NUMERICAL MODELING OF PETROLEUM FLUIDS UNDER MICROWAVE IRRADIATION FOR IMPROVED HORIZONTAL WELL PERFORMANCE

摘要

Horizontal wells are utilized in numerous reservoirs worldwide. One downfall to horizontal well production is that particles, such as asphaltene and paraffin wax can precipitate out of the crude oil and stick to the wellbore causing a decrease in tubular radius. By remotely irradiating the wellbore with microwaves, particle collection can be reduced. This study numerically models the temperature rise in petroleum fluids due to microwave irradiation. By understanding the temperature rise, one can determine the effect that irradiation will have on oil production. The numerical results are compared to the experimental results obtained for water, crude oil, asphaltene, and paraffin oil. Several new heat transfer models are proposed. Overall, the agreement between experimental and numerical results was acceptable.