The Numerical Simulation of Effects of Porosity, Permeability and Fluid Saturation on Heat Dissipation in an Oil Reservoir

Heat dissipation into a petroleum reservoir has gained a significant attention due to the increasing trend of steam injection and thermal recovery of oil. Even geothermal energy extraction from abandoned oil and gas wells has also been under discussion. Therefore, a more detailed study of the factors affecting the heat dissipation mechanism within a petroleum reservoir was needed. In this paper, a reservoir numerical model of an actual oil field was generated and simulated with steam injection. Different parameters of thermal properties of geologic formations were discussed and adopted as per the actual geology of the study area for a more realistic simulation of heat storage, dissipation, and losses. The transmission of heat through conduction and convection mechanisms in the porous media, and through advective, dispersive, and diffusive processes in the fluid was modeled. The results revealed that heat dissipation increases with either a decrease in porosity or an increase in permeability, at a constant water saturation, whereas an increase in water saturation at the same porosity and permeability values results in more and faster heat dissipation. These correlations are very useful in order to design steam injection in an oil reservoir, as well as for heat extraction from a geothermal reservoir.