DIBRUGARH UNIVERSITY INSTITUTE OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY

Department of Petroleum Engineering

A Presentation on

HOT WATER FLOODING

Presented by:
 Abhilash Dutta (PE21-02)
Subject : Enhanced Oil Recovery (PE-OElv.-(0506)
 Ipsita Deka (PE21-18)
Semester : 5th Semester  Krishnakshi Deka (PE21-22)
 Mrigankajeet Pegu (PE21-26)
Presented on : 23-11-2023
 Priyanuj Kander (PE21-32)
 Riyanshi Bora (PE21-36)
 CONTENTS
1. Introduction
2. Technologies Involved
3. Principle and Process Involved
4. Reservoir Applications
5. Advantages and Disadvantages
6. Hot Water Flooding v/s Steam Flooding
7. Economic and Environmental Considerations
8. Challenges and Solutions
9. Future Prospects
10.Conclusion
11.References

2 3 / 1 1/2023 HO T WA T E R F L O O DING 2
INTRODUCTION
 For extraction of heavy oils, whose viscosity is far too high for other recovery methods to be
effective, their viscosity needs to be reduced. This is achieved by various thermal stimulation
techniques like hot water flooding, steam injection, in-situ etc., which raise the temperature of
the oil, effectively reducing its viscosity.

 Hot water flooding or Hot Water Injection is a thermal recovery technique in which hot
water is injected into a reservoir to increase heavy to medium crude oil production. The
heat from hot water reduces the viscosity and density of crude oil allowing it to flow easier
to the production well; thereby increases the oil recovery factor and maintains the well
production rate for a longer period.

 Additionally, the pressure from the injected water helps to push the oil towards the extraction
wells, enhancing its recovery.

 Hot waterflooding, though less effective due to its lower heat content compared to steam, is
favored in specific scenarios, such as when formations are sensitive to fresh water.

2 3 / 1 1/2023 HO T WA T E R F L O O DING 3
TECHNOLOGIES OF
HOT WATER FLOODING
The key technologies in hot water injection involved
include:
S U R FA C E FA C I L I T I E S
Infrastructure to heat and inject
water into the reservoir. This
includes water treatment facilities,
water heaters, and injection
pumps.
W AT E R H E AT I N G
Systems to heat the water before
injection. Common methods
include steam generators or
electric heaters.
2 3 / 1 1/2023
W ELLBORE DESIGN
Designing wells to withstand the
high temperatures and pressures
associated with hot water injection.
R E S E RV O I R M O N I TO R I N G
Technologies such as sensors
and surveillance tools to monitor
the reservoir's response to hot
water injection, helping optimize
the process.
HO T WA T E R F L O O DING
GEOLOGICAL AND
RESERVOIR M ODEL ING
Advanced modeling techniques to
simulate reservoir behavior and
predict the impact of hot water
flooding on oil recovery.
C ON TR OL SYSTEM S
Automation and control systems
to manage and optimize the
injection process, ensuring
efficient heat distribution
within the reservoir.
4
PRINCIPLE AND
PROCESS INVOLVED
Principle: The principle behind hot water flooding involves injecting hot water into the reservoir to
reduce the viscosity of the crude oil, improve its flow characteristics, and displace the oil towards
the production wells.

Process:

 Water is heated to a temperature higher than that of the reservoir but lower than the water boiling
point at the prevailing reservoir pressure [often reaching above 200°F (93°C) or higher]. This hot
water can come from various sources, including surface heaters or on-site facilities.

 The heated water is pumped into the reservoir through specially distributed injection wells drilled
parallel to the oil production well under pressure. The pressure helps to push the water through the
reservoir, displacing the oil and pushing it towards production wells

2 3 / 1 1/2023 HO T WA T E R F L O O DING 5
PRINCIPLE AND
PROCESS INVOLVED

Fig. : Hot water flooding process (Source: PetroWiki)

2 3 / 1 1/2023 HO T WA T E R F L O O DING 6
PRINCIPLE AND
PROCESS INVOLVED

 Inside the reservoir, the hot water flows to cooler surroundings and it loses its heat until it reaches
the original temperature of the reservoir. This heat transfer causes the accumulation of a bank of
cooled water that continues to grow ahead of the heated zone, which also grows but at a slower
rate.

 The amount of heat loss to surrounding formations must be calculated in order to determine the cost
of heat required to increase the rate of oil production. In general, hot water flooding is relatively a
low-cost thermal oil recovery technique that primarily depends on the cost of heat required.

 Production wells, located strategically within the reservoir, extract the now mobilized oil along with
some of the injected water. The produced fluids are then separated, and the oil is further processed
for commercial use.

2 3 / 1 1/2023 HO T WA T E R F L O O DING 7
RESERVOIR APPLICATIONS
Hot water flooding is often applied in certain reservoir
conditions where it can enhance oil recovery. Some
common reservoir applications of hot water flooding
include:

I. High-Viscosity Oil Reservoirs: Hot water flooding is

particularly effective in reservoirs where the crude oil has high
viscosity. The increased temperature reduces the oil's
viscosity, making it easier to flow and improving recovery.

II. Heavy Oil Reservoirs: Reservoirs containing heavy oil,

characterized by high density and viscosity, can benefit from
hot water flooding. The heat helps to reduce the viscosity of
heavy oil, enabling better mobility.

III. Reservoirs with Temperature Sensitivity: Some reservoirs

are known to be temperature-sensitive, and hot water flooding
can exploit this characteristic to enhance oil recovery. The
heat from injected water alters the properties of the reservoir
fluids, facilitating improved displacement.
2 3 / 1 1/2023 HO T WA T E R F L O O DING 8
RESERVOIR APPLICATIONS

IV. Certain Sandstone Reservoirs: Hot water flooding may be

applied in sandstone reservoirs where the heat helps in
improving the sweep efficiency and displacement of oil from
porous rock formations.

V. Shallow Reservoirs: In some cases, hot water flooding may

be more practical in shallow reservoirs where the heat can
be more effectively distributed, and containing oils in the
viscosity range of (100 to 1000) cP.

VI. Combining with Other EOR Methods: Hot water flooding

is sometimes used in conjunction with other enhanced oil
recovery (EOR) methods, such as steam injection or
chemical flooding, to maximize oil recovery from reservoirs.

2 3 / 1 1/2023 HO T WA T E R F L O O DING 9
HOT WATER FLOODING v/s
STEAM FLOODING
 A comparison between hot water flooding and steam flooding can be drawn as follows:

1) Hot water injection is less effective than steam injection since steam has a higher heat content than hot water.
Nevertheless, hot water flooding is preferred over steam flooding for thin heavy oil reservoirs.

2) Moreover, hot water injection allows the usage of higher injection pressures that enable greater temperatures
while remaining in the hot water state.

3) Hot water, despite having a lower heat content, possesses higher viscosity compared to steam. This viscosity
disparity enables a more substantial displacement drive, especially beneficial in thin heavy oil reservoirs.

4) Hot water injection experiences lower heat losses to the surrounding sands compared to steam injection. This
helps in preserving the heat within the reservoir for a more prolonged period, contributing to improved recovery
rates.

5) Hot water flooding doesn’t just introduce heat to the reservoir but also capitalizes on the residual heat left behind
by previous steam injections. This utilization ensures a sustained heating effect, optimizing recovery.
 Complementarily, the steam tends to preferentially sweep the upper parts of the reservoir, while the hot water tends to
flow to the lower parts, thereby improving the overall sweep, even when the permeability of the upper layer is higher
than that of the bottom. Combining steam's focus on upper layers and hot water's penetration to lower depths
synergistically enhances reservoir sweep, optimizing overall recovery by effectively covering multiple regions.
ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS

Economic Considerations: Environmental

Considerations:
1. Increased Oil Recovery: Hot water
flooding boosts oil extraction rates, 1. Energy Consumption: Requires
enhancing potential revenues for oil significant energy for water heating,
companies. contributing to carbon emissions.

2. Costs: Initial setup costs are high
due to infrastructure needs, and
ongoing operational expenses
include heating and maintaining
water pressure.
3. Profitability: Depends on oil prices,
reservoir characteristics, and
operational efficiency.
2. Water Usage: Demands large water
quantities, potentially aggravating scarcity
issues and requiring proper treatment
before disposal.
3. Habitat Disruption: Oil extraction
activities can disrupt local habitats and
ecosystems.

11
 ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES
 Advantages:

1. Improved Recovery: Enhances oil extraction by reducing oil viscosity and improving permeability.
2. Environmentally Friendly: Generally lower energy consumption and fewer environmental impacts
compared to other methods.

 Disadvantages:

1. Energy Intensive: Requires substantial energy input for heating water.

2. Limited Applicability: Effectiveness depends on specific reservoir characteristics.
3. Potential Damage: High temperatures may harm reservoir structure, reducing long-term
productivity.
4. Complex Infrastructure: Requires complex setup and ongoing maintenance.
5. Water Availability: Availability and quality of water can be limiting factors.
2 3 / 1 1/2023 HO T WA T E R F L O O DING 12
CHALLENGES & SOLUTIONS AND FUTURE PROSPECTS

• Hot water flooding in oil recovery faces challenges such as high energy demands, reservoir
heterogeneity affecting heat distribution, heat loss, scaling, and steam trapping.

• Solutions of these problems include:

1. Energy Efficiency: Address high energy needs through alternative heating methods to reduce
costs.
2. Advanced Well Design: Optimize wellbore design to minimize heat loss during injection.
3. Quality Control: Monitor and control water quality to prevent impurities.
4. Chemical Treatments: Use chemicals to inhibit scaling and corrosion.
5. Reservoir Monitoring: Continuously monitor reservoirs to optimize injection strategies for better
• Theoil displacement.
future of hot water flooding in oil recovery depends on technological advancements for
efficiency, cost-effectiveness compared to other methods, environmental sustainability,
regulatory support, and its competitiveness against alternative enhanced oil recovery
techniques. Continued innovation and addressing environmental concerns will shape its
prospects.
2 3 / 1 1/2023 HO T WA T E R F L O O DING 13
 CONCLUSION
 Hot water flooding emerges as a promising method for enhanced oil recovery, showcasing the
potential to access untapped reserves in mature reservoirs.

 Its effectiveness in reducing oil viscosity and improving sweep efficiency has been demonstrated,
leading to increased recovery rates.

 Both hot water flooding and steam flooding hold promise as enhanced oil recovery methods
together (hot water flooding being less efficient in comparison), offering potential benefits in
increasing recovery rates from mature reservoirs.

 Challenges such as temperature control, water availability, and reservoir heterogeneity must be
addressed for successful implementation.

 Ongoing research and technological advancements are pivotal in refining this technique and
overcoming these challenges.

- Despite hurdles, the cost-effectiveness and lower environmental impact compared to alternative
methods highlight the appeal of hot water flooding in maximizing oil extraction.

2 3 / 1 1/2023 HO T WA T E R F L O O DING 14
 REFERENCES

• Tarek Ahmed. (2019). Reservoir Engineering: Handbook. Gulf Professional Publishing.

• https://petrowiki.spe.org/Hot_waterflooding#:~:text=Hot%20water%20flooding%20is%20a,easier%20to
%20the%20production%20well.
• https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2010/ee/b918960b/unauth
• https://glossary.slb.com/en/terms/h/hot_waterflooding#:~:text=1.%20n.%20%5BHeavy%20Oil
,more%20easily%20toward%20production%20wells.

15
THANK YOU