7th Saudi Engineering Conference

Conventional and Unconventional Methods to Enhance Oil Recovery

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Outlines
Introduction Stages of Oil Field Development
Primary Recovery Secondary Recovery Tertiary Recovery

Evaluation of Conventional Oil Recovery Enhanced Oil Recovery

Recovery mechanisms EOR Classification Selection Criteria Applications

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Conclusion

Introduction

General Aspects
Potential additions to HC reserves come from two sources
New discoveries, and Existing fields The ratio of discovery rate to consuming rate is one to four barrel of conventional oil, thus, the gap between discovery and consumption is big and may grow. Therefore, we should focus on the existing wells, including stripper wells.
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Introduction

Stages of Oil

Stages of Oil Field Development

Primary Recovery: Oil is produced using the natural energy inherent in the reservoir Secondary Recovery: Oil is produced by pumping a fluid into the reservoir, either to maintain reservoir pressure or to displace the oil directly Tertiary Recovery: It refers to reservoir processes that recover oil not produced by secondary processes

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Introduction

Stages of Oil

Statistics
The average primary recovery rate is around 10 - 15 % of the original oil in place, depending on the oil and rock properties as well as drive mechanism The ultimate recovery factor can be increased to around 40 % by employing the secondary recovery method Therefore, oil left in the reservoir after the primary and secondary methods is the potential target of the enhanced oil recovery methods (EOR-methods)
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EOR Oil Production Worldwide

EOR, Percentage of Total Oil Produced

United States

World

Source: EIA & OGJ 2004 28-Sep-08

Evaluation of Conventional Oil Recovery

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Introduction Stages of Oil Evaluation of

Causes for poor recovery

Physical Reasons: Existence of the interfacial tension between oil and water and wettability (capillary forces) High mobility ratio between water and oil (viscous forces) Geological Reason: The heterogeneities in the reservoir rock

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Capillary Pressure

Oil

Pc = Pnw Pw =

2 cos r

= IFT [mN/m] = Contact angle r = Pore size

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Mobility ratio
The viscosity is very important factor that holds oil back in the reservoir In order to recover more oil from the reservoir, the viscosity of oil must be reduced or the viscosity of the displacing water must be increased

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EOR Mechansims
The mechanisms of EOR:
Eliminate or reduce capillary and Interfacial tension to improve the displacement efficiency Improve sweep efficiency by reducing the mobility ratio between injected and displaced fluids (Polymer, Thermal) Act on both phenomena at same time (Nc)
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Ratio of viscous forces to capillary forces

NC =

P k L

Capillary number

= Displacing fluid velocity [m/day] = Displacing fluid viscosity [mPa.s] = Interfacial tension [mN/m]

For waterflooding, Nc is 10-6 to 10-7 (under certain assumptions) If the Nc can be increased to 10-4 to 10-2, the residual oil saturation will be reduced significantly.
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Waterflooding Zone

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Stegemeier ,1977

EOR Processes
Tertiary Recovery

Thermal Steam drive

Chemical Polymer

Miscible CO2 Inert gas

Other Microbial Vibration

Steam stimulation Surfactant Hot water Caustic

Miscible Solvent Electrical Flue gas

In-situ combustion Combination

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Steam drive

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Steam Flooding (Huff and Puff)

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Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage

Horizontal wells drilled in stacked pairs form the basic unit of SAGD project (top). Steam injected into the upper well melts surrounding oil (bottom). Gravity causes the mobilized oil to flow downward to the lower well for production.
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SPE 101463

Chemical Flooding
Chemical flooding offers good opportunity to maximizing the reserves, specially in many depleted and waterflooded reservoirs Opportunities exist under economic conditions and current oil prize

Chemical Properties Desirable: Good solubility (low concentration) High injectivity Long-term stability against: Electrolytes Bacteria Temperature Oxidation pH-Value changes Low adsorption on the rock, special focus on carbonate reservoirs Simple handling and Low cost
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OBJECTIVES OF CHEMICAL FLOODING

Increase the Capillary Number Nc to mobilize residual oil Decrease the Mobility Ratio M for better sweep Emulsification of oil to facilitate production

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CHEMICAL FLOODS HISTORY

USA
300,000
25,000 Total Oil Production, B/D 20,000 15,000 10,000 5,000 0
19 78 19 80 19 82 19 84 19 86 19 88 19 90 19 92 19 94 19 96 19 98 20 00 20 02 20 04 20 06

CHINA
Total Oil Production, B/D
Surfactant

250,000 200,000 150,000 100,000 50,000 1995

Polymer Micellar Alkaline

1997

1999

2001

2003

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Source : SPE

Polymer Flooding
Injection Injection Production Production

Injection of water only

Injection of water containing polymer

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Combination of Surfactant & Polymer

Surfactant-polymer flooding to increase oil recovery using injector and producer

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Oilfield Review, January 1992

Miscible Flooding CO2

It dissolves in oil and reduce the capillary forces It dissolves in oil and reduce its viscosity and increase its volume CO2 is better than C1, C2 - C6 in the required miscible pressure. It needs 130 - 200 bar compared with 250 bar Increase the permeability in the carbonate rocks. It dissolves in water and form acids with react with carbonate increasing its permeability CO2 flood will normally provide incremental recovery of 8 % to 16 % of the original oil in place

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Determination of Minimum Miscibility Pressure

100 Residual Oil Sat. [% PV] Oil: Sample Length: Permeability: Velocity: Bramberger 8.6 m 0.3 D 15 m/d

80

60

. .
MMP

40

. .
150

.
200

.
250

.
300

0 50

20

100

Pressure [bar]
PhD Thesis of R.Meyn, 1995

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Other Methods (MIOR)

Properties of Selected Bacteria
Average Length 1 - 4mm and radius 0.5 - 1.0 mm (Bacteria: bore throat Ratio is 1:7) Barophile, Thermophile, Halophile Strict or facultative anaerobic Indigenous Significant amount of metabolites No special nutrient requirements

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Advanced Methods to EOR

Exciting Challenges

Sustainability - meet the demands of the current generation

without destroying the needs of future generations.

Conclusion
The forces holding back the oil in the porous rock are the interfacial tension between oil and water, and the viscosity of the crude oil. EOR has been utilized to overcome or to minimize the physical and geological effects to mobilize additional oil. Its usually applied after primary and secondary recovery. There is no universal method to be applied in any reservoir
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Cont.

Conclusion

Certain reservoir and fluid parameters have to be considered by selecting any EOR methods Improvement of EOR can be achieved in conjunction with other advanced technologies, such as horizontal drilling etc

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