URL: https://multiphasesystems.online/mfs2025.4.024,en
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21662/mfs2025.4.024
Abstract
Given the growing share of hard-to-recover reserves, interest in in-situ heat generation in oil and gas production has recently increased due to the injection of thermochemical fluids that have a complex impact on well productivity. Such methods involve the injection of fluids that, upon decomposition within the reservoir, generate an energy-producing agent (oxygen). Within this approach, technologies utilizing hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) have emerged as a promising method for enhanced oil recovery because hydrogen peroxide is an effective oxidizing agent that can be used to initiate in-situ combustion, clean the wellbore through thermobaric treatment, and reduce oil viscosity under cyclic injection conditions. A review of literature has shown that this thermochemical treatment method for heavy and hard-to-recover oil reservoirs using hydrogen peroxide solutions remains insufficiently studied. The problems of improving control and safety methods, as well as studying the influence of various parameters on the efficiency and safety of peroxide treatments, remains relevant. Therefore, this paper presents the main challenges and safe application methods of this enhanced oil recovery approach, a review of current technologies in this field and also a stage of modeling non-isothermal multicomponent filtration of chemically active compounds in a porous medium, reflecting the thermochemical transformations of the system in the absence of a filtration process. It has been established that effective heating of the formation to high temperatures (more than 100 °C) during injection and decomposition of H2O2 is possible only in the presence of a catalyst; for example, in the presence of a catalyst, the temperature within 13 months after injection of the reagent reaches a value of 300 °C at a peroxide concentration of 40 % by weight; when the temperature reaches 300 °C, the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide is accompanied by in-situ combustion of oil.
Hasanov J, Dieva NN. Innovative approach to the development of heavy oil reservoirs: peroxide treatment. Multiphase Systems. 2025;20(4):181–187 (in Russian).
peroxide treatment
; chemical reaction kinetics;
oxygen release rate;
ignition zone;
heavy oil recovery technology;
near-wellbore zone
References
- Popov E, Askarova A, Mukhametdinova A, et al. Evaluation of the applicability of in-situ combustion in a heavy oil carbonate field with high initial oil saturation. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering. 2021;207:109146.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.petrol.2021.109146 - Moore RG, Mehta SA, Ursenbach MG, Gutierrez D. Potential for in situ combustion in depleted conventional oil reservoirs. SPE –- DOE Improved Oil Recovery Symposium Proceedings. 2012;2:1542–1555.
https://doi.org/10.2118/154299-MS - Abdelgawad KZ, Mahmoud MA. High-performance EOR system in carbonate reservoirs. Society of Petroleum Engineers –- SPE Saudi Arabia Section Technical Symposium and Exhibition. 2014;21–24.
https://doi.org/10.2118/172182-MS - Ghosh B, Kilybay A, Thomas NC, Haroun M, Rahman MM, Belhaj H. Hybrid Carbonated Engineered Water as EOR Solution for Oil-Wet Carbonate Formation. Energies. 2022;15(21):7889.
https://doi.org/10.3390/en15217889 - Askarova AG, Popov EY, Maerle K, Cheremisin A. Comparative Study of In-Situ Combustion Tests on Consolidated and Crushed Cores. SPE Reservoir Evaluation \& Engineering. 2022;26:1–13.
https://doi.org/10.2118/212270-PA - Fadaei H, Castanier L, Kamp AM, Debenest G, Quintard M, Renard G. Experimental and numerical analysis of in-situ combustion in a fractured core. SPE Journal. 2011;16(2):358–373.
https://doi.org/10.2118/141117-PA - Fazlyeva R, Ursenbach M, Mallory D, et al. In Situ Combustion of Heavy Oil within a Vuggy Carbonate Reservoir: Part I—Feasibility Study. Energies. 2023;16(5):2233. https://doi.org/10.3390/en16052233
- Agosta F, Prasad M, Aydin A. Physical properties of carbonate fault rocks, fucino basin (Central Italy): implications for fault seal in platform carbonates. Geofluids. 2007;7:19–32.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-8123.2006.00158.x - Croiz\'e D, Ehrenberg SN, Bj\o rlykke K, Renard F, Jahren J. Petrophysical properties of bioclastic platform carbonates: implications for porosity controls during burial. Marine and Petroleum Geology. 2010;27:1765–1774. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2009.11.008
- Heap MJ, Baud P, Reuschl\'e T, Meredith PG. Stylolites in limestones: Barriers to fluid flow? Geology. 2014;42(1):51–54.
https://doi.org/10.1130/G34900.1 - Machel HG. Investigations of Burial Diagenesis in Carbonate Hydrocarbon Reservoir Rocks. Geoscience Canada. 2005;32(3):103–128. https://id.erudit.org/iderudit/geocan32_3art01
- Manrique EJ, Muci VE, Gurfinkel ME. Enhanced Oil Recovery Field Experiences in Carbonate Reservoirs in the United States. SPE Reservoir Evaluation \& Engineering. 2004:10(6).
https://doi.org/10.2118/100063-PA - Turta AT, Chattopadhyay SK, Bhattacharya RN, Condrachi A, Hanson W. Current Status of Commercial In Situ Combustion Projects Worldwide. Journal of Canadian Petroleum Technology. 2007;46(11).
https://doi.org/10.2118/07-11-GE - Sola BS, Rashidi F. Experimental Study of Hot Water Injection into Low-Permeability Carbonate Rocks. Energy and Fuels. 2008;22(4):2353–2361. https://doi.org/10.1021/ef800009r
- Kovscek A.R. Diabira, I., Castanier L.M. An Experimental Investigation of Permeability and Porosity Alteration in Diatomite during Hot Fluid Injection. PE/AAPG Western Regional Meetings. 2000;315–326.
https://doi.org/10.2523/62558-ms - Wu Z, Liu H. Investigation of hot-water flooding after steam injection to improve oil recovery in thin heavy-oil reservoir. Journal of Petroleum Exploration and Production Technology. 2019;9:1547–1554. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13202-018-0568-7
- Wang Y, Zhang L, Deng J, Wang Y, Ren S, Hu C. An innovative air assisted cyclic steam stimulation technique for enhanced heavy oil recovery. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering. 2017;151:254–263.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.petrol.2017.01.020 - Hascakir B, Kovscek AR. Analysis of In-Situ Combustion Performance in Heterogeneous Media. Society of Petroleum Engineers –- SPE Canada Heavy Oil Conference . 2014;1:80–97. https://doi.org/10.2118/170008-ms
- Yang X, Gates ID. Combustion Kinetics of Athabasca Bitumen From 1D Tube Experiments. Natural Resources Research. 2009;18(3):193–211.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11053-009-9095-z - Li Y, Wang Z, Hu Z, et al. A review of in situ upgrading technology for heavy crude oil. Petroleum. 2021;7(2):117–122.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.petlm.2020.09.004 - Speight JG. Chapter 3 – Thermal Methods of Recovery. In: Heavy Oil Recovery and Upgrading. Gulf Professional Publishing. 2019, p. 113–168. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-813025-4.00003-9
- Askarova A, Popov E, Ursenbach M, Moore G, Mehta S, Cheremisin F. Experimental Investigations of Forward and Reverse Combustion for Increasing Oil Recovery of a Real Oil Field. Energies. 2020;13(17):4581.
https://doi.org/10.3390/en13174581 - Fazlyeva R, Rezvani H, Askarova A, Khalilnezhad A, Cheremisin A, Riazi M. Chapter 5 – In situ combustion. In: Enhanced Oil Recovery Series. Gulf Professional Publishing. 2023. p. 155–215.
https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-821933-1.00007-0 - Askarova A, Afanasev P, Popov E, Mikitin E, Darishchev V, Cheremisin A. Application of oil in situ combustion for the catalytic methane conversion in the porous medium of the gas reservoir. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering. 2023;220(Part A):111256.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.petrol.2022.111256 - Rodriguez F, Belhaj H, AlDhuhoori M. Opportunities for Producing Hydrogen and Low-carbon Fossil Fuels from Venezuelan Conventional and Unconventional Hydrocarbon Reservoirs: An Idea in Times of Energy Transition to Net Zero-Carbon. ADIPEC. 2022:D041S118R002. https://doi.org/10.2118/210988-MS
- Anikin OV, Bolotov AV, Minkhanov IF, et al. Factors influencing hydrogen peroxide decomposition dynamics for thermochemical treatment of bottomhole zone. Journal of Petroleum Exploration and Production Technology. 2022;12:2587–2598.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s13202-022-01507-z - Bayless JH. Hydrogen peroxide applications for the oil industry. World Oil. 2000;221(5):50–53. https://elibrary.ru/DHWUAR
- Хлебников ВН, Винокуров ВА, Зобов ПМ, и др., РГУ нефти и газа им. И.М. Губкина. Способ добычи вязкой нефти. Патент РФ RU2534870C2. 2013.
Khlebnikov VN, Vinokurov VA, Zobov PM, et al, Gubkin Russian State University of Oil and Gas. Viscous oil production method. RF. Pat. RU2534870C2. 2013. (in Russian) - Takagi J, Ishigure K. Thermal Decomposition of Hydrogen Peroxide and Its Effect on Reactor Water Monitoring of Boiling Water Reactors. Nuclear Science and Engineering. 1985;89(2):177–186.
https://doi.org/10.13182/NSE85-A18191 - Lousada CM, Johansson AJ, Brinck T, Jonsson M. Mechanism of H2O2 Decomposition on Transition Metal Oxide Surfaces. The Journal of Physical Chemistry C. 2012;116(17):9533–9543.
https://doi.org/10.1021/jp300255h - Xing M, Xu W, Dong C, et al. Metal Sulfides as Excellent Co-catalysts for H$ Decomposition in Advanced Oxidation Processes. Chem. 2018;4(6):1359–1372. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chempr.2018.03.002
- Lin CC, Smith FR, Ichikawa N, Baba T, Itow M. Decomposition of hydrogen peroxide in aqueous solutions at elevated temperatures. International Journal of Chemical Kinetics. 1991;23(11):971–987.
https://doi.org/10.1002/kin.550231103
