Predicting the method of oil recovery in the gas-assisted gravity drainage process

Gas-assisted gravity drainage (GAGD), solving the problem of low volume sweep coefficient for continuous gas injection (CGI) or water-alternating-gas injection (WAG) and increasing the ultimate recovery to a great extent, is a latest method for enhancing oil recovery. However, no effective predicting methods of oil recovery for GAGD exists. The oil recovery is determined by a set of parameters, such as heterogeneity of the formation, wettability, oil and gas density, oil and gas viscosity, viscous force, capillary force, gravity, gas injection rate, and other controllable parameters. Based on the research of producing mechanism of GAGD and dimensional analysis method, the authors analyzed four dimensionless varies, capillary number, bond number, gravity number, and gravity drainage number, and evaluated its influence on oil recovery. Considering the effect of wettability, viscosity ratio, and the difference between oil density and gas density, gravity number and gravity drainage number are modified. Relationship of gravity drainage number with recovery is re-established by experiments and case data. Finally a new predicting method of oil recovery for GAGD is set up. Application shows that this method is far more suitable for GAGD and its predictive result is more reasonable. © 2013 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.