The production process and flow of oil field

The oil recovery process of an oil field usually includes three main stages: exploration, development and production.

1. Exploration phase:

Geological exploration: Geologists and geophysicists search for geological structures that may contain oil through methods such as geological surveys and seismic surveys.

Drilling exploration holes: In order to verify that geological structures contain oil, drilling equipment will drill exploration holes to obtain underground geological samples.

Development stage:

2. Drilling: According to the exploration results, decide where to drill the oil well. Drilling equipment will drill either vertical or horizontal holes.

3. Completion: Once a well has been drilled, completion operations are carried out, including the installation of tubing, casing and production equipment to extract oil from the ground.

4. Extraction of oil: Through injection pressure, suction, water drive or gas drive and other methods, the oil flows out of the reservoir to the ground.

Production stage:

5. Separation and treatment: Crude oil extracted from the ground is usually accompanied by natural gas, water and impurities. On the surface, the crude oil is separated and processed from these components.

6. Storage and transportation: Separated and processed crude oil is stored in tanks and then transported to refineries or end markets by pipeline, ship or rail.

7. Secondary recovery technology: When the initial oil recovery phase is over, there may be a lot of crude oil that cannot be extracted. In these cases, assistive technologies such as water injection, gas injection, etc. can be used to enhance oil recovery.

8. Maintenance and abandonment stage:

Well maintenance: Regular maintenance and inspection of the well to ensure its proper operation and production.

Field abandonment: When the production capacity of an oil field is gradually reduced or oil resources are depleted, well abandonment and environmental restoration work are required.

Two. How to extract crude oil?

The process of extracting crude oil involves removing oil buried underground from the reservoir and bringing it to the surface for subsequent processing and utilization.

1. Natural outflow: In some oil fields, crude oil can naturally flow from the reservoir to the surface due to underground pressure. However, this situation is not common in most oil fields, and other techniques are usually required to prompt the flow of crude oil.

2. Pumping: One of the most common methods of crude oil extraction is pumping crude oil through the use of pumps. This method is suitable for fields with insufficient underground pressure, where pumps create negative pressure to pump crude oil out of the reservoir and to the surface.

3. Natural Gas Drive: In some reservoirs, the pressure of natural gas is high enough that it can be used to push crude oil out. Natural gas is injected into the reservoir, increasing the pressure underground, which pushes the crude oil to the wellhead.

4. Water Drive: Water drive is the injection of water to increase reservoir pressure, thereby driving crude oil out. Water is injected into the reservoir to move the crude oil and deliver it to the wellhead.

5. Gas Drive: Similar to water drive, gas drive also increases reservoir pressure by injecting gas (usually natural gas) to push crude oil to the wellhead.

6. Thermal Recovery: In some oil fields, by injecting steam or hot liquid, the viscosity of crude oil can be reduced, making it easier to flow and exit the surface.

Three. The role of acidification and cracking in oil recovery

1. Acidification and cracking are two technologies commonly used in oil field recovery to improve reservoir conditions, increase production and enhance oil recovery.

Acidizing: Acidification is the injection of acid into the wellbore to react with minerals in the formation to remove impurities from sediments, blockings, and pores, thereby restoring or increasing the productivity and fluidity of the crude oil. There are two main types of acidification:

Carbonate Acidizing: Used to treat carbonate reservoirs, such as limestone. The acid dissolves minerals such as calcium carbonate from the rock, enlarging pores and channels and increasing the permeability of the reservoir.

Sandstone Acidizing: Used to treat sandstone reservoirs. Acid can remove sediment and pore blockages from sandstone, improving the permeability of sandstone and making it easier for crude oil to flow.

2. Fracturing (Fracturing) : Fracturing involves injecting high-pressure liquids (usually a mixture of water and additives) into Wells to create cracks in the formation, thereby increasing the flow paths of oil and gas and boosting production. There are two main types of cracking technology:

Hydraulic Fracturing, commonly known as “fracking,” involves injecting high-pressure fluids into formations to fracture rocks, and injecting particles (such as sand) into the fractures to keep them open.

Acid Fracturing: Similar to hydraulic fracturing, but uses acid when injecting fluids to corrode and dissolve rock, thereby widening cracks and improving their permeability.

The role of these technologies in oil field recovery includes increasing reservoir permeability, improving crude oil flow, expanding production, enhancing recovery and extending well life.