TRAINING ENHANCED OIL RECOVERY (EOR) METHODS CONCEPTS AND MECHANISMS

OVERVIEW

• Provide familiarity with key geologic, reservoir and operational definitions related to oil recovery processes specially enhanced oil recovery (EOR) methods.
• Explain the basic mechanisms and need for EOR methods and the technical basis for characterization of oil reservoirs and identifying possible candidates for various EOR methods.
• Identify key parameters, data sources and required measurements for process design of EOR methods.
• Provide basis for guidelines and engineering judgment in selecting appropriate EOR methods.

OBJECTIVE

OUTLINE COURSE

• Key geologic and reservoir definitions, Need for enhanced oil recovery
• Brief review of oil recovery processes, Important units and expressions

Reservoir Characterization:

• Type of reservoir rocks and fluids , Shale distribution and reservoir continuity
• Naturally-fractured reservoirs, Main geologic features
• Dispersed clay and mineral composition, Reservoir heterogeneity and anisotropy

Key Rock and Fluid Properties:

• Relation between porosity, permeability and grain size
• Rock wettability and hysteresis effects, Interfacial tension phenomena
• Thermal characteristics of crude oil, Phase behavior of surfactant-oil-water systems
• Cation exchange capacity of clays, Relative permeability and capillary pressure
• Residual wetting and non-wetting phase saturations
• Thermodynamic properties of water and steam
• Phase behavior of hydrocarbon systems, Viscosity of polymer solutions

Mechanisms of Enhanced Oil Recovery:

• Macroscopic oil trapping in reservoirs, Capillary desaturation curves
• Factors affecting displacement and sweep efficiencies
• Microscopic oil trapping in rock pore spaces,
• Frontal advance theory and fractional flow, Thermal effects in oil reservoirs

Enhanced Oil Recovery Processes:

• Classification of EOR methods, Description of solvent miscible processes
• Description of chemical flood processes, Description of thermal recovery processes
• Microbial and other EOR processes, Objectives of EOR methods
• Types of solvents and miscibility development,
• Polymer, alkaline, surfactant and micellr-polymer
• In-situ combustion, cyclic steam and steamflood
• Comparison between various EOR methods

Screening Guidelines and Optimization:

• Key parameters used in reservoir screening ,
• Available resources and economical considerations
• Optimization parameters and criteria , Concept of incremental recovery
• Limitations on applicability of certain EOR methods

Typical field cases of various EOR methods

RECOMMENDED AUDIENCE

• Reservoir Engineer
• Petroleum Engineer
• Oil And Gas Production Engineer
• Oil And Gas Project Manager
• Geoscientists