Effect of the presence of oil on foam performance: a field simulation study

This paper describes a field-scale sensitivity study of the effect of the presence of oil on foam performance in a steam-foam-drive process. The 2D field-scale simulation was based on a field pilot in the Karamay formation in Zin-Jiang, China. Numerical results showed that the detrimental effect of oil on the foam performance in field operations is significant. The success of a steam-foam process depended mainly on the ability of the foam to divert steam from the depleted zone.