Assessment of the Potential of Enhanced Oil Recovery from Reservoirs with High Water Content Using the Heat of Nitrate Decomposition Reactions and In Situ Hydrocarbon Oxidation

摘要

A technique is described for enhanced oil recovery using the heat and gas produced by ammonium and organic decomposition reactions taking place in wellbores and reservoirs. A comparative analysis is presented of the contributions to the process from decomposition reactions of inorganic (ammonium) and organic (monoethanolamine, MEAN, HO-CH2-CH2-NH3~+NO3~-) nitrates. According to calculations, the amount of gas produced is higher and the heat of reaction is lower for high-temperature reaction of MEAN as compared to ammonium nitrate, and the opposite is true for low-temperature reactions. Field tests and calculations have demonstrated that binary mixture technology can provide an alternative to well-known technologies of enhanced oil recovery. Three methods are proposed for stimulating reservoirs via absorption of gas by oil and ensuing reduction of reservoir fluid viscosity and density. Heterogeneous catalytic processes that occur in heated reservoirs must be analyzed and taken account of as promising research directions in thermochemical oil recovery methods.