Mathematical model for fines-migration-assisted waterflooding with induced formation damage

Abstract

Permeability decline during corefloods with varying water composition, especially with low-salinity water, has been widely reported in the literature. This effect can provide a relatively simple method for mobility control during waterflooding. In this work, new basic equations for waterflooding with salinity variations causing the detachment of fine particles, their migration, and their straining are derived. The maximum concentration of attached fine particles as a function of water salinity and saturation is used to model the fines detachment. In large-scale approximation, the equivalence between the model for two-phase flow with fines migration and the adsorption-free polymer-flood model is established, which allows applying a commercial polymer flood simulator for modeling the waterflood with induced fines migration. The modeling showed that the permeability decline in the water-swept zone, caused by the alteration of the injected water composition and induced fines migration, may be able to improve waterflood performance by delaying water breakthrough, increasing sweep efficiency, and reducing the water cut, thus providing a relatively simple method for mobility control during waterflooding. Copyright © 2013 Society of Petroleum Engineers.