A Review of Oilfield Chemical Igniting Methods: A Key of In-Situ Combustion and Underground Hydrogen Production in Deep/ultra-Deep Heavy Oil Reservoirs

The development of deep/ultra-deep heavy oil and underground hydrogen production have led to the increasing significance of oilfield chemical igniters as a crucial trigger technique. Therefore, this paper sorts out the development process of chemical ignition technology in oilfields, focusing on a detailed summary of ignition methods with potential in deep/ultra-deep reservoirs. The chemical ignition method is particularly prominent because it is not limited by depth. The chemical igniter types, mechanism, mathematical models, and field applications of chemical ignition methods have been organized, pointing out the current shortcomings. The current chemical ignition agents are mainly granular ignition agents, which have not considered the evaluation of ignition performance under high pressure, and the synergistic effect between ignition agents and crude oil has not been taken into account. In addition, the effect of ignitor flow on heat diffusion is still not considered in the mathematical model. Thickened self-igniting fluid chemical ignition agent and low-flammability and high calorific value solid particle ignition agent will be the main development direction of chemical ignition agent construction. The results further point to the future research direction of chemical ignition methods, which will accelerate the development process of deep/ultra-deep reservoirs.