Iranian Journal of Oil & Gas Science and Technology
Volume:7 Issue: 4, Autumn 2018

Seismic modeling aids the geophysicists to have a better understanding of the subsurface image before the seismic acquisition, processing, and interpretation. In this regard, seismic survey modeling is employed to make a model close to the real structure and to obtain very realistic synthetic seismic data. The objective of this study is to analyze the resolution and illumination of the fault by designing appropriate 3D seismic survey parameters. The ray-based seismic modeling was built using 2D seismic data, geological reports, and the well logs in one of the oil fields in the southwest of Iran. A pre-stack depth migration simulator was used to evaluate the survey geometry on the resulting seismic image. The results proved that a survey designer could improve the image of the target in a seismic section by applying the ray-based analyses, with respect to illumination and resolution studies.

Carbonate reservoirs rock typing plays a pivotal role in the construction of reservoir static models and volumetric calculations. The procedure for rock type determination starts with the determination of depositional and diagenetic rock types through petrographic studies of the thin sections prepared from core plugs and cuttings. In the second step of rock typing study, electrofacies are determined based on the classification of well log responses using an appropriate clustering algorithm. The well logs used for electrofacies determination include porosity logs (NPHI, DT, and RHOB), lithodensity log (PEF), and gamma ray log. The third step deals with flow unit determination and pore size distribution analysis. To this end, flow zone indicator (FZI) is calculated from available core analysis data. Through the application of appropriate cutoffs to FZI values, reservoir rock types are classified for the studying interval. In the last step, representative capillary pressure and relative permeability curves are assigned to the reservoir rock types (RRT) based upon a detailed analysis of available laboratory data. Through the analysis of drill stem test (DST) and GDT (gas down to) and ODT (oil down to) data, necessary adjustments are made on the generated PC curves so that they are representative of reservoir conditions. Via the estimation of permeability by using a suitable method, RRT log is generated throughout the logged interval. Finally, by making a link between RRT’s and an appropriate set of seismic attributes, a cube of reservoir rock types is generated in time or depth domain. The current paper reviews different reservoir rock typing approaches from geology to seismic and dynamic and proposes an integrated rock typing workflow for worldwide carbonate reservoirs.

The well Sarai Sidhu-01 is located on Punjab Platform, Central Indus Basin, Pakistan. Punjab Platform is the eastern part of Central Indus Basin, and tectonically it is the stable portion of Indus Basin, which was least affected during Tertiary Himalayan orogeny. This study attempts to decipher reservoir potential for hydrocarbon exploration. It aims to delineate a subsurface hydrocarbon bearing zone and to estimate the reservoir properties. A complete suite of wireline logs containing Caliper log (CALI), gamma ray log (GR), spontaneous potential log (SP), neutron log (ØN), density log (ØD), and resistivity logs (MSFL, LLS, and LLD) with all drilling parameters and well tops were utilized. The methodology adopted to accomplish this task includes the calculation of volume of shale (Vsh) by using gamma ray log and effective porosity (ØE) by using density and neutron logs. Resistivity of water (Rw) was calculated by SPmethod, and the saturation of water (Sw) and the saturation of hydrocarbons (Sh) is calculated with the help of Archie’s equation. According to log signatures, Lumshiwal formation of early Cretaceous age encountered in well in the depth range of 5433 ft. to 5797 ft. was marked as a possible reservoir, and this zone was evaluated for its reservoir potential in detail using a set of equations. The average values calculated for different parameters are as follows: Vsh= 30%, ØE= 17%, Sw= 46%, and Sh= 54%. The analysis shows that Sh is low, so it is inferred that Lumshiwal formation has a low potential and is economically not feasible for hydrocarbons production.

As a physiochemical property, asphaltenes are known to be one the most surface active compounds in crude oil. Due to such property, their behavior is most probably influenced by fluid-fluid interactions at the contact surface (interface). Potentially and naturally, in most cases, water is in contact with crude oil and is co-produced with it as well. Considering that asphaltene molecules are polar compounds similar to water molecules, asphaltenes are interfacially affected by water while they are absorbed to the interface. Such effects could be investigated by interfacial tension (IFT) changes when de-ionized water is used and dead-crude oil does not contain other surface active impurities like metallic compounds. In this study, extensive IFT experiments were conducted between three different oil samples and distilled water in a wide range of pressure from 2000 to 0 psia. The reversibility of asphaltene absorbance to the interface was also investigated by reversing the pressure path from 0 to 2000 psia. The results show that oil/water IFT changes with pressure, but upward/downward oscillations were detected. Such an oscillating behavior of IFT trends was related to asphaltenes surface activity as the oil samples used did not contain other impurities. Oscillations were reduced as resin to asphaltene ratio was increased, suggesting the non-absorbable behavior of the asphaltenes stabilized by resins. A microscopic surface experiment on one of the samples showed that at a certain concentration and particle size, a rigid film of absorbed asphaltenes was created at the interface instantaneously. The high rigidity of such a film gives rise to a hypothesis, which states that water affects asphaltene surface behavior possibly through strong hydrogen bonding (H-bond). Reversing the pressure path revealed that asphaltene surface absorbance is partially irreversible. The experiments were conducted three times, and each data set was presented along with an average of three sets for each sample.

The effect of adding extra inlet channels on the operation of the Stairmand Cyclone has been investigated numerically. The Reynolds stress model (RSM) and Eulerian-Lagrangian method were used to investigate the complex turbulent flow and cyclone performance. The impacts of one-way coupling and two-way coupling models on the cyclone efficiency and the calculation of cut-off size diameter were examined. The results showed that a rise in channel number increases the tangential velocity and extends the Rankine vortex region. Moreover, in the four-inlet cyclone, the direction of flow changes unlike the one-inlet and two-inlet cyclones, and it behaves like a jet flow. According to the results, the collection efficiency and cut-off size diameter of the four-inlet cyclone are respectively about 10.78% higher and 35% lower than those of one-inlet configuration. Therefore, the performance of four-inlet cyclone is the highest among the three investigated configurations due to high tangential and axial velocities. A cyclone with more inlets has a more symmetrical flow pattern. Consequently, the four-inlet cyclone has the lowest flux of erosion among the others. The results of cyclone performance reveal a slight difference between one-way coupling and two-way coupling models.

Use of amine solutions for the removal of acid gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2) and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) from natural gas is the most common method, and, in this process, operational problems because of foaming are reported. Foaming can lead to the entrainment of liquid into downstream process equipment and might result in a situation in which the process specifications cannot be met for acid gases. Alkanolamines in general have a negative effect on downstream process equipment, and the loss of amines has a negative effect on the health, safety, and environment (HSE). The foam reducing agents are often used to reduce the risk of heavy foaming in amine plants. This study concerns with foaming in amine-based CO2 plants. To investigate foaming related to CO2 removal from natural gas by amine solutions, the fundamental theory of foaming in gas-liquid contactors was first reviewed. Then, experimental techniques related to this phenomenon in diethanolamine (DEA)/CO2 absorbers were considered. After that, foaming of diethanolamine solution polluted with different impurities was noticed, and the tendency of foam was measured by considering their foaming indices. To analyze the experimental measurements and experimental observations, a mathematical model was developed too. The model could justify the experimental measurement reasonably.