Management: Chemical EOR—A Multidisciplinary Effort To Maximize Value

Production from oil fields can be increased by enhanced oil recovery (EOR) techniques. Among several other EOR methods, the injection of chemicals has been studied since the 1970s.
In that time, anionic polyacrylamides (PAM) have proven to be efficient viscosifiers for moderate field conditions to reduce mobility of the displacement fluid, thus increasing reservoir sweep efficiency. Surfactants mobilize oil that is trapped in formation rock pores by lowering the oil/water interfacial tension.
Polymer flooding is now considered an established technology, which is applied on a commercial scale in several countries. In contrast, the commercial use of EOR surfactants is still limited despite more than 50 years of research history in this area. This can be partly explained by the technical complexity of EOR surfactant projects and the higher cost.
The implementation of a chemical EOR (cEOR) project is often a significant endeavor that not only poses technical challenges but also represents substantial financial risk. In recent years, cEOR projects also target challenging conditions such as high temperatures, high salinity, and demanding locations such as offshore fields.
A multidisciplinary and integrated approach is vital to managing technical, regulatory, and economic challenges with a team of geoscientists, engineers, chemists, and mathematical modelers working together to achieve an increase in incremental oil recovery at the lowest total cost of ownership.
...If you would like to continue reading,
please Sign In, JOIN SPE or Subscribe to JPT
Management: Chemical EOR—A Multidisciplinary Effort To Maximize Value
Gabriela Alvarez Jürgenson, Christian Bittner, Stefan Stein, and Michael Büschel, BASF SE
01 June 2017
Phased Pilot Approach Reduces Uncertainty in Carbonate Steamflood Development
The First Eocene is a multibillion-barrel heavy-oil carbonate reservoir in the Wafra field, located in the Partitioned Zone between Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. After more than 60 years of primary production, expected recovery is low and provides a good target for enhanced-oil-recovery processes.
Viability of Gas-Injection EOR in Eagle Ford Shale Reservoirs
This paper studies the technical and economic viability of this EOR technique in Eagle Ford shale reservoirs using natural gas injection, generally after some period of primary depletion, typically through long, hydraulically fractured horizontal-reach wells.
EOR Modeling
As operators and asset owners worked continually to increase efficiency in oil production, they all realized that part of efficiency improvement is increasing recovery factors. Everybody now is extremely focused on recovering more from the reservoirs they have.
ADVERTISEMENT
STAY CONNECTED
Don't miss out on the latest technology delivered to your email weekly. Sign up for the JPT newsletter. If you are not logged in, you will receive a confirmation email that you will need to click on to confirm you want to receive the newsletter.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT