SP

PE 15554
41

Alkaline Surfactan
S nt Polymer Flood
ding To R
Revitalize
e Oil Pro
oduction from a
Mature
M Wa ater Floo
oded Field
M.M. Ansarizad
deh, Schlum
mberger; P.M. Weathersto
one, Talisma
an Energy Incc.; and J.B. Strong,
S Schlu
umberger

Copyright 2012, Society o

of Petroleum Enginee
ers

Thiss paper was prepared

d for presentation at th
he SPE EOR Confere
ence at Oil and Gas West
W Asia held in Muscat, Oman, 16–18 April
A 2012.

Thiss paper was selected for presentation by an a SPE program com mmittee following review of information co
ontained in an abstracct submitted by the author(s).
a Contents off the paper have not been
revie ewed by the Society of Petroleum Engine eers and are subject to correction by the author(s). The material does not necessarily reflect any posittion of the Society off Petroleum Engineers, its
officcers, or members. Electronic reproduction n, distribution, or sto
orage of any part of this paper without thhe written consent of
o the Society of Petrroleum Engineers is prohibited. Permissiion to
reproduce in print is restrricted to an abstract of
o not more than 300 words; illustrations may
m not be copied. Th he abstract must contain conspicuous ackn nowledgment of SPE copyright.

Abbstract
Miitigating produuction declinee is a challengging task that every oil commpany will be faced with at some point over o the life off an
oil reservoir. Hoowever, depennding on the existing
e reservvoir fluid and rock characteeristics, saturaation distributiion, and the leevel
of heterogeneityy of the reserv
voir rock, Enhanced Oil Reccovery (EOR)) programs cann be implemeented to alleviate the decline in
oil rate and imprrove overall reecovery.

Thhis paper pressents an exammple of a how w a mature waterflooded

w ffield in south
hwestern Saskkatchewan, Canada
C couldd be
rev
vitalized using Alkaline-Su urfactant-Polyymer (ASP) flooding. In this study, laaboratory tests were undeertaken to select
efffective chemiicals and optimize concenntrations that would yieldd the highest potential oil recovery. Suubsequent radial
correflood experiiments demonnstrated a widee range of pottential recoverry that dependded on slug sizze and chemiccal concentratiion.
A detailed numeerical simulation of the opttimum core displacement was w performedd in order to calibrate
c the interaction
i off the
EOOR agent withh the reservoirr rock and fluuids, and ultim
mately upscaleed to the full field
f numericaal model Reseervoir simulattion
sennsitivity runs were conductted in order too identify an optimum
o fieldd developmentt strategy usin
ng the selectedd ASP fluid. The
T
ressults from this optimized development
d strategy weree compared too the waterfloood base casee to demonstrrate the potenntial
upside of the chhemical flood. This paper allso presents a holistic roadm map for develloping EOR projects
p from initial conceppt to
field implementaation and beyoond.

Inttroduction
A challenging taask that everyy oil companyy will be facedd with is mitiggating the prooduction decliine at some pooint in the lifee of
thee reservoir. Baased on the ex
xisting reservooir fluid charaacteristics, satturation distrib
bution, and th
he level of heterogeneity off the
resservoir rock, aan Enhanced Oil
O Recovery (EOR) prograam can be impplemented to alleviate the decline d in oil rate and imprrove
reccovery.

Unnder favorablee conditions, thhe co-injectioon of chemicalls known as Alkaline-Surfa

A actant-Polymer (ASP) with water can leadd to
moobilization of the residual oil
o and improvved displacem ment efficiencyy. It has been shown that thhe residual oill saturation (S
Sor)
n be correlatedd to the capillary number1 (N
can ( ca). The cap
pillary numberr is calculated from the follo
owing equatioon:

Wh here v is the iinterstitial vellocity, μ is the

t displacingg phase viscossity, and σ is the interfaccial tension (IIFT) between the
dissplaced and diisplacing phasses. Figure 1 illlustrates a typpical relationsship between Sor and Nca.

Inttroduction of alkaline and d surfactant agents

a increasse the capillaary number by b reducing thhe interfaciall tension; hennce,
red
ducing the ressidual oil satu
uration. The EOR
E process is improved by adding po olymer to the chemical soluution in orderr to
red
duce the mobiility contrast between
b the reeservoir oil annd the injectedd fluid, resultin
ng in a better sweep efficieency. Selectionn of
ASSP chemicals for optimum oil recovery is of great im mportance. The
T performannce of these chemicals,
c however, will vary
v
deppending on thhe particular reservoir oil and rock pro operties. Therrefore, laborattory corefloodd experimentss are required d to
evaaluate the perfformance of various
v chemiccals and their impact on thee reservoir rocck.
2 SPE 155
5541

Figgure-1: Typicaal relation bettween Sor and Nca

Thhis paper revieews the proceess used to evaluate the feaasibility of an ASP flood in n a mature, western
w Canadiian oil field. The
T
Doollard field is located in souuthwestern Saaskatchewan and
a covers a geographical
g a
area of approx ximately 44 sqquare kilometters.
Thhe Dollard fieeld is consideered to be verry similar to the nearby Innstow field, located
l 20 kmm to the northheast, which has
opeerated under a successful ASP flood since s 2007. Both
B fields, opperated by Talisman Enerrgy, produce from the midddle
Jurrassic Upper Shaunavon reservoir, whhich is predoominantly com mprised of permeable,
p sh
hallow-marinee and shoreline,
callcareous sanddstones (or “ccoquinas”). It I is the majoor oil produccer in a narroow north-soutth trend, which extends frrom
Toownship 3W3M M (Rapdan South
S Pool) to
t Township 15W3M (Dellta/Antelope Lake L Pools)2. Figure 2 shhows the relattive
loccations of thesse pools. The main pool inn the Dollard field
f is characcterized as a clastic
c reservooir containing a medium grrade
cru
ude oil, with a viscosity in excess
e of 20 cp.
c

Figurre 2: Pool Loccations

Do 1 wells. Oill production commenced in

ollard is a matture pool with in excess of 150 n the early 195 50’s and waterr injection starrted
in the mid 19500’s. To date the field has produced appproximately 1102 MMstb of o oil represen nting a recovvery factor off 37
perrcent. During this time, thee produced waater cut has inncreased to ovver 97 percentt. An initial reeview of the project
p suggessted
thaat it may be ann ideal candiddate for ASP flood. This paaper presents a generalizedd roadmap for developing EOR E projects and
theen reviews thee status of Dolllard ASP floood relative to this
t roadmap.

EOOR Road Ma ap
Deetailed reservooir and fluid characterizatio
c on in addition to complete understanding
u g of the chemical and physical interaction
n of
EOOR agents is crucial
c for anny successful project.
p Figurre 3 shows a conceptual rooadmap for deeveloping EO OR projects whhile
redducing uncertaainty and mitiigating risk. Once
O the initiaal idea for an EOR scheme is conceived,, screening chharts or tools will
w
a applicable based on the reservoir paraameters. Specific laboratoryy tests perform
hellp identify speecific EOR prrocesses that are med
on reservoir fluiid and core sam mples will addd further insigght as to whethher the selecteed EOR proceesses have anyy merit. With this
infformation, simmulation modeels may be ussed to test varrious field im mplementation scenarios prior to proceedding to field pilot
p
triaals and full fiield implemenntation. Even after the EOR R process is implemented in the field, ongoing monnitoring prograams
shoould be used tto evaluate thee project progrress and furthher investigate developmentt opportunitiess.
SPE 155541 3

Figgure 3: The Scchlumberger EOR

E Roadmaap3

Thhis process waas used to devvelop the initiaal ASP flood design for thee Instow fieldd in this area. Because the Dollard
D field was
w
connsidered to bee analogous, thet laboratoryy and field modeling steps in this roadm map were usedd to further optimize
o the ASP
A
flo
ood rather thann to evaluate feasibility.
f Thhe experience of a similar EOR
E method ini an analog environment
e a
allowed makinng a
deccision to skip critical steps such as smalll field pilots without
w significantly increassing risk. Figu
ure 4 shows a thickness mapp of
thee Dollard areaa reservoir thatt is targeted foor the ASP flo
ood.

Figgure- 4: Targeet Area for Doollard ASP Flo

ood

EOOR Screenin ng and Analog Data

Thhe screening crriteria and pool data for thee Dollard and Instow fieldss are presentedd in Table 1. Instow
I is an Upper
U Shaunav
von
resservoir with annalogous deptth, temperaturre, permeabiliity, clay conteent, viscosity, and water satturation. The Dollard Pool has
a slightly
s higherr net thicknesss and total dissolved
d solidds (TDS). The ASP flood response in the t Instow Poool is depictedd in
Figgure 5.

ASP Screenning Guide Dollaard Innstow

Property Recoommended
Oil Gravity (A
API) >20 22 222
Oil Viscosity (cP) <35 9 (20.55 dead) 11 (24.1 dead)
Reservoir Perrmeability (mD) >10 100 - 800
8 1000 - 700
Lithology Sandsttone Preferred Sandsttone Saandstone
Temperature ((C) <90 58 499
Depth (m) <3,0000 1400 13370
Net Thicknesss (m) Not Im
mportant 11 6
Clay Content Low Low Loow
TDS (mg/l) <20,0000 10,2000 4,4400
Tablee 1: Screeningg Criteria4 andd Analog Pooll Data
4 SPE 155541

Updated Forecast - Jan 2010 Weekly Average

Original Decline - 2007 ASP Phase 1 Production vs Forecast

1800

1500

bbl/d Incremental oil

1200

`
900
1110 bbl/d (176.4m3/d)
incremental average
600

300
1-Oct-07

24-Dec-07

17-Mar-08

9-Jun-08

1-Sep-08

24-Nov-08

16-Feb-09

11-May-09

3-Aug-09

26-Oct-09

18-Jan-10

12-Apr-10

5-Jul-10

27-Sep-10

20-Dec-10

14-Mar-11

6-Jun-11

29-Aug-11

21-Nov-11
Figure 5: Response to ASP Flood – Instow Pool

Laboratory Evaluation
Laboratory tests were conducted by Surtek, Inc. to evaluate and optimize the chemical mixture that yields the highest oil
recovery. Interfacial tension, phase behavior, and radial coreflood experiments were conducted for Dollard using commercially
available surfactants and polymers. Optimization process involved seven ASP systems that were tested by varying the alkali or
surfactant concentrations. Despite the low TDS content (<11,100 mg/L), water softening was still required in order to dissolve
the alkali.

Chemical Name Structure Chemical Type

Na2CO3 Sodium Carbonate Alkali
NaOH Sodium Hydroxide Alkali
Agnique PG 8107 alkyl poly glycoside Surfactant
Agnique PG 8166 alkyl poly glycoside Surfactant
ARBO SO1 ligno sulfonate Surfactant
Alfoterra 12-81S monoalkyl propoxy sulfate Surfactant
Alfoterra 145-8S monoalkyl propoxy sulfate Surfactant
SS ES-110 ether sulfate Surfactant
SS ES-120 ether sulfate Surfactant
SS 16-150B alcohol ether sulfonate Surfactant
ORS-82C alkyl aryl sulfonate Surfactant
ORS-41HF alkyl aryl sulfonate Surfactant
Enordet A371 alkoxy sulfate Surfactant
Petrostep S-13C proprietary surfactant Surfactant
Flopaam 3630S Polymer
Table 2: List of the Tested Chemicals

A list of chemicals used in various experiments is presented in Table 2. A total of 30 radial coreflood experiments were
conducted for Dollard at various formulations and/or concentrations. Figure 6 illustrates the comparison of normalized
cumulative oil recovery versus normalized cumulative produced fluids for the radial coreflood experiments. The results from
these tests suggest that significant volumes of oil could be recovered from the waterflooded Dollard Pool using solutions of
ASP in softened water.
SPE 155541 5

Figure 6: Normalized
N Oil Recovery
R Comp
parison of Radia
al Coreflood

Geeologic Mod deling

Geeologic modelling is an impportant step in
i understanding potential fluid displaceement in an ASP A flood. The T Dollard PoolP
oduces from a major oil beaaring, narrow, north-south trend of the Shaunavon
pro S t Shaunavon is
forrmation. In thee study area, the
sep
parated into Lower
L and Uppper members. The Lower Shaunavon
S is characterized
c by a limestonne that changees to inter-beds of
t Upper Meember is mainnly comprised of permeablee, shallow-maarine and shorreline, calcareeous
shaale and sandsttones, while the
san
ndstones. Figuure 7 depicts the generalizzed Jurassic stratigraphy
s o southwesteern Saskatchew
of wan in whichh the Shaunav von
Formation is maarked with a reed pointer.

Figure 7: Stratigraphhy of Southweestern Saskatcchewan1

Strructural and stratigraphic

s m
modeling was based on forrmation tops from f 214 clossely spaced wells.
w Petrophhysical well loogs,
inccluding effecttive porosity, water saturattion, and horiizontal and veertical permeaability, were provided
p by TTalisman from ma
preevious study for 87 of thee wells (“by Williams, 20006”). The Doollard Unit co overs an areaa of approxim mately 44 squ uare
kilometers; how wever, the bounndaries of the geologic mod del were extennded to includde the peripherral areas surroounding the Unit.
U
Figgure 8 illustrattes the surfacee locations off the wells thatt were used too model the Uppper Shaunavvon. The Dollaard Unit is sho own
in red
r and the suurface topograaphy is displayyed by contouur lines.
6 SPE 155
5541

F
Figure 8: Detaailed Map of thhe Project Areea

Mu ultiple regionaal cross-sectioons were geneerated and thee continuity ofo individual strata
s was maapped. Figuree 9 illustrates the
typ
pical stratigrapphic successioon of the Uppper Shaunavoon within the study area. The T Upper Sh haunavon wass subdivided into
i
thrree (3) distincttive stratigrap
phic units, the non-reservoirr, mudstone doominated upper and lower units
u and the middle
m U3C unit,
u
whhich is the resservoir and co onsists of calccareous sandsstone. The baase of the Upper Shaunavoon coincides w with the regioonal
Loower Shaunavoon marker.

Figure 9: Deetailed Model Stratigraphy

Wiithin the mainn reservoir “U3C Zone,” thee geological model m was layyered with onee-half meter thhick cells. Vaariogram analyysis
and d visual investigation indicated that a maaximum cell thhickness of haalf a meter waas required to maintain a practical resoluttion
aftter upscaling tthe petrophysiical logs to thee grid cells. Based
B on the horizontal
h cell dimensions of
o 50 meters byb 50 meters, and
thee vertically layyering, the ressultant three-ddimensional geeomodel had approximately
a y 4.5 million cells.
c

A representativee distributionn of the faciees and their petrophysical

p properties thhroughout thee three-dimennsional grid was w
obttained by prooperty modelin ng. This aspeect of the woorkflow was basedb on the available
a discrete facies loggs, petrophysical
weell logs, reservvoir contacts, and
a a horizontal permeabiliity function. Prior
P to the disstribution of thhe facies and the
t petrophysical
prooperties, faciees and petrophhysical logs, inncluding effecctive porosityy (PHIE) and water
w saturatiion (Sw), were upscaled to the
thrree-dimensionnal grid. Figuree 10 illustrates the log data versus the uppscaled log datta within a sinngle well.
SPE 155541 7

Figurre 10: Facies and Effectivee Porosity Upsscaling Resultts

Efffective porosiity was distrib

buted by applyying the “Sequuential Gausssian Simulatioon” algorithm.. Table 4 listss the vertical and
horrizontal varioggram parametters that were applied to disstribute the efffective porositty. One realizzation of effective porosity was
w
gennerated for eaach of the 50 realizations of
o the facies. Facies modelling revealed that there weere three mainn reservoir faccies
asssociated with high
h energy, medium
m energgy, and a transsitional deposiitional environnment.

Zon
ne Facies Mean_IInput M
Mean_Upsca
aled M
Mean_Distribu
uted

High Energy 0.19004 0.1964 0.1971

Meddium Energy 0.13550 0.1358 01350

U3C
C
T
Transitional 0.03665 0.0410 0.417

Noon Reservoir 0.03998 0.0310 0.0221

Table 4: Sum
mmary of Meaan Effective Porosity
P Valuees - U3C Zonee

Perrmeability waas modeled baased on the floow zone indiccator5 (FZI) annd effective porosity. Threee (3) flow zonnes were defined
and
d a flow zone index was asssigned to eachh unit.

Iniitial water satuuration was modeled

m by appplying data from
f 39 wellss that were loogged prior to
o the on-set off water injectiion,
whhich commencced on Octobeer 31, 1956. A water saturration propertyy was calculaated based on the saturationn height functtion
andd is illustratedd in Figure 111. This propeerty was appliied through coollocated co-ssimulation to distribute thee water saturattion
fro
om the well loogs. The advantage of thiss methodologyy is that it resspects the welll data as welll as the identiified trend in the
transition zone.
8 SPE 155
5541

F
Figure 11: Waater Saturationn based on thee Saturation Height
H Functioon

Nuumerical Sim mulation

Nuumerical simulation in this study
s was connducted using the Eclipse* Black
B Oil Sim
mulator. The siimulator takess into account the
efffects and interraction of the injected
i chem
micals with in-situ fluids inccluding water-oil surface tennsion, viscositty and adsorpttion
chaaracteristics.

Thhe laboratory A ASP corefloodd results weree used to deterrmine the keyy performancee parameters thhat would be required as innput
forr the simulatoor. This was achieved
a by hiistory matchinng the performmance of the specific corefflood tests priior to conductting
thee overall reserrvoir study. Fiigures 12 andd 13 show the history matchh performancee plot of the optimum
o radiaal ASP coreflo
ood
exp periment. In aaddition to matching
m oil reecovery and effluent
e conceentrations, preessure differenntial was a keey parameter that
t
waas also matcheed. The match hing of this daata was of criitical importannce for applyiing the resultss to the field level.
l Simulattion
ressults show thhat well injecctivity and prroductivity arre greatly inffluenced by the quality off the match oof the coreflood
diffferential presssures.

gure 12: Histoory Match Pllot of Cumulaative Oil

Fig
Pro
oduction from
m the ASP Correflood

Figure 13: History

H Match Performance Plot of the ASP Coreflood

*
Mark
M of Schlumbeerger
SPE 155541 9

It was
w necessaryy to determinne the currentt reservoir staatus and fluid distributions through num merical simulaation because the
tarrget reservoir hhad already unndergone a waaterflood proggram. A simullation model was w built from m the upscaledd geologic model.
Thhe model was upscaled areaally to 200 meter
m by 200 meter
m cell sizee to facilitate practical sim
mulation run tiimes. This moodel
waas initialized w
with the inforrmation prior to commenceement of produuction, and tu uned to matchh the historicaal production and
injection perform mances of thee field. Field performance plots for the history matcched model arre presented in i Figure 14 and
Figgure 15.

gure 14: Histoory Match Plott - Fluid Ratess and Pressuree

Fig Figgure 15: Histoory Match Plo
ot -Cumulativee Production

Onnce the waterfflood period was

w matched, the ASP flood feasibility was w investigatted using the calibrated moodel in predicttive
moode. A numbeer of differennt production forecast casees were invesstigated in an attempt to enhance e oil prroduction. Thhese
sen
nsitivities inclluded variationn in chemicall injection vollumes and ratees, injector locations, and the
t number annd location off the
new
w infill (verticcal/horizontal)) campaign.

Th
he final forecaast results indiicated that thee utilization of
o horizontal injection
i and production
p wells could be very effectivee in
asssisting the AS
SP recovery mechanism.
m Figure 16 show ws the enhancced developm ment strategy for the impleementation of the
ASSP flood in thee target area.

Figure 16: Well

W Developm
ment Planning for the Optim
mal ASP floodd

he simulation results indicaated that increeasing the liqu

Th uid productioon rates of sellect wells sho
owed improveement in totall oil
pro
oduction, whiile reduction of the chemical injection period had a negative imppact on oil reecovery. Figuure 17 shows the
com
mparison of thhe optimal ASSP Flood respoonse to that off a base waterrflood case (no
o ASP) withinn the ASP floood area.
10 SPE 155
5541

Figure 17: Waterflood

W verssus ASP Flood Performance Comparisonn

Coonclusions
Wh hen appropriaate screening and evaluatiion work is undertaken, ASP A flooding g can significcantly enhancce and revitaalize
prooduction fromm mature waterr flooded fieldds. Key to redducing uncertaainty and risk is conductingg appropriate laboratory
l testting
inccluding fluid-ffluid and coree flooding evaaluations, anallog reviews annd/or pilot triaals. Full fieldd simulation seensitivities baased
on numerically m matched core flooding experiments can be utilized to optimize the field develop pment. Ongoinng monitoring g of
an ASP flood shhould be condducted to evaluuate the succeess of the projeect and identify any develoopment opporttunities to furtther
enhhance the valuue of the projeect.

Baased on the ressults of variouus developmennt strategies annd productionn forecasts it was
w concludedd that:
• The prooposed ASP injection progrram in the tarrget area of thhe Dollard Poool is predictedd to result in an
a increase inn oil
recoverry for all of th
he existing devvelopment schhemes.
• Maxim mum oil recoveery was forecast for the casse in which both horizontaal and vertical infill wells were
w added to the
target rregion in orderr to increase sweep
s efficienncy.
• The inttroduction of horizontal
h injeection wells inn the model haad a positive impact
i on oil recovery.
r
• Incremental oil recovveries in excess of 13 perceent were predicted within th he treated areaas.

Ac
cknowledgements
Wee thank Talism
man Energy an
nd Schlumberrger for permittting us to pubblish this papeer.

Reeferences
1. Green, D.WW. and Whilhitte, G.P. 1998. Enhanced Oiil Recovery, Vol.
V 6, Richard dson, Texas: Textbook
T Series, SPE
2. Canadian D Discovery Digeest (2009). “T The Lower Shhaunavon of Southwestern
S Saskatchewan
S n: They Have Seen the Ooliite.”
Canadian DDiscovery Digeest Exploratioon Review. p 43.
3. Al-Mjeni R R, Arora S, Ed dwards J, Fellber B, Gurpiinar O, Hirasaaki G, Millerr C, Jackson C, Kristensenn M, Lim F, and
Ramamoortthy R: “Has thhe Time Comee for EOR?”, Oilfield
O Revieew 22, no. 4 (W
Winter 2010/22011): p 27.
Martin, F. and Seright, R. 1997, EOR Sccreening Criteeria Revisited - Part 1: Introoduction to Screening Criteeria
4. Taber, J., M
and Enhancced Recovery Field
F Projectss, SPE Reservoir Engineerinng, SPE-35385, 189-198
5. Amaefule, JJ.O., Altunbay y, M., Tiab, D.,
D Kersey, D.G.,
D and Keeelan, D.K. 19993. Enhanced Reservoir Deescription: Ussing
Core and Loog Data to Ideentify Hydrauulic (Flow) Unnits and Prediict Permeability in Uncoredd Intervals/Weells. Paper 264
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presented att the SPE Annnual Technical Conference and Exhibition, Houston, Texas,
T 3-6 Octtober