Effect of Nanoscale Pore-Size Distribution on Fluid Phase Behavior of Gas-Improved oil Recovery in Shale Reservoirs
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AbstractThe improved oil recovery of unconventional shale reservoirs has attracted much interest in recent years. Gas injection, such as CO2 and natural gas, is one of the most considered techniques for its sweep efficiency and effectiveness in low permeability reservoirs. However, the uncertainties of fluid phase behavior in shale reservoirs pose a great challenge in evaluating the performance of gas injection operation. Shale reservoirs are featured with macro-scale to nano-scale pore size distribution in the porous space. In fractures and macropores, the fluid shows bulk behavior, but in nanopores the phase behavior is significantly altered by the confinement effect. The integrated behavior of reservoir fluids in this complex environment remains uncertain.In this study, we investigate the nano-scale pore size distribution effect on the phase behavior of reservoir fluids in gas injection for shale reservoirs using a multi-scale equation of state modeling. A case of Anadarko Basin shale oil is used. The pore size distribution is discretized as a multi-scale system with pores of specific diameters. The phase equilibria of methane injection into the multi-scale system are calculated. The constant composition expansions are simulated for oil mixed with various fractions of injected gas. Bubble point, swelling factor, criticality and fluid volumetrics are studied in comparison to the behavior of the bulk fluid. It is found that fluid in nanopores becomes supercritical with injected gas, but lowering the pressure below bubble point will turn it into the subcritical state. The swelling factor is slightly higher with nanopores, and bubble point is lower than the bulk. The degree of deviation depends on the amount of injected gas.
