Determination the Optimum Hot Water Injection Volume to Increase Oil Recovery in Specific Heavy Oil Reservoir

Due to the upsurge in global demand for oil and the current elevated oil prices, the recovery of heavy oil reserves has become a pivotal concern within the oil industry. Addressing the challenges and intricacies associated with the extraction of these reserves has been a primary focus in recent years. Substantial quantities of hydrocarbon resources remain untapped due to the high viscosity of the oil. Thermal recovery techniques offer a solution by reducing oil viscosity and increasing overall recovery rates through the application of heat to the underlying reservoirs. One such thermal recovery method is hot water injection, involving the introduction of heated water into hydrocarbon formations. This process effectively diminishes the viscosity of heavy oil, facilitating its movement towards production wells. This particular study centered on the implementation of hot water injection in an Azerbaijani reservoir that harbored significant quantities of residual heavy oil reserves. The initial conditions within the reservoir indicated an oil saturation of 75% and a viscosity of 500 cP. A series of experiments were conducted to investigate the displacement of two-phase fluid flows, with the primary aim of identifying the optimal design parameters for injection temperature and hot water slug size, ultimately enhancing performance. The study results showcase various design configurations, encompassing hot water floods with differing time intervals and slug sizes. In light of these findings, it is evident that hot water injection systems can be designed and implemented to effectively extract heavy oil from such reservoirs. Furthermore, these discoveries shed light on the specific design parameters that can significantly enhance recovery performance. Among the pivotal aspects of this process is the determination of the optimal hot water injection volume, as it plays a critical role in maximizing oil recovery from the reservoir.