Status and Progress of Reactive Flow Simulations for Carbonate Reservoirs

Simulation results of the reactive flow of the acid in the rock generally are used to optimize the operation of reservoir acidization so that the optimal injection rate is determined to stimulate the formation effectively with minimum cost. Many models have been developed based on variety of methods to study the reactive flow in carbonate reservoir during acidizing. However, these models are still short of scientific classification and systematization. According to the spatial scale of the study objects, the existing models for reactive flow in carbonate rocks are classified into three types, namely pore-scale model, core-scale model and wellbore-scale model in this study. The assumptions and limitations of each type are summarized. Based on the works we have done in the simulation of reactive flow in carbonate rock, the latest research progress and development trend of the core-scale model are presented in this paper. Besides, suggestions on the future studies on core-scale model are proposed, which include developing more accurate mathematical model, such as considering the effect of non-Darcy flow and the influence of stress, developing the efficient numerical algorithms to extend the computational domain to the whole reservoir, upscaling the core-scale model to obtain the optimal operating parameters during carbonate reservoir acidization. © 2017, Editorial Department of Earth Science. All right reserved.