Implications of Groundwater Flow on Preservation of Heavy and Extra-Heavy Oil Accumulations in Southern Llanos Basin, Colombia
Ricardo Andrés Gómez-MoncadaAndrés MoraMarcela JaramilloMaurício ParraÁndrés García MartínezHenry MayorgaJorge SandovalArcadio Cuy-CipamochaDavis SuárezJosé SandovalR. RamírezRobert MárquezRicardo Bueno
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Abstract:
The southern sector of the Llanos Basin in Colombia has been identified as a basin where the hydrodynamic flow has influenced the potential of hydrocarbon storage and production. In this area the hydrodynamic flow coincides with a province of heavy and extra-heavy crude oils, which has hypothesized for this area, a critical condition that decreases the potential for hydrocarbon retention by the effect of hydrodynamic flow and the geochemical nature of the fluids. This work provide a comprehensive view to describe the impact of regional hydrodynamic flow on retention of the heavy oil accumulations present in the reservoirs that are part of the most important regional flow unit identified in the Southern Llanos Basin. The Basal Flow Unit (BFU) constitutes a basin-scale flow unit that hydraulically and laterally connects rocks from the Cretaceous (west) to the Oligocene (east) and extends from the basin's southwestern margin up to hundreds of kilometers within the Llanos foreland basin, and whose main water recharge zone has been identified towards the eastern flank of the Serranía de la Macarena. To understand the impact of the physicochemical properties of the fluids, we analyze the relationship between hydraulic data and the main characteristics of the fluids present in the BFU, and their spatial distribution on the present-day configuration of this flow unit. This analysis integrated information from hydraulic heads, SARA analysis (Saturates, Aromatics, Resins, and Asphaltenes), Whole Oil Gas Chromatography analysis, API-gravity, and oil densities. In addition, hydrochemical analysis of the primary ions was performed in groundwater samples from the BFU, which was integrated with deep resistivity data measured in producing and exploratory oil wells in the area. The results allowed identifying the southwestern corner of the southern Llanos Basin as the area with the highest hydrodynamic flow impact, and therefore, the area with the least potential for hydrocarbon retention, attributing as the main causes: 1) the proximity to recharge areas, and 2) the low contrast of fluids densities (freshwaters and highly biodegraded heavy crude oils), implying high Tilt Amplification Factor (TAF) values. Furthermore, gradual changes in resistivities and ions concentration in groundwaters suggest the eastern flank of the Serranía de la Macarena as the main recharge zone of meteoric waters into the BFU. Finally, numerical simulation techniques were used to analyze the behavior of hydrocarbon drainage under hydrodynamic conditions, obtaining a first approximation to the average linear groundwater flow velocities between 10 -3 and 10 -4 ft/day.Groundwater discharge
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Abstract. A regional groundwater flow model was developed, in order to evaluate the water table behavior in the region of the Guadalupe Valley, in Baja California, Mexico. The State of Baja California has been subject to an increment of the agricultural, urban and industrials activities, implicating a growing water-demand. However, the State is characterized by its semi-arid climate with low surface water availability; resulting in an extensive use of groundwater in local aquifer. Based on historic piezometric information of the last two decades, however, a negative evolution could be observed, resulting a negative storage volume. So far, there is not an integral hydrogeological evaluation that determine the real condition of the groundwater resource, and that permit to planning a management of the Guadalupe Valley Aquifer. A steady-state calibration model was carried out in order to obtain the best possible match to measured levels at the Guadalupe Valley Aquifer. The contours of calculated water table elevations for January 1983 were reproduced. Generally, the comparison of the observed and calculated water table configurations have a good qualitative and quantitatively adjustment. Nowadays, it is count with a hydrogeological model that can be used for simulates the groundwater flow in the region of the Guadalupe Valley.
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Groundwater resources plays an important role for the areas of the Yellow River downstream,and the lateral seepage of surface water is an important source for groundwater recharge of the watershed.Groundwater system in the Yellow River downstream has a total area of 29288.27km~2,and consists of two aquifer systems:shallow aquifer system (the groundwater type is phreatic water and micro-confined water) and middle-deep aquifer system (the groundwater type is confined water).Based on aquifer characteristics,boundary condition and groundwater flow regime,the hydro geologic concept model and the three-dimensional groundwater flow simulation mathematical model was built.The mathematical model was solved,calibrated and validation with Feflow (Finite Element subsurface FLOW system) software.According to validated numerical model,the paper simulated the relationship between surface water and subsurface water,and forecasted the trend of seepage quantity of groundwater from the Yellow River under different conditions including different breaking periods at time and length. The simulated result showed that,when the breaking length is from Huayuankou station to the river entrance,there was no lateral recharge of surface water to groundwater when the breaking occurred throughout the year,and the lateral recharge quantity is 2.98×10~8m~3 which is about 52.25% of the amount in a normal case when the breaking time is 300 days.When the breaking length was from Jiahetan station to the river entrance and the breaking happened in a year,the lateral seepage quantity of the Yellow River is 1.6×10~8m~3,which is about 74.4% less than the current year.When the breaking time is 300 days,the relevant seepage quantity is 3.46×10~8m~3,which is about 44.5%less than the current year.When the breaking length was from Lekou station to the river entrance and the breaking existed in the whole year,the lateral seepage quantity of the Yellow River is 4.83×10~8m~3,which is about 22.58% less than the current year;when the breaking time is 300 days,the relevant seepage quantity is 5.17×10~8m~3,which is about 17.06% less than the current year.When the breaking length was from Lijin station to the river entrance and the breaking time is throughout the year,the lateral seepage quantity of the Yellow River is 6.15×10~8m~3,which is about 1.5%less than the current year.The above results provide the references for utilization and regulation of the Yellow River water and groundwater of the watershed.
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