HEAVY AND THERMAL OIL RECOVERY PRODUCTION MECHANISMS

This technical progress report describes work performed from July 1 through September, 2003 for the project ''Heavy and Thermal Oil Recovery Production Mechanisms,'' DE-FC26-00BC15311. In this project, a broad spectrum of research is undertaken related to thermal and heavy-oil recovery. The research tools and techniques span from pore-level imaging of multiphase fluid flow to definition of reservoir-scale features through streamline-based history-matching techniques. During this period, work focused on completing project tasks in the area of multiphase flow and rock properties. The area of interest is the production mechanisms of oil from porous media at high temperature. Temperature has a beneficial effect on oil recovery and reduces residual oil saturation. Work continued to delineate how the wettability of reservoir rock shifts from mixed and intermediate wet conditions to more water-wet conditions as temperature increases. One mechanism for the shift toward water-wet conditions is the release of fines coated with oil-wet material from pore walls. New experiments and theory illustrate the role of temperature on fines release