In-situ sweep testing system and method for conducting in-situ oil recovery sweep testing

Abstract

A testing system includes a main wellbore, at least one injection tunnel and production tunnel, a monitoring system including at least one sensor, and a recovering tube. The injection and production tunnels are parallel with each other and extend perpendicularly from the main wellbore. The method for conducting in-situ oil recovery sweep testing includes introducing an injection fluid into a main wellbore and at least one injection tunnel, monitoring conditions of the at least one production tunnel, and collecting produced fluid from the production tunnel with a recovering tube. A method for conducting sequential in-situ oil recovery sweep testing includes locating a recovering tube in a target production tunnel and conducting a sweeping process. The sweeping process includes introducing an injection fluid into an injection tunnel, monitoring conditions of the target production tunnel, collecting a produced fluid from the target production tunnel, isolating the target production tunnel, and repeating.

1 . An in-situ sweep testing system comprising:
 a main wellbore;   at least one injection tunnel extending from the main wellbore in a perpendicular direction to a length direction of the main wellbore and configured to receive an injection fluid from the main wellbore;   at least one production tunnel extending from the main wellbore in the perpendicular direction to the length direction of the main wellbore and parallel to the at least one injection tunnel;   a monitoring system comprising at least one sensor located in, or at an opening of, the at least one production tunnel, the monitoring system configured to monitor conditions of the at least one production tunnel; and   a recovering tube at least partially located in, or at the opening of, the at least one production tunnel, the recovering tube configured to collect a produced fluid from the at least one production tunnel;   wherein a diameter of the at least one injection tunnel is 7 inches or less, and a diameter of the at least one production tunnel is 7 inches or less.   
     
     
         2 . The in-situ sweep testing system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one production tunnel is at least two production tunnels. 
     
     
         3 . The in-situ sweep testing system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor is connected to the recovering tube or located in the recovering tube. 
     
     
         4 . The in-situ sweep testing system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the production tunnel comprises a seal at the opening or near the opening of the production tunnel. 
     
     
         5 . The in-situ sweep testing system of  claim 1 , wherein a length of the at least one injection tunnel is 300 feet or less. 
     
     
         6 . The in-situ sweep testing system of  claim 1 , wherein a length of the at least one production tunnel is 300 feet or less. 
     
     
         7 . A method for conducting in-situ oil recovery sweep testing, the method comprising:
 introducing an injection fluid into a main wellbore and at least one injection tunnel, the injection tunnel extending from the main wellbore in a perpendicular direction to a length direction of the main wellbore to extract a produced fluid in at least one production tunnel, the production tunnel extending from the main wellbore in the perpendicular direction to the length direction of the main wellbore and parallel to the at least one injection tunnel;   monitoring conditions of the at least one production tunnel with a monitoring system comprising at least one sensor located in, or at an opening of, the at least one production tunnel; and   collecting the produced fluid from the at least one production tunnel with a recovering tube at least partially located in, or at the opening of, the at least one production tunnel,   wherein:
 a diameter of the at least one injection tunnel is 7 inches or less, and 
 a diameter of the at least one production tunnel is 7 inches or less. 
   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the injection fluid is an aqueous fluid comprising water. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the injection fluid is an enhanced oil recovery fluid. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the monitoring conditions comprises monitoring at least one of temperature and pressure of the at least one production tunnel, and a flowrate of the produced fluid extracted in the at least one production tunnel. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the monitoring and collecting are conducted simultaneously in the at least one production tunnel. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the at least one sensor is connected to the recovering tube or located in the recovering tube. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising sealing at least one of the production tunnel prior to the introducing the injection fluid. 
     
     
         14 . A method for conducting sequential in-situ oil recovery sweep testing, the method comprising:
 locating a recovering tube at least partially in, or at an opening of, a target production tunnel of at least two production tunnels extending from a main wellbore in a perpendicular direction to a length direction of the main wellbore and parallel to at least one injection tunnel extending from the main wellbore in the perpendicular direction to the length direction of the main wellbore;   conducting a sweeping process comprising:
 introducing an injection fluid into the main wellbore and the at least one injection tunnel to extract a produced fluid in the target production tunnel; 
 monitoring conditions of the target production tunnel with a monitoring system comprising at least one sensor located in, or at the opening of, the target production tunnel; 
 collecting the produced fluid from the target production tunnel with the recovering tube at least partially located in, or at the opening of, the target production tunnel; and 
 isolating the target production tunnel to be an isolated production tunnel; and 
   repeating the locating the recovering tube and the conducting the sweeping process,   wherein:
 the target production tunnel is a most upstream production tunnel excluding the isolated production tunnel. 
   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein:
 a diameter of the at least one injection tunnel is 7 inches or less, and   a diameter of the at least two production tunnel is 7 inches or less.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the injection fluid is an aqueous fluid comprising water. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the injection fluid is an enhanced oil recovery fluid. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the monitoring conditions includes monitoring at least one of temperature and pressure of the at least one production tunnel, and a flowrate of the produced fluid extracted in the at least one production tunnel. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the at least one sensor is connected to the recovering tube or located in the recovering tube. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the isolating is conducted by injecting a chemical to seal the target production tunnel. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the isolating is conducted by deactivating a valve comprised in the recovering tube. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising sealing the target production tunnel prior to the conducting the sweeping process.