Enhanced oil recovery methods

Journal Article · Tue Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1981 · Oil Gas Petrochem Equip; ()

OSTI ID:5069783

Owen, J; Floyd, J

It has been estimated that there are between 30 and 50 billion bbl of oil reserves in the US which could be recovered by tertiary recovery methods, usually referred to as enhanced oil recovery (EOR) methods. This is oil which is already found and identified but which will remain in place unless special effort involving any one of a number of techniques are used. EOR methods include miscible fluid displacement, steam drive injection, microemulsion (surfactant) flooding, in situ combustion, polymer augmented water flooding, cyclic steam injection, alkaline (caustic) flooding, carbon dioxide augmented waterflooding, immiscible carbon dioxide displacement, and combinations of these. While each of these techniques is technically feasible under the right condition, the costs vary widely.

• OSTI ID: 5069783
• Journal Information: Oil Gas Petrochem Equip; (), Journal Name: Oil Gas Petrochem Equip; () Vol. 27:11
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020300* -- Petroleum-- Drilling & Production
020700 -- Petroleum-- Economics
Industrial
& Business Aspects
ADDITIVES
CARBON DIOXIDE INJECTION
CAUSTIC FLOODING
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COMBUSTION
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
COST
ENERGY SOURCES
ENHANCED RECOVERY
FLUID INJECTION
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
IN-SITU COMBUSTION
IN-SITU PROCESSING
MICROEMULSION FLOODING
MISCIBLE-PHASE DISPLACEMENT
OIL WELLS
OXIDATION
PETROLEUM
POLYMERS
PROCESSING
RECOVERY
RESIDUAL PETROLEUM
STEAM INJECTION
TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
WATERFLOODING
WELLS