Bp Exploration Operating Company Limited

Bp Corporation North America Inc.

Gary Russell Jerauld

Ian Ralph Collins

Jeffery A Greathouse

Joanne Fredrich

Patrick Lee McGuire

Kevin John Webb

Arnaud Lager

Randall Cygan

James Andrew Brodie

Hourshad Mohammadi

Kevin Webb

Patrick Lee Mcguire

Methods and systems for estimating conductivity of clay mineral systems, and for applying the estimates in larger-scale analysis. Conductivity of the clay may be estimated by constructing a molecular model of an anhydrous charge-neutral clay, and then assigning a charge density by substitution of ions in the model of the clay structure. Counterions are inserted for charge neutrality, and water molecules are added to the model to reflect a selected level of hydration. Following assignment of force-field coefficients, molecular dynamics simulation provides data from which diffusion coefficients can be estimated. Application of the Nernst-Einstein relationship to the diffusion coefficients of the counterions provides the ion conductivity of the clay system. This conductivity can be used to derive a formation factor, and can be applied in direct numerical simulation analysis.

Estimation of conductivity for nanoporous materials

Method of recovering oil from a subterranean oil-bearing reservoir by using an injection fluid containing a viscosifying polymer in a low salinity water. The low salinity water has a total dissolved solids (TDS) content of 15,000 ppmv or less, and the ratio of the multivalent cation content of the low salinity water to the multivalent cation content of the connate water of the reservoir is less than 1. The viscosity of the injection fluid is in the range of 3 to 200 cP, and the reservoir is penetrated by one or more injection wells and by one or more production wells. The method includes injecting the injection fluid into at least one of the injection wells in a slug size in the range of 0.4 to 1.5 pore volume (PV).

Oil recovery processing using a low salinity fluid composition

A computer-implemented method for configuring operating conditions for at least one of desalination equipment and fluid injection equipment to be used in a low salinity waterflood on a hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir is provided. The reservoir is penetrable by an injection well and a production well. The method comprises deriving an ion diffusion distance value from: a diffusion coefficient indicative of a rate of diffusion of ions through relatively permeable layers of the reservoir when the low salinity water is present therein; and a residence time value indicative of the time required for the low salinity water to pass from the injection well to the production well through the reservoir; comparing the thickness of the relatively permeable layers to the derived ion diffusion distance value; generating an indication of the effectiveness of performing a low salinity waterflood; and configuring said operating conditions based on the indication of the effectiveness.

Method for injecting low salinity water

Hydrocarbons are recovered from subterranean formations by waterflooding. The method comprises passing an aqueous displacement fluid via an injection well through a porous and permeable sandstone formation to release oil and recovering said released oil from a production well spaced from said injection well, wherein (a) the sandstone formation comprises at least one mineral having a negative zeta potential under the formation conditions; (b) oil and connate water are present in the pores of the formation; and (c) the fraction of the divalent cation content of the said aqueous displacement fluid to the divalent cation content of said connate water is less than 1.

Hydrocarbon recovery process

Method for increasing the recovery of crude oil from a reservoir containing at least one porous and permeable subterranean formation wherein the formation includes sandstone rock and at least one mineral that has a negative zeta potential under the reservoir conditions and wherein crude oil and connate water are present within the pores of the formation. The method is carried out by (A) injecting into the formation a slug of an aqueous displacement fluid that displaces crude oil from the surface of the pores of the formation wherein the pore volume (PV) of the slug of the aqueous displacement fluid is at least 0.2 and less than 1 and the aqueous displacement fluid has a total dissolved solids (TDS) content in the range of 200 to 10,000 ppm and the fraction of the total multivalent cation content of the aqueous displacement fluid to the total multivalent cation content of the connate water is less than 1, and (B) subsequently injecting into the formation a drive water of higher multivalent cation content and/or higher total dissolved solids content than the aqueous displacement fluid.

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Naperville, IL, United States of America

Gary Russell Jerauld