AUTHOR=Zhang Chuanbao , Wu Gang , Huang Hao , Zhan Hongyang 

TITLE=Improvement of oil recovery factor in tight reservoirs: A laboratory approach based on carbon dioxide enhanced oil recovery methods

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Energy Research

VOLUME=10

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/energy-research/articles/10.3389/fenrg.2022.958830

DOI=10.3389/fenrg.2022.958830

ISSN=2296-598X

ABSTRACT=<p>Production from unconventional oil reservoirs has always been a critical issue for the oil industry. In this regard, we implemented a set of experimental scenarios containing CO<sub>2</sub>/N<sub>2</sub> cyclic injection, the foams generated by nitrogen and carbon dioxide, cyclic carbon dioxide injection, and a combined effect of carbon dioxide and surfactant enhanced oil recovery methods. As water injection has reached a plateau around two pore volume injection, we continued the tests from two pore volume injection for different scenarios. It was observed that CO<sub>2</sub>/N<sub>2</sub>-foam has the highest oil recovery factor of 34.9%; however, CO<sub>2</sub>-foam, regarding more feasibility than N<sub>2</sub>, witnessed the highest oil recovery factor after CO<sub>2</sub>/N<sub>2</sub>-foam. On the other hand, the incremental oil recovery factor for surfactant flooding, carbonated water flooding, and carbonated water with surfactant flooding is measured at 4.9, 8.5, and 10.6%, respectively.</p>