Hydrothermal Alteration of Clay Minerals in EOR Injection Well

In oil and gas industry, enhanced oil recovery (EOR) methods are very familiar
and well known as a technique to increase the amount of crude that can be
extracted from the reservoir. Then the thermal recovery or cyclic steam injection
method is widely used for the heavy oil well which the heat will be distribute
throughout the formation and the crude will be less viscous.
Even though this method can increase the crude production, it also creates
another problem towards the clay minerals formation in the reservoir. As the
steam injected into the well are high pH value and have low ionic strength, it
will cause expansion and dispersion of water-sensitive clay and solubilization of
silica and aluminum mineral. These conditions will reduce the formation
permeability due to pore clogging.
From discussion and research with university.s supervisor, author has been
assigned to carry out the study of the effect of water molecule on the alteration
of clay minerals and formation damage and to investigate the effect of injection
rate on the alteration of clay minerals and formation damage in EOR project.
Few tests and experiment will be done throughout this year. The results and
analysis will be recorded in the final report of the final year project.