Factor analysis of the impact of carbon dioxide well treatments using Huff and Puff technology in light oil fields

UDK: 622.276.5:661.939

DOI: 10.24887/0028-2448-2025-8-48-53

Key words: Huff and Puff, CO2, factor analysis, recovered oil production, composite hydrodynamic model, reservoir hydrophobization, carbon dioxide corrosion

Authors: D.G. Afonin1,2 (Tyumen Petroleum Research Center LLC, RF, Tyumen; Industrial University of Tyumen, RF, Tyumen); I.V. Vydysh (Tyumen Petroleum Research Center LLC, RF, Tyumen); R.M. Galikeev (Tyumen Petroleum Research Center LLC, RF, Tyumen); A.A. Ruchkin (Tyumen Petroleum Research Center LLC, RF, Tyumen); N.A. Cheremisin (Tyumen Petroleum Research Center LLC, RF, Tyumen); G.A. Schutsky (RN-Yuganskneftegaz LLC, RF, Nefteyugansk); V.P. Miroshnichenko (RN-Yuganskneftegaz LLC, RF, Nefteyugansk)

In field practice, exposure to carbon dioxide in producing wells is referred to as Huff and Puff technology, which consists of CO2 injection into an oil well followed by an impregnation stage. The technology is effective for various reservoirs and types of oil, while in low-permeability reservoirs with low-viscosity oils, the field experience of using such technology in Russia is limited. This article discusses the results of computational experiments to evaluate the technological effect of CO2 injection into producing wells and their comparison with laboratory and field data, a forecast of CO2 backflow and possible corrosion rates of well equipment and pads. Several factors contribute to the effectiveness: a decrease in oil viscosity when CO2 is dissolved with a relative share of the effect from 30 to 63 %; changes in residual oil saturation and relative phase permeability (27 to 59 %), a relative proportion due to changes in well productivity caused by cleaning and hydrophobization of reservoirs in the bottomhole zone (5 to 17 %). The decrease in waterlogging after CO2 injection averaged 13,8 %. For successful application of the Huff and Puff technology, it is necessary to ensure the volume of CO2 injection per meter of effective reservoir thickness of at least 10 t/m. The impact is more effective where the permeability is higher and the separation of the formation is less, all other things being equal. The subsequent removal of CO2 from the well's production does not lead to significant corrosion of the well equipment and pads.

References

1. Afonin D.G., Vydysh I.V., Galikeev R.M. et al., Features of creating hydrodynamic models of light oil deposits for simulating well treatments with carbon dioxide using the Huff and Puff technology (In Russ.), Neftyanoe khozyaystvo = Oil Industry, 2025, no. 6, pp. 50–55, DOI: https://doi.org/10.24887/0028-2448-2025-6-50-55

2. Monger T.G., Coma J.M., A laboratory and field evaluation of the CO2 Huff ‘n’ puff process for light-oil recovery, SPE-15501-PA, 1988,

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2118/15501-PA

3. Thomas G.A., Monger-McClure T.G., Feasibility of Cyclic CO2 injection for light-oil recovery, SPE-15501-PA, 1991, DOI: https://doi.org/10.2118/20208-PA

4. Morozyuk O.A. et al., Laboratory support of a project on CO2 injection into a low-permeability reservoir (In Russ.), Neftyanoe khozyaystvo = Oil Industry, 2024, no. 10, pp. 103–109, DOI: https://doi.org/10.24887/0028-2448-2024-10-103-109

5. Nesić S., Postlethwaite J., Vrhovac M., CO2 corrosion of carbon steel – from mechanistic to empirical modeling, Corrosion Reviews, 1997, no. 15,

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/CORRREV.1997.15.1-2.211.

6. Tkacheva V.E., Brikov A.V., Lunin D.A., Markin A.N., Lokal’naya CO2-korroziya neftepromyslovogo oborudovaniya (Localized CO2 corrosion of oilfield equipment), Ufa: Publ. of RN-BashNIPIneft’, 2022, 296 p.

7. Abdallah D., Grutters M., Igogo A., Manjit K.S., Dynamic mitigation strategy to flow assurance challenges associated with CO2 EOR in an onshore Abu Dhabi field, SPE-211228-MS, 2022, DOI: https://doi.org/10.2118/211228-MS

8. Chang Yih-B., Coats B.K., Nolen J.S., A compositional model for CO2 floods including CO2 solubility in water, SPE-35164-PA, 1998,

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2118/35164-PA

9. Vasil’evskiy V.N., Gimatudinov Sh.K., Gorbunov A.T. et al., Spravochnoe rukovodstvo po proektirovaniyu razrabotki i ekspluatatsii neftyanykh mestorozhdeniy (Reference guide for the design, development and operation of oil fields): edited by Gimatudinov Sh.K., Moscow: Nedra Publ., 1983, 455 p.

10. Cheremisin N.A., Issledovanie mekhanizma obrazovaniya parafinogidratnykh probok v neftyanykh skvazhinakh s tsel’yu sovershenstvovaniya metodov bor’by s nim (Study of the mechanism of formation of paraffin hydrate plugs in oil wells with the aim of improving methods of combating it): thesis of candidate of technical science, Tyumen, 1992.