A Study on Sio2 Aerogel Cooperation with Flue Gas to Promote Steam Chamber Expansion and Reduce Carbon Emission

Abstract

This paper seeks to enhance heavy oil recovery while achieving carbon sequestration by jointly applying flue gas and SiO 2 aerogel for the first time. Condensation heat transfer experiments were carried out to reveal the mechanism of the steam condensation process and explore the impact of the two substances on the heat transfer by recording the phenomenon of the condensing surface and thermocouples’ stable temperature. A series of displacement experiments in a one-dimensional sand pack, such as flue gas-assisted steam flooding, were performed to select combinations of efficiently enhancing oil recovery. By testing the temperature field data of the sand pack, the suppressing effect through various means on the steam condensation of the steam chamber expansion of heavy oil thermal recovery reservoirs during late development was evaluated. Similarly, we also calculated the amount of flue gas sequestered by the aerogel nanofluid in the high water-cut formation. The results show that the aerogel adsorption layer can change the wettability of the condensing surface, thereby showing the characteristics of film condensation. Both aerogel and flue gas had the capacity to improve the temperature of deep reservoirs, and when they were injected simultaneously, the thermal insulation and carbon sequestration effect were the best.

Keywords: thermal recovery of heavy oil, fuel gas, aerogel nanofluid, condensation heat transfer, carbon sequestration