Enhanced Oil recovery

RECOVERY EFFICIENCY

E = Ev x Ed

Macroscopic displacement efficiency (Ev) is a measure of

how well the oil displacing fluid has come in contact with the oil
bearing parts of the reservoir

Microscopic displacement efficiency (Ed) is a measure of how

well the displacing fluid mobilizes the residual oil once the fluid has
come in contact

Capillary Number (Nvc)

 RECOVERY EFFICIENCY

1. Microscopic displacement efficiency is affected by the following

factors:

a) Forces of surface tension and interfacial

b) Wettability
c) Capillary Pressure and
d) Relative Permeability

2. Macroscopic displacement efficiency is affected by the following

factors:

a) Hetrogeneities
b) Mobility Ratio
c) Physical arrangement of Injection and Production well
Thermal Flooding process

 CSS
 Steam drive Processes
 In Situ combustion
Insitu combustion
STEAMFLOODING
• Continuous Steam
Injection
– Dedicated well for steam
injection
• Intermittent Steam
Injection
– Huff ‘n’ puff
– Injection occurs for short
time & well is then
returned to production

Advantages of Steam Injection:

a) Reduces Viscosity
b) Provides a Driving force to move oil to
producer well
CO2 Flooding
• Dense fluid over much of
the range of pressure and
temperature in reservoirs

• Low MMP (minimum

miscibility pressure) and
high miscibility with oil

• Low mutual solubility with

water

• Low cost and abundance

– Naturally occuring
source

• Environmental benefit if
industrial CO2 is used and
stored in reservoirs
Microbial enhanced oil
recovery
 Microbial Enhanced Oil Recovery
(MEOR) is a technology using micro-
organisms to facilitate, increase or
extend oil production from reservoir.
MEOR Mechanisms
Bioproduct Effect
Acids Modification of reservoir rock
Improvement of porosity and permeability

Biomass Reaction with calcareous rocks and CO2 production

Selective or non selective plugging
Emulsification through adherence to hydrocarbons
Modification of solid surfaces
Degradation and alteration of oil
Reduction of viscosity and oil pour point
Desulfurization of oil

Gases (CO2, CH4, H2) Reservoir repressurization

Oil swelling
Viscosity reduction
Increase permeability due to solubilization of carbonate rocks by
CO2
Solvents
Dissolving of oil
Lowering of interfacial tension
Surface-active agents
Emulsification
Polymers
Mobility control
Selective and non-selective plugging
EOR SCHEMES IMPLEMENTED
IN OIL

• Peripheral water injection

• Crestal gas injection
• MEOR
• Polymer flooding
• CSS
 Screening Criteria
Oil gravity Oil viscosity Avg permeability Temperature
Process Oil saturation (%) Net thickness (ft) Depth (ft)
(API) (cP) (mD) (F)

Miscible              

Hydrocarbon >23 <10 >30 15-25 Not critical >4500 Not critical

Carbon dioxide  >22 <12  >20 15-25 Not critical >2000 Not critical

Nitrogen >35 <10  >30 15-25 Not critical >4500 Not critical

Chemical              

Polymer >25 <150 >30 Not critical >20 <9000 <200

Surfactant-polymer >15 20-30  >30 >10  >20 <9000 <200

 Alkaline 13-35 <200 >30 Not critical >20 <9000 <200

Thermal              

 Steamflooding >10 <5000 >40-50 >20 >200 500-5000 Not critical

 Combustion >10  <1000 >40-50 >10 >50  <11500 Not critical

MEOR >15 20-200 20-25 >10 >50 <9000 <180

Thank you
 Polymer Flooding
In this method polymer is injected in the reservoir
which pushes the reservoir oil to the well bore.
Principle: Increasing the viscosity of water increases the
mobility ratio causing more oil to be swept or displaced.

Process: A slug of polymerized water, possibly as much

as 30% of pore volume is injected, followed by plain water.
Objective is to inject enough polymerized water so that at
breakthrough a maximum reservoir volume will have been
contracted by the polymerized water.

Application: It can be used in high viscosity oil where

ordinary water would bypass most of the reservoir oil.

Limitation: A major limitation is that water

injectivity is reduced to the same degree that water
viscosity is increased..