USE OF SIMULATION TO PREDICT THE INFLUENCE OF KINETIC-PARAMETERS ON IN-SITU COMBUSTION PERFORMANCE

A new multidimensional three-phase flow simulator has been developed t o simulate the in-situ combustion process. This simulator is written i n order to study the effect of the main parameters thought to influenc e the performance of this process and to provide the academic communit y with a comprehensive, robust, efficient, and easy to modify program. It is not intended to compete with the more general commercial simula tors available for the oil industry. The model uses four reactions and six components. Heat transport is assumed to take place by convection and conduction. The effects of gravity, capillary pressure, and heat losses to surrounding strata are also included. The oil is represented by two of the components termed the light and heavy pseudocomponents. The simulator has been validated by comparing the results with result s of similar calculations taken from a more general and well-tested mo del. A series of studies were performed in order to test the robustnes s of the program to the changes in the input parameters and also to un derstand the influence of each input parameter on the characteristic p erformance of the process. The results of an investigation of the sens itivity to the kinetic parameters (activation energy and pre-exponenti al factor) are presented in this paper.