Way forward

In
IOR/EOR Processes

Shyamal Bhattacharya

General Manager
Sub-Surface Manager N & H

Outline
Global Scenario
Setting the scene : Why IOR/EOR
EOR / IOR Today : The Game Changer
Simple mathematics
IOR/ EOR Way forward
Conclusions

Global Oil Discovered

trillion barrels
More than 40,000 oil and gas fields discovered (Onshore &
Offshore)
94% of the oil is coming from 1500 fields only.
DISCOVERED
Light oils (>25 API)
9.4
Medium/Heavy (11-25 API)
1.5
Xtra Hvy (<11 API)
3.0_________14 Tbo
PRODUCED
1.1 10%
STILL IN THE GROUND
90% !!!!!
Current Avg. World Recovery Factor
22%
US
Recovery Factor
39%
North Sea
Recovery Factor
46%
Tech. attainable Recovery Factor
70%

Offshore/Onshore Oil Production

1000 X BOPD
90,000.00

80,000.00

70,000.00

60,000.00

50,000.00

Offshore
Onshore

40,000.00

30,000.00

20,000.00

10,000.00

19
50
19
53
19
56
19
59
19
62
19
65
19
68
19
71
19
74
19
77
19
80
19
83
19
86
19
89
19
92
19
95
19
98
20
01
20
04

0.00

WORLDWIDE EOR
PRODUCTION
Process
Prodn, bbl/d
CO2 Miscible
268983
CO2 Immiscible
16735
H/C Miscible
755622
Polymer
57327
Steam
1326802
Combustion
34185
Total
2459654

Oil R ate, bbl/d

1400000
1200000
1000000
800000

3 % of production
is from EOR

Worldwide EOR Production

600000
400000
200000
0
CO2
Miscible

CO2
H/C Miscible Polymer
Immiscible

Process

Steam

Combustion

E&P ScenarioGlobal

Half of the worlds production which comes

from the 100 biggest fields, almost all of
these are more than 25 years old

Source: The G forces of Energy Insecurity; C D Ruppel, 2006

Most of the oil and gas will not come

from new fields
Primary Sources of Oil and Gas
To 1960

50-60% from new fields

To 1990

20-25% from new fields

Today

12-15% from new fields

Tomorrow

7-10% from new fields

The Importance of Mature Fields

To date, we have produced approximately 1 trillion
barrels of oil from existing fields
About 10 % has Recovered with an average worldwide
recovery of 22% of oil in place.
If we increase our recovery rate in these existing fields to
35 - 40 %, we will add another trillion barrels of
recoverable oil reserves to the global inventory.
The same is true for natural gas

Future challenges
1.
2.
3.
4.

Identify bypass oil

increased oil recovery in exsisiting fields
development of smaller fields
Induction of State of Art technologies

Enhanced Oil Recovery ( EOR ) is

Oil recovery by injection of fluids not normally present in
reservoir.
Excludes pressure maintenance or water flooding.
Changes the intrinsic properties of oil by using chemical
thermal , Gas etc.

Improved Oil Recovery ( IOR) is

EOR Plus additional technologies dealing with drilling,

Production, Operations and reservoir Characterization
for reducing reservoir heterogeneity effect and
capture bypassed oil to improve flow and recovery of
liquid hydrocarbons.

What is EOR/IOR
PRIMARY Recovery

Natural Flow
Secondary Recovery

Water flooding
Infill drilling etc.

Redevelopment

Artificial lift,
Stimulation

Pressure maintenance

IOR

Tertiary Recovery

EOR

Thermal

Gas miscible/immiscible

Chemical & other

11

The Real EOR- IOR Challenges

Recovery Factor = 22 %
1 % increase in = 100 billion barrels added reserves
Recovery Factor
=
=

of traditional light oils

4 years of current production
10 years of exploration efforts for
new reserves

EOR
Today

TOTAL
Thermal
166
Chemical
4
Gas
Injection 244

Concepts & Methodologies

16

Surfactant flood -

FIELD PERFORMANCE

Glenn Pool Field, OK

OIL
1,000

100
WOR
10
1984 85

86

87

88

89

90

91 92

17

Indian perspective
EOR - Game Changer Technology

18

Polymer Flood : Sanand Field

100

Water Flood Vs Polymer Flood

Water Cut SCTR - %

80

60

40

20

0
1970

1975

1980

1985
1990
Time (Date)

1995

2000

2005

His_102005.irf
His_102005_water.irf

19

Summary
Oil Recovery 22.5% till date against 14.7%
with water-flood
Reduced water cut as compared to water
flood.
Possibility of enhancing recoveries with
higher polymer concentration

20

Miscible Gas Injection : GS-12 Sand, Gandhar

300

1000

240

750

180

500

120

250

60

199192 93 94 95 96 97 98 99200001 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09
Date

Pressure, ksc

1250

Pressure(kg/cm2)

: 36 %
: 58 %
: 13 (6.7 Lakh m3/d)
: 235ksc
: 650 m3/d / 7%
: 40 %

Oil Rate (m3/d)

Oil rate, m3/d

Miscible HC Gas Injection, Gandhar

Waterflood Recovery
HC Miscible Gas Injection recovery
Gas Injectors
Avg Res Pressure
Oil rate / water cut
Recovery as on Jan-10

0
21

WAG Process: GS-11 sand, Ganghar

Oil contribution from pilot & offset producers
Oil rate - WAG Pilot performance
GS-11 sand, Gandhar field
250

WAG Pilot Started

Oil gain - 74248 T

150
100
50

Jan-10

Nov-09

Sep-09

Jul-09

May-09

Mar-09

Jan-09

Nov-08

Sep-08

Jul-08

May-08

Mar-08

Jan-08

Nov-07

Sep-07

Jul-07

May-07

Mar-07

Jan-07

Nov-06

Sep-06

Jul-06

May-06

Mar-06

0
Jan-06

Oil rate, m 3/d

200

Month

22

 Phase-II: 2000-01

2009

80

2008

Phase-I : Oct. 1997

2007

100

2006

2005

2004

2003

2002

2001

2000

20

1999

40

1998

EOR
EOR

Water Cut, %

60

1997

0.8
0.7
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
In je c to rs

1100
1000
900
800
700
600
500
400
300
200
100
0

1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009

Oil Rate, m /d

1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009

Air Rate, MMSm /d

In-situ Combustion : Balol

Commercial application

Strategy : Updip line drive

Primary Recovery: ~ 13 %

Envisaged additional recovery :36 %

0
30

25

20

15

10
5

23

Indian perspective
IOR - Game Changer Technology

24

IOR Programme
ONGC, National Oil Company of India
launched Improved Oil Recovery (IOR)
programme in 1999
The aim to augment declining domestic
production
15 major fields including 3 offshore around
the country, holding 85% of total reserves
identified

25

IOR Projects
Onshore

Offshore
MHN Redevelopment
MHS Redevelopment
Addl. Dev. Heera Pt-I
IOR Neelam
Addl. Dev. Heera Pt-II

IOR Gandhar
IOR- Kalol
IOR- North Kadi Ph-I
IOR- Sobhasan
IOR- Jotana
IOR- Santhal
IOR Lakwa Lakhmani
IOR Geleki
IOR Rudrasagar
IOR North Kadi Ph-II

27

Location of Mumbai High

WO-24

Mumbai High field

SURAT
NORTH TAPTI

MID TAPTI

IOIP, MMt
Cumulative Oil Prodn, MMt
Recovered, %
Water Cut,%
Number of platforms

1659
396
23.9
65
110

Strings on Production

721

Strings on Injection
Number of Gas producers

238
35

SOUTH TAPTI
LEGEND
OIL FIELD

C-22

SD-4
CA
SD-14
CD

C-24

GAS FIELD

C-26A
DAHANU

DAMAN

SD-1

MUMBAI HIGH
B188

B-48

B-15

B-55
MUKTA

B-46

B-163

PANNA
B-45
B-192
B-147
B-192A
D-12
B-121
B-119
B-80
D-1

VASAI
B-51

MUMBAI

NEELAM
D-18

HEERA

R-15A

29

Re developments Focus Areas

Improve oil recovery
Locate by-passed / un-drained oil pockets
Hi-tech infill wells
Surveillance on health of reservoir
Offset declining production
Modernize and re-engineer ageing surface facilities.
Assimilate Cutting Edge Technology
Reduce cost and add value
Dynamism to learn and use during the project

Drilling & Completion : Conventional to high tech

New technology in Drilling Horizontal
sidetracks, Multilateral and Fishbone
to reach by-passed oil.
Drain hole to increase Reservoir contact
and productivity.
Advanced non-damaging Drilling fluid
Application of new logging systemsLWD,MWD,CHFR, MDT, DFA
Segmented Completion
Multilateral Level-3 Completion
Surface controlled Intelligent completion
Use of Swell Packers.

Performance of Mumbai High Field

600
CumOil (MMt), WC% & GOR (V/V)

Start of
Re-dev-Ph-I

500
400
300
200
100

Oil, bopd

WI, bwpd

CumOIl (M M t)

GOR, V/ V

Mar-10

Mar-08

Mar-06

Mar-04

Mar-02

Mar-00

Mar-98

Mar-96

Mar-94

Mar-92

Mar-90

Mar-88

Mar-86

Mar-84

Mar-82

Mar-80

0
Mar-78

1200000
1100000
1000000
900000
800000
700000
600000
500000
400000
300000
200000
100000
0

Mar-76

Oil (bopd), WI (bwpd)

Performance of Mumbai High Field

WC (%)

32
32

33

Today
Majority of our producing fields have produced through
their peaks
80% of total indigenous production coming from such
mature fields
Cost-intensive IOR/ EOR processes are required to keep
them flowing

34

Indian Scenario
As on 1.4.2008

Initially In-place
Ultimate Reserves

Oil

Gas

5895

3239

1646
( 27.9 %)

1755
( 54 %)

35

IOR/ EOR

(NOC Perspective)
Total

Offshore
( 2675~61 %)

Total
Total
4397
4397MMT
MMT

Onshore
1722~ 39 %

36

IOR/ EOR

(NOC Perspective)
Total ~ 4397 MMt

Majors
( 65 %)

Others
15 %

Small , Isolated / Marginal Fields

~ 20 %
37

IOR/ EOR

(NOC Perspective)
Offshore

Majors
( 73 %)

Others
8%

Small , Isolated / Marginal Fields

~ 19 %
38

IOR/ EOR

(NOC Perspective)
Onshore

Majors
( 53 %)

Others
31 %

Small , Isolated / Marginal Fields

~ 16 %
39

Simple Mathematics ( India)

Aim : 40 % Recovery factor ~ 800 MMt of oil
With current production rate ~ 25 year

NOC Perspective

Offshore
Majors . 33% >>> 40 % >>>> 136 MMt IOR-2nd phase
Others.30% >>>> 35 % >>> 11 MMt IOR- 1st phase
Marginal.16 % >>> 83 MMt Put on production
Total >>> 236 MMt
40

Simple Mathematics
NOC Perspective

Onshore
Majors . 31.8% >>> 40 % >>>> 75 MMt IOR-2nd Phase/ EOR
Others.27% >>>> 40 % >>> 69 MMt IOR 1st phase / EOR Pilot

Marginal.16 % >>> 45 MMt Put on production

Total >>> 189 MMt
Initial target IOR / EOR by 2025 ~ 325 MMt
41

Redevelopment / Additional Development of

Fields through
integrated schemes of IOR/ EOR
Fast track development of new finds
Drilling of Hi-Tech and Side track wells
Put the marginal
production

and

small

pool

on

42

Extracting the last drop

Continuous review and foresightedness has the
potential to extend the life of a field
Anticipating the future performance by monitoring;
surveillance; and diagnostics holds the key to a long
producing life
Pinpointing the residual oil reserves area is another
aspect to extend the life of field

43

Tools , Equipment & Technology

Induction
Improved Oil Recovery In Brown
Fields- A Game Changer
Western Offshore India

Conceptual exercise of disintegration into

reasonable activity specific targets
so that strategies can be worked out and
implemented
for achieving them systematically.
Specific projects have to be worked out with
details for investment purpose.

40 % RECOVERY

Conceptual road map based on redevelopment

experience
Main strategy : 40% path by 2025
Broad framework for long term development
Type of development
LT commitments required

Rolling plan, next 10 years following the redev

Frame work 2006-09
Planning
Monitor, course correction, review and upgrade the road
map

Areas for future focus

Frame work plan 2007-12
Continue to develop as understanding improves
45

Rolling plan target for next 10 years

25

100

Periods of low
investment

90

20

80

60

13.5-14 MMt

50

10

40

40% 30
32%

40% Rec plan

Projects before MHRD
Water Cut %

FR MHRD
% recovery

20
10

2 8 -2 9

2 5 -2 6

2 2 -2 3

27%
1 9 -2 0

1 6 -1 7

1 3 -1 4

1 0 -1 1

1 billion barrels
additional oil

0 4 -0 5

0 1 -0 2

9 8 -9 9

9 5 -9 6

9 2 -9 3

8 9 -9 0

8 6 -8 7

8 3 -8 4

1.2 Billion bbls to be

produced under approved
schemes

0 7 -0 8

% Recovery

15

8 0 -8 1

O il M M t

70

Nov-28

Nov-26

Nov-24

Add-2

Nov-22

Nov-20

Add-1

Nov-18

Nov-16

Nov-14

Phase-3

Nov-12

Nov-10

Nov-08

S. Heera

Nov-06

Nov-04

Nov-02

Nov-00

Phase-2

Nov-98

Nov-96

Nov-94

Phase-1

Nov-92

Nov-90

Nov-88

90000

Nov-86

Nov-84

Phase wise production

Redevelopment

80000

70000

60000

50000

40000

30000

20000

10000

New Technologies

Drilling :
Long Distance Sidetracks (LDST)
Medium Radius Drain Hole (MRDH)
Short Radius Drain Hole (SRDH)
Ultra Short Radius (USR)
ERD wells
Use of
Expandable tubulars
SOBM
Autotrack
Level-3 completions in wells where more than one
pay is promising
Massive Hydraulic Fracturing
Profile Modification

Well Completions

Improved well completions

Segmentation for Layer
Control with Swell packers

Level-3 Completion in HZ# 7

North Kadi :IOR

N.Kadi

(Kalol sands)
Use of Geocellular model
Mapping of heterogeneity (phi, k)
Revisit to ROS (24%) and Rel. Perm.
Oil gain envisaged by high liquid withdrawal in flank wells

Extending Plateau
North Kadi : Pe rform ance and Pote ntial
30

2000

Cum oil 26.4 MMm3

1800

20

1200
15

1000
800

10

600
400

200

Oil Rate , (tpd)

Cum Oil, (M M t)

2028-29

2025-26

2022-23

2019-20

2016-17

2013-14

2010-11

2007-08

2004-05

2001-02

1998-99

1995-96

1992-93

1989-90

1986-87

1983-84

1980-81

1977-78

1974-75

0
1971-72

0
1968-69

Oil Rate (tpd)

1400

Cum. Oil (MMt)

25

1600

(by 2030)

26 wells (incl 10 horizontal)

RF 36.3 % >>> 45 %
Peak Qo 1570 m3/d

EOR .
Way forward

51

EOR : CO2 Flooding

Carbon dioxide flooding (continuous or alternating
with water-WAG) is the dominant EOR process in
US.
This is due to the high availability of low-cost CO2.
In simple terms, if CO2 is available it will remain the
most sound choice for EOR.
In India Natural source of CO2 not established .
Plan for a pilot in Ankleswar Field
Offshore no Plan : Miscible Co2 not possible due to
depleted Pressure . Limited Source.

52

In-Situ Combustion (Air Injection)

Air injection into heavy and light crude oil reservoirs is
known as ISC
Air injection may be one of the viable EOR process
for offshore and onshore mature fields .
For heavy oil NOC Has good experience
For light Oil
Onshore : Pilot under commissioning.
Offshore : Laboratory studies in progress
Bottle neck: Old Surface infrastructure and
well completions.

53

Hydrocarbon Gas Injection

Miscible and immiscible hydrocarbon gas injection is
still a viable recovery process used widely in the U.S.
However, this recovery process has been applied
mainly in sandstone reservoirs.
If there is no other way to monetize natural gas, then
a more practical use of natural gas would be to use it
in pressure maintenance projects or in WAG
processes.
Both Miscible and WAG Implemented Successfully in
Gandhar.
Currently all the produced gas are committed.

54

EOR : Chemical Methods

CLASSIFICATION
CHEMICAL METHODS

Alkali

Surfactant
Polymer

Micellar
ASP

55

EOR : Chemical Methods

Success of polymer flood projects are limited. High
Temperature & High Salinity are the constraint .
In the case of carbonate reservoirs, most of the reported
polymer floods used as part of a mobility control strategy to
improve sweep efficiency and enhance the final oil recovery
of water flood projects.

MP and ASP flooding hold the greatest potential for

commercial success may play a key role in both mature
and water flooded sandstone reservoirs in the near future.

56

EOR : Chemical Methods

Sanand polymer commersialised in 1995 , is a success :
Since then no reservoir identified for Polymer :
Encouraging Laboratory Results of ASP / AS/ SP flooding
However Field test Failed.
Research Shows EOR Chemical methods in Offshore
carbonate reservoirs have made a relatively marginal
contribution. No commersial success reported for
offshore carbonate reservoirs with temperature more
than 100 deg C and having formation water of high
MG++ & Ca ++ .

57

EOR Observations
But still it moves
EOR is a drag
Dont bank on it
Size is important
Gravity is our friend
The more you inject, the more you get

58

Conclusions
Multi-time development
through infill drilling
major method to
improve oil recovery
by Exploiting un-swept
areas of the reservoir.

90000

Phase-1

Phase-2

S. Heera

Phase-3

Add-1

Add-2

Redevelopment

80000
70000
60000
50000
40000
30000
20000
10000
0

Nov-84
Nov-86
Nov-88
Nov-90
Nov-92
Nov-94
Nov-96
Nov-98
Nov-00
Nov-02
Nov-04
Nov-06
Nov-08
Nov-10
Nov-12
Nov-14
Nov-16
Nov-18
Nov-20
Nov-22
Nov-24
Nov-26
Nov-28

Foresighted pilot tests,

technical preparation,
and fit-for-purpose
technique innovation are
essential for maximizing
oil recovery

59

Conclusions
Over the last decade, Enhanced Oil Recovery via gas
injection has been the dominant recovery method for
crude oil reservoirs, especially in carbonate reservoirs.
Widening the domain of air injection to encompass
matured water flooded and light oil reservoirs
Chemical floods offer the only chance of commercial
success in many depleted and water flooded reservoirs
Chemical flooding is here to stay because it holds the
key to maximizing the reserves. The processes must be
re-evaluated under the current technical and economic
conditions
60

Conclusions

Integrated approach enhances Asset value

Innovations and technology key for Rejuvenation

Identify bypass oil Fit for Purpose technology

Better Reservoir characterization

State of art Drilling & Completion

24 * 7 Gas lift / ESP optimization thru Smart

technology

61

The Bottom Line

IOR / EOR in combination with
More Wells
Improved Reservoir Characterization
Intelligent Wells
Real time monitoring
Decision analysis Procedures
Other Simulation technologies
And ( Of course) a high oil Price

Will make Ultimate recoveries of 65 %

Possible and even routine
62

We Must Bridge the Gap

63