Comprehensive Assessment Approach for Reservoir Damage Triggered by Fine Particle Deposition

Reservoir damage arising from the deposition and blockage of fine particles is a prevalent challenge in the water injection development of oil fields. Currently, there is a deficit in quantitative theoretical models and methodologies for evaluating such reservoir damage. Addressing this gap, we initially developed a mathematical model based on porous media percolation physics and the Kozeny-Carman equation to examine the movement and deposition of fine particles. Subsequently, we developed a mathematical model to quantitatively assess the extent of porosity and permeability damage resulting from deposition blockage. The model’s precision was corroborated using experimental data, examining the impact of varying pore volumes (PV) of injected particle suspension, injection durations, and flow rate on the blockage coefficient, saturation, and transient changes in porosity and permeability due to fine particle plugging. The findings reveal a satisfactory agreement between the model predictions and experimental outcomes, with the average error in predicting permeability damage under diverse scenarios being less than 20%. Increases in the injected PV of particle suspension, injection durations, and flow rate were observed to elevate the fine particle blockage coefficient and saturation, thereby reducing the transient porosity and permeability in the sand filling model. The purposes of this research are to offer theoretical guidance for the quantitative evaluation of fine particle deposition damage in water-flooded oil reservoir development, aiding in decision-making for reservoir unplugging strategies and determining optimal timings for interventions.