Simulação de reservatórios de petróleo com geometria complexa via método dos volumes finitos e coordenadas generalizadas.

Abstract

Numerical simulation is a tool used for modeling and studying oil reservoirs in order to aid in applying additional recovery methods. Water injection is the most common method used in oil recovery due to the low cost process, the availability of water and pressure maintenance and oil displacement mechanisms. This study aimed to study the flow of oil and water in a homogeneous heavy oil reservoir, with Brazilian Northeast characteristics and black oil model, of irregularly form, with the purpose of evaluate the reservoir behavior and prediction of oil recovery due to application of the isothermal water injection. Thus, it was used a numerical simulator, in C++ code, with solution of the governing equations by the finite volume method and the use of generalized coordinates, from 30 years of water injection to study reservoir and opertaing parameters to assess into oil recovery influence. Simulations were accomplished to deliberate on the mesh of the reservoir, minimum time step of the study used in simulations and effects of different initial pressure values of the reservoir. A mesh with 100x50 elementary volumes was defined and inverted five-spot model to evaluate the influence of different absolute values of permeability rock, oil API gravity and different flow rates of water injection on the oil recovery. Wells location analyzes were conducted in the mesh, considering the distance between injection and producers wells. Based on the case studies and using graphs Volume Porous Injected (VPI) and Volume Porous Recovered oil (VPOR), water cut graphs, in time, and reservoir pressure and water saturation maps, over time, it was identified that the water injection process, the absolute permeability increasing have influenced negatively and injection flow rate increased have influenced positively on the oil recovery, while the API gravity has not shown significant influence. In conclusion, it was identified, with the study of allocation of wells in the mesh, that most distance form producing wells of injection wells showed better results on the oil recovery and and reduced water production, therefore, with increasing the flow rate and the proximity of the wells, it combined with larger absolute permeabilities of the reservoir rock, has allowed the occurrence of viscous fingers and early Breakthrough, phenomena which reduce the efficiency of the water injection process.