to a lesser degree than that of the oil.

Periodic movements of the oil and water in pore throats and variable pressure gradient caused by the applied vibro-energy lead to the destruction of water films blocking fluid flow through narrow pore throats. This leads to a general increase of the relative permeability both to oil and to water. The molecules of oil are much larger than those of water. Therefore, destruction of water films sealing pore throats and increasing the size of the open part of pore throats should produce a larger effect on the relative permeability of rock to oil than that to water.

      The relative permeability to oil also increases due to reduction in the interfacial tension and contact angle between oil and water on application of vibroenergy. As a result, the size of oil globules decreases.

      The results of vibro-stimulation tests for enhanced oil recovery, using powerful surface-based vibro seismic sources, indicate that the rate of displacement of oil by water increases and percentage of non-recoverable residual oil decreases if the vibroenergy is applied to the porous medium containing oil (Kuznetsov et al., 2021 [68]). Tests on sandpacks showed an increase of degassing rate due to application of vibro-energy. Results of both laboratory and field tests of the proposed enhanced oil recovery method showed an increase in the recovery of oil and oil-water ratio. Decrease in water cut is caused by the reduction in the oil-water interfacial tension and increase in the relative permeability to oil and to water.

      This proposed vibro-seismic methodology will serve as an additional enhanced oil production recovery technique. Vibro-energy reduces interfacial tension, increases the relative permeability to oil, and increases the produced oil-water ratio. Possibly, this technique can be used in conjunction with other methods, such as thermal recovery, application of direct electric current, and chemical floods.

      In the, 1980s, Donaldson, Chilingar, and Yen published two books on Enhanced Oil Recovery (I: Fundamental and Analyses and II: Processes and Operations) (Donaldson et al., 1985 [57]; Donaldson et al., 1989 [58]).

      Inasmuch as both acoustic/vibrational and EEOR technologies are used by the authors in revitalizing abandoned oil fields, decision was made to invite the foremost experts on EEOR (Professor’s Donald Hill and Muhammad Haroun) to make contribution to this book.

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