Improved Oil Recovery

The Fluid Phases in a Reservoir

Reservoirs can contain
Oil, gas, and water
Oil and water
Gas and water

The Fluid Phases in a Reservoir

(continued)
Oil
Most common unit of measure is the barrel (one barrel
equals 42 gallons)
Also measured in cubic meters and metric tonnes
Oil volume shrinks as it is brought from the reservoir to the
surface due to the evolution of gas as the pressure is
lowered
The correction in volume from reservoir to surface
conditions is known as the oil formation volume factor or
Bo (units are reservoir barrels/stock tank barrel)

Gas
Gas volume expands as the pressure drops from reservoir to
surface conditions
Volume contracts as the temperature drops from reservoir to
surface condions
Drop in pressure normally has much greater effect

 The factor to correct from reservoir to surface

conditions is known as the gas formation volume
factor or Bg
Standard temperature and pressure must be
defined

Water
The volume of water changes slightly as a small
amount of gas comes out of solution and it cools

Correction is known as the water formation

volume factor or Bw (units reservoir barrels/stock
tank barrel)
Correction often ignored

Reservoir Engineering
Requires an Understanding of
Drive Mechanism

Water

Recoveries of up to 50% of the original oil-in-place

Gas-Cap Drive
A layer (or cap) of gas is initially
present in the reservoir
As the pressure of the reservoir
falls, the gas cap expands and
forces oil to the well
Recoveries of 20 - 40% of the
original oil-in-place

Dissolved (or Solution) Gas Drive

Initially, no free gas present
Oil is said to be under
saturated with gas
As pressure falls to what is
known as the bubble point,
gas comes out of solution and
drives the oil to the well
Poor recoveries (5 - 30%) of
the original oil-in-place

Combination Drive

Can have water drive, gas cap

drive, and/or solution gas drive
all acting at once!
Probably the most common
Also, the most difficult to
handle

Improved Recovery Techniques

Water flooding

Improved Recovery Techniques

Gas Injection

Can be either
miscible
or
immiscible.

Improved Recovery Techniques

Chemical Flooding
Chemicals can be added to injected
water to improve recovery
Examples are:
Polymer flooding
Alkaline flooding
Surfactant flooding
Alkaline surfactant flooding

Surfactant flooding

Improved Recovery Techniques

Steam Flooding & Cyclic Steam Injection

Improved Recovery Techniques

Fire flooding

Oil Recovery
Primary oil recovery
Secondary oil recovery
Enhanced oil recover

Primary recovery
Production under natural forces
Forces

Secondary recovery
Pressure treatment or pressure buildup
Using

Water injection
Gas injection

Enhanced oil recovery

Chemical methods
Thermal methods
Co2 flooding
Microbial