How is oil extracted from porous reservoirs

  • Thread starter bishwa
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In summary, the extraction of oil from porous reservoirs can be done through two main methods - pumping water below the reservoir to allow the oil to rise, which can retrieve about 40% of the oil, or using bacteria to break down the oil and pumping water in again. The website mentioned is a research group that uses mathematical models to understand the behavior of fluids and magnetohydrodynamics in this process. Magnetohydrodynamics is involved in predicting and modeling the physical properties of water, oil, and oil-water emulsions, similar to how fluid dynamics is used to understand air flow over airplane wings.
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bishwa
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the extraction of oil from porous reservoirs
http://www.maths.gla.ac.uk/research/groups/fluids-mhd/[/QUOTE] [Broken]

i can figure how it is done would anyone help me?
 
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  • #2
There are 2 "most used" ways, that I know of, to extract oil from a porous material. The first way is to pump water below the reservoir and let the oil ride up, this can typically get about 40% of the oil traped in the porous material. Another, newer, method is to use bacteria, basically add a bunch of bacteria, let it sit for a few days and then pump water in again.

The web-page you cited is simply a research group that uses mathematical models to find the relationships between various micro (and macro) structures, and to predict some of the physical properties (permeability, conductivity, etc.) involved in fluid mechanics and magnetohydrodynamics.
 
  • #3
what i wanted to know was that is magnetohydrodynamics involved in it?
 
  • #4
I believe magnetohydrodynamics is used to model/determine the physical properties of water, oil and oil-water emulsions. So it is involved in the respect that it helps model how the oil/water behaves. In the same way that fluiddynamics is involved in determining how air will flow over an airplane wing. It helps to predict what will happen or work better in certain circumstances.
 

1. How is oil extracted from porous reservoirs?

Oil is extracted from porous reservoirs through a process called primary recovery, which involves using natural pressure in the reservoir to push the oil towards the surface. This can be achieved through drilling a well into the reservoir and allowing the oil to flow upwards.

2. What is secondary recovery in the extraction of oil from porous reservoirs?

Secondary recovery is a method used to extract additional oil from a reservoir after primary recovery. This process involves injecting water, gas, or chemicals into the reservoir to increase the pressure and push more oil to the surface.

3. What is enhanced oil recovery (EOR) and how does it work?

Enhanced oil recovery (EOR) is a technique used to extract even more oil from a reservoir after primary and secondary recovery methods have been exhausted. This can involve thermal methods (such as steam injection) or chemical methods (such as polymer flooding) to improve the flow of oil through the reservoir and increase production.

4. How is the oil separated from water and gas during extraction?

During the extraction process, oil is often mixed with water and gas in the reservoir. To separate these components, various techniques can be used such as mechanical separation, chemical treatment, or the use of specialized equipment like separators and filters.

5. What are the environmental impacts of extracting oil from porous reservoirs?

The extraction of oil from porous reservoirs can have significant environmental impacts, including air and water pollution, habitat destruction, and contribution to climate change. These impacts can be mitigated through proper regulations, monitoring, and the use of advanced technologies to reduce emissions and improve efficiency.

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