Investigating and modeling tar-mats in a Kuwaiti carbonate reservoir and their role in understanding oil reserves and recovery economics

<p>"Tar-mat columns exist in many carbonate reservoirs in the Middle East. Historically, tar-mats have been thought to impede primary oil extraction, thus necessitating further improved oil recovery (IOR) technology applications. However, this research considers tar-mats as potential sources for unlocking extremely difficult crude oil, less than 5 ⁰API. The main objective of the study was to understand the qualitative physical and chemical properties of extremely viscous tar-mat oil and the quantitative potential of tar-mats to extract difficult oil.</p> <p>The physical and chemical geneses of the tar-mat oil were analyzed utilizing several experimental geochemical techniques, including rock evaluation pyrolysis, liquid extracts (SARA analysis), and Pregl-Dumas (CHNSO) elemental analysis. The results showed that oil recovery increased significantly as the temperature increased, while the heavier compounds, Nitrogen, Sulfur, and Oxygen (NSO), decreased. The geochemical analysis results showed that the Kuwaiti carbonate reservoir under investigation was oilprone and capable of oil/gas production. Most of the rock samples were thermally mature and good in terms of hydrocarbon generation. Additionally, the Hydrogen to Carbon (H/C) ratio increased as the API decreased. Toluene treatment produced the greatest oil recovery pattern at all tested temperatures, while surfactant and hot water yielded less oil recovery, respectively.</p> <p>This research proposes a novel method for systematically characterizing and evaluating tar-mat reservoir rocks so that a greater quantity of non-conventional tar-mat oils can be added to the world market. This research also proposes a new model that can contribute to API gravity prediction for solid tar-mats"--Abstract, page iii.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph. D. in Petroleum Engineering

Grantor

Missouri University of Science and Technology

Year dc:date.available

2016

Author dc:creator

• Almansour, Abdullah Owidah

• Carbonate reservoir
• EOR
• Recovery economics
• Tar-mat
• Unconventional oil
• Petroleum Engineering

Repository record dc:identifier

https://scholarsmine.mst.edu/doctoral_dissertations/2337

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholarsmine.mst.edu:doctoral_dissertations-3339