Multiscale Science Enables High-accuracy Simulations of Enhanced Oil Recovery

We present a framework for the application of multiscale science and technology to Enhanced Oil Recovery [EOR] by propagating physical models for wetting and flow from the molecular scale to the scale of pore networks in reservoir rock. The framework contains dedicated, computational and experimental platforms for performing calibrations at critical length scales. The appoach enables us to scientifically investigate and validate liquid-solid interactions from the nanometer to the micrometer scale and to deploy experimentally calibrated, multi-scale flow simulations in a digital representation of a given rock pore network. Built on reservoir-specific data input such as measured rock tomographies and chemical compositions, the nanoscience-based flow simulations are expected to predict with higher accuracy the efficiency of a specific EOR agent for improving oil displacement in a pore network with feature sizes spanning six orders of magnitude on the phyiscal length scale. We discuss a conception that integrates the experimentally calibrated, multiscale flow simulations with a computational system for providing reservoir-specific EOR strategies. In particular, we report progress in the research and development of the computational and experimental platforms and discuss the challenges and opportunities related to their application within future EOR solutions.