TY - THES

T1 - Numerical Modeling of Low Salinity Waterflooding using MRST

AU - Sohail, Shaharyar

N1 - no embargo

PY - 2024

Y1 - 2024

N2 - Various techniques have been applied and are being researched to maximize the oil recovery from a reservoir. One of the leading recovery techniques that has gained popularity in the last few years is low-salinity waterflooding. Different research is being done to apply this technique to accelerate the production rate by altering the rock properties. Low salinity waterflooding primarily targets the alteration of the wettability of the reservoir rock from oil to water wet. This alteration, in turn, enhances the relative permeability of oil, resulting in a reduced residual oil saturation and, consequently, more recovery. Before the techniques are successfully applied in the field, proper research and methodology to study the outcomes must be done. Different simulation methods and numerical modeling are run for multiple scenarios to better understand the resulting output based on various parameters. For this study, the Matlab Reservoir Simulation Toolbox (MRST) was used to develop a tool for low-salinity water flooding. The toolbox is not a simulator but rather a research tool that helps to demonstrate new and different simulation methods and offers multiple modelling concepts. This in the future may encourage to use of a wider range of data structures in combination with computational methods to lay the basis of simulations for low-salinity waterflooding. The basis for the development of the mentioned tool requires a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms involved in low-salinity waterflooding. This particular recovery technique is a process in which multiple mechanisms are taking place on different length scales. Understanding the core of these mechanisms enhances the chance for better oil recovery. For this purpose, various studies and literature were consulted in order to aid in laying the foundation for the development of the tool. Once the proper literature for the involved mechanisms was gathered, MRST library was used to analyze data based on that knowledge which in turn allowed to experiment with various scenarios and parameters for the development of the tool.

AB - Various techniques have been applied and are being researched to maximize the oil recovery from a reservoir. One of the leading recovery techniques that has gained popularity in the last few years is low-salinity waterflooding. Different research is being done to apply this technique to accelerate the production rate by altering the rock properties. Low salinity waterflooding primarily targets the alteration of the wettability of the reservoir rock from oil to water wet. This alteration, in turn, enhances the relative permeability of oil, resulting in a reduced residual oil saturation and, consequently, more recovery. Before the techniques are successfully applied in the field, proper research and methodology to study the outcomes must be done. Different simulation methods and numerical modeling are run for multiple scenarios to better understand the resulting output based on various parameters. For this study, the Matlab Reservoir Simulation Toolbox (MRST) was used to develop a tool for low-salinity water flooding. The toolbox is not a simulator but rather a research tool that helps to demonstrate new and different simulation methods and offers multiple modelling concepts. This in the future may encourage to use of a wider range of data structures in combination with computational methods to lay the basis of simulations for low-salinity waterflooding. The basis for the development of the mentioned tool requires a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms involved in low-salinity waterflooding. This particular recovery technique is a process in which multiple mechanisms are taking place on different length scales. Understanding the core of these mechanisms enhances the chance for better oil recovery. For this purpose, various studies and literature were consulted in order to aid in laying the foundation for the development of the tool. Once the proper literature for the involved mechanisms was gathered, MRST library was used to analyze data based on that knowledge which in turn allowed to experiment with various scenarios and parameters for the development of the tool.

KW - Wasserflutung

KW - MRST

KW - Numerische Modellierung

KW - Waterflooding

KW - MRST

KW - Numerical modeling

M3 - Master's Thesis

ER -