PET 441E

Enhanced Oil Recovery

Lecture 1
by
Dr. Murat nar
Fall 2016

Need for EOR

Typical stages of reservoir life:
primary 2-15% OOIP

Solution gas, water influx, gas cap, gravity drainage, fluid rock expansion

secondary 15-50% OOIP

Water flooding, pressure maintenance processes

tertiary 5-30% plus OOIP

EOR

General definition:
Oil recovery through introduction of energy into a reservoir by injection of materials
not normally present in reservoirs.
EOR involves the application of external forces, and substances to manipulate chemical
and physical interactions in hydrocarbon reservoirs in a manner that promotes favorable
recovery conditions.

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Need for EOR

Reserves are petroleum recoverable from known reservoirs
under prevailing economics and technology.
Reserves Resources
Production
Present Past Addition

reserves reserves to reserves from R t

reserves

Adding to reserves:
1. Discovering new fields.
2. Discovering new reservoirs in known fields.
3. Extending reservoir in known fields.
4. Redefining reserves because of changes in
economics of extraction technology.
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EOR Target
Conventional Oil Resources ~3000 billion BOOIP
~25% has already been produced
~ 1650 billion BOOIP in proven reserves
~ 1250 billion BOOIP Conventional
+ 3400 billion BOOIP Heavy Oil
+ 5500 billion BOOIP Natural Bitumen
Results are based on USGS study in 2000. See USGS website
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EOR Categories
Thermal
Steam, ISC

Gas
CO2, Hydrocarbon, Nitrogen, Flue Gas

Chemical
Polymer, Alkaline, Micellar Polymer

Other
Microbial
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Oil production, bbl/day

EOR Categories US production

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Number of projects

US EOR production

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US EOR production

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US EOR production

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US EOR production

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US EOR production

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US EOR production
12000000

120

10000000

100

8000000

80

6000000

60

4000000

40

2000000

20

0
1980

1990

2000

2010

Year

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US Proven Reserves

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Why Does Gas Injection Dominate?

Statistics show that steam-flooding and CO2 injection

dominate EOR production.

Thermal Steam
over 3 trillion bbl OOIP of 20 API and heavier worldwide
cogeneration of steam and electricity
good primary energy efficiency
strong effect of temperature on oil
CO2
natural CO2 sources (relatively cheap)
pipeline network in place
Governmental regulations and global warming

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Incremental Oil
A universal measure of the success of an EOR process, is the
amount of incremental oil recovered.

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IOR versus EOR

Improved Oil Recovery vs. Enhanced Oil Recovery
IOR

EOR

better field management

improved operating
procedures
optimal infill drilling
optimal well interventions:
acidizing, work-over, etc.

inject:
steam
CO2
surfactant (soap)
polymers
change recovery
mechanisms.

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EOR Promise and Problems

Whats good

Whats not good

large volume of oil in place

that is quantified
data: well logs, production,
reservoir models
decline rates are small
relative to WF or primary

injected fluids are relatively

expensive
requires more and good
engineering
payout on projects is longer
oil rates are not large
compared to primary

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