A Numerical Study of Oil Recovery Using Water Injection Method

Abstract

Oil extraction using hot and cold water injection is studied numerically. The flow is mathematically modeled using two pressure equations for the oil and water phases and the energy equation. The resulting system of equations is strongly coupled and nonlinear. The energy equation is of the advection-diffusion type, and temperature propagates as a front through the porous region. The energy equation has been solved using an operator-splitting method. The suitability of this method for oil recovery problems has been independently studied. Results are presented for the amount of oil removed as a function of time. An increase in temperature is seen to improve oil recovery in general. However, for large temperature differences between the oil and the water phases, oil production is seen to fall over the time period considered in the present work.