A Comprehensive Literature Survey of Advanced Foam Applications in Petroleum Engineering for Enhanced Oil Recovery.

SAKHI, Tayeb

doi:10.21608/jpme.2024.281963.1193

A Comprehensive Literature Survey of Advanced Foam Applications in Petroleum Engineering for Enhanced Oil Recovery.

Document Type : Review Article

Author

Tayeb SAKHI

University of Science and Technology Houari Boumediene. Faculty of Mechanical and Processes engineering. Department of Chemical Engineering, Algiers, Algeria.

10.21608/jpme.2024.281963.1193

Abstract

As global oil demand continues to rise and operators scale back on exploration investments, the adoption of enhanced oil recovery (EOR) technology is becoming increasingly essential. This approach strategically aims to optimize reserves in existing fields, maximizing production through efficient processes. In recent years, there has been a notable surge in the adoption of foam applications in EOR. These foam applications are particularly effective in managing gas mobility in injector wells and preventing gas blockages in production wells. Foam has proven to be an effective method for addressing reservoir heterogeneity concerns, including viscosity fingering, gravity segregation, and channeling. These solutions maintain operational stability while improving the efficiency of oil recovery. Foam-EOR has enhanced CO₂ injectivity by 40% to 85% in sandstone reservoirs. In carbonate reservoirs, foam applications have reduced gas mobility by 70%, leading to significant increases in oil production of 22% and 31%, equivalent to 16 and 22 barrels of oil per day. Recent studies have further demonstrated that applying foam in a high-permeability channel reservoir has produced 75 barrels of oil per day (BOPD). Moreover, offshore fields have experienced a 2.3% reduction in total water cuts, while the oil production rate has increased by 13 t/d. However, persistent challenges remain ongoing, such as foam solution quality, foamability, stability under high pressures and temperatures, and interactions with the oil phase. Thus, continuing research and development are crucial to overcome these challenges and optimize the use of foam in enhanced oil recovery.

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