Potential technical solutions to recover tight oil: Literature and simulation study of tight oil development

Abstract

Over past decades, technology innovation drove unconventional resourcesbecome conventional. Incorporating the technologies applied in shale gasdevelopment, exploiting tight oil comes into stage recently. Advanced technology such as long horizontal wells combined with massivelyhydraulic fracturing was established as necessity to exploit tight oil reserve, however,primary recovery remains as low as 5.0-10.0% of original oil in place in tight oilreservoir with these technologies applied.[1] Nanotechnology was regard as green and efficient alternative in E&P phase ofpetroleum industry because of its mechanical, chemical, thermal, electronic, optical,and magnetic properties. Feasibility study of it applied in tight oil E&P wasinvestigated. The thesis presents description of tight oil and methods to extract it in details,also distribution of tight oil resource and outlook of future market were shown. Inaddition to literature review, reservoir simulation within tight oil development carriedout to seek potential technical solutions, WAG (water alternating gas) process tend tobe an excellent methodology to recovery tight oil. After a number of studies on the emerging technologies in tight oil E&P,associated with simulation works, on the basis of increasing fracture density,decreasing oil viscosity and increasing wettability alteration,[2] several technicalsolutions, like unconventional stimulation, CO2 foam, air injection(low temperatureoxidation), and NAG(nanofluids alternating gas), etc. are recommended in theexploitation of tight oil reservoir.