Some Theoretical Aspects of Underground Combustion in Segregated Oil Reservoirs

This paper is concerned with possible transport mechanisms which occur during segregated burning (i.e., burning in an oil reservoir in which the oilbearing formation is overlain by a "clean" porous zone containing only gas). Two analytical models are presented. In the first, burning is assumed to occur at the gas-oil interface, and the dominant mechanism is taken to be the rate at which oxygen diffuses to the interface. The second model assumes that combustion occurs within the clean zone, with the dominant mechanism being the mechanism of fuel deposition from the oil-bearing formation to the clean zone. Comparison of the results of the analyses with limited experimental data indicates that the latter mechanism is much more plausible. Both models are idealized representations of the actual process and are somewhat conjectural, however, owing to t he lack of more definitive laboratory or field data. INTRODUCTION In recent years there has been considerable theoretical and experimental research directed toward understanding the recovery of crude oil by underground combustion. Although two different recovery schemes have been proposed, known as forward and reverse combustion, it is only forward combustion that shows promise of becoming a practical recovery technique.17 Most of the analyses of the forward combustion process have considered it to be piston like; i.e., oil is displaced by a vertical combustion zone which, with its ensuing gases, pushes the oil forward as the flame front is propagated through the reservoir.1-8,11,12,14-16 However, information gained in field pilot studies indicates that, at least to a certain extent, forward combustion proceeds in a segregated manner in oil reservoirs.1 An ideal segregated system is one in which the oil-bearing formation is overlain by a "clean" porous zone containing only gas. The location of the combustion zone in such a system is not immediately evident, although combustion is believed to occur either at the gas-oil interface or within the clean zone. In either case, the combustion zone may be horizontal and it moves in parallel rather than in series with the produced oil. The purpose of this paper is to explore the likely mechanisms by which segregated burning can occur, and to determine the sensitivity of the resulting models to changes in various physical parameters. Two governing mechanisms are considered: the case of a horizontal combustion zone at the gas-oil interface with the rate of combustion governed by the rate at which oxygen diffuses to the interface, and the case of combustion within the clean zone with the combustion process controlled by the transport of fuel from the oilbearing formation to the clean zone. Both models are somewhat hypothetical and involve considerable simplification of the actual process. However, the results allow some preliminary understanding of segregated burning which is useful in the absence of more definitive laboratory or field pilot data.