TRIPOLI UNIVERSITY

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING
PETROLEUM ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

ENHANCED OIL RECOVERY

PE510

Fall 2013

ENHANCED OIL RECOVERY

PE 510

INTRODUCTION

DR. MOHAMED EL-HOUNI

Fall 2013

TRIPOLI UNIVERSITY
FACULTY OF ENGINEERING
PETROLEUM ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

Class Schedule

Saturday
Thursday

14:00 15:30
14:00 15:30

Course Outlines
Introduction
Reserves
Phase Behavior
Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) Processes
Currently Used EOR Processes

Course Outlines

EOR methods used to improve

reservoir recovery efficiency, and
explain their differences For each
method, state whether it can improve
displacement, vertical or areal sweep
efficiency and explain how it works.

Course Outlines cont.

screening criteria for enhanced oil

recovery methods.

Course Outlines cont.

Understand Fractional flow theory and
Buckley- leverett 1-D displacement
Evaluate the effect of relative
permeabilities and fluid viscosities
in the fractional flow equation

Course Outlines cont.

Estimate oil recoveries using BuckleyLeverett, Styles & Dykstra-Parson
methods
Planning for water flooding.

TRIPOLI UNIVERSITY
FACULTY OF ENGINEERING
PETROLEUM ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

GRADE DISTRIBUTION

Home Works
Quizzes
Test I
Test I

05%
05%
20%
20%

Final

50%

INTRODUCTION
Reserves
Quantities

of petroleum from known

accumulations available for production and
quantities which are anticipated to become
available within a practical time frame
through additional field development,
technological advances or exploration

Source
January 1996 issue of the SPE Journal of Petroleum Technology
.and in the June 1996 issue of the WPC (World Petroleum Congresses) Newsletter

INTRODUCTION
Reserves
The

SPE formulates rules for estimating

reserves
Reserves are volumes that will be produced
under current operating practices, prices,
taxes, costs, etc.
Three categories of reserves: Proved,
Probable and Possible
Proved is most important.

Proved Reserves
Must

be at least 90% likely to be produced

Must be based on the actual production tests
or similar highly reliable information.
May be reported to various agencies,
stockholders and the general public
Are estimated and change with time.

Probable and Possible Reserves

Rarely

reported outside the company

Useful to keep track of future opportunities.
Measures of exploratory success
Resources are not expected to be produced
unless some critical factor (usually economics)
changes in the future.

INTRODUCTION
Reserves

Source: Oil & Gas Journal, Vol. 103, No. 47 (Dec. 19, 2005). From: U.S. Energy Information

Source: Oil & Gas Journal, Vol. 103, No. 47 (Dec. 19, 2005). From: U.S. Energy Information Administration.

Oil Recovery
Primary recovery, using only the natural
energy of reservoirs, typically recovers up to
50% of OOIP (average 19%).
Secondary recovery involves adding energy
to the natural system by injecting water to
maintain pressure and displace oil (also known
as waterflood). Typical recoveries are 25-45%
of OIP after primary recovery (average 32%).

Oil Recovery
Tertiary

recovery includes all other methods

used to increase the amount of oil recovered.
Typical recoveries are 5-20% of OIP after
primary and secondary recovery (average 13%)
Secondary and tertiary recovery are together
referred to as enhanced oil recovery (EOR).
19% + 26% =(100-19) x 32% + 7% =(100-45)x13% = 52%

Tertiary
secondary
Primary

Oil Recovery
Facts
Petroleum

reserves definitions are not static

and will be revised as additional geological
or engineering data become available or as
economic conditions change

Reserves

may be attributed to either natural

energy or IMPROVED RECOVERY
METODS

Methods to Improve Recovery Efficiency

DISCOVERY
Conventional
Oil Recovery

Natural Flow

Artificial Lift
Methods to Improve
Recovery Efficiency

Enhanced Oil Recovery

Production/Injection Control

Strategic Wellbore Placement

Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR)

Processes

Enhanced oil recovery (EOR)

processes include all methods that
use external sources of energy
and/or materials to recover oil that
can not be produced, economically
by conventional means.

Currently Used EOR

Processes
Water

flooding
Thermal methods: steam stimulation, steam
flooding, hot water drive, and in-situ
combustion
Chemical methods: polymer, surfactant,
caustic and micellar/polymer flooding.
Miscible methods including: hydrocarbon gas,
CO2, nitrogen, flue gas

Phase Behavior
Any fluid can exist in vapour, liquid or solid
phase depending on the conditions at
which it is subjected. Solids, liquids and
gases are phases of matter, which do exist
in different states depending on the values
of pressure and temperature.

Phase Behavior
The Reservoir HydrocarbonFluid Type:
Non-Volatile Oil
Volatile Oil
Condensate Gas
Wet Gas
Dry Gas

Basic Phase Behavior

TEMPERATURE

Phase Behavior

Phase Diagram of a
Black Oil Reservoir
Initial Reservoir
Conditions

P re s s u re

Path of Production

75%

CP

50%
25%

Separator Conditions

Temperature

Phase Diagram of a
Dry Gas Reservoir
Initial Reservoir
Conditions

P ressure

CP
Path of Production

Separator Conditions

Temperature