Advanced EOR technologies raise profit potential
The old accepted EOR theories that involve wide-area reservoir flooding may require reevaluation, particularly in light of recent oil prices. Crosslinked-polymer profile modification and other relatively inexpensive forms of EOR that address near-well-bore phenomena may now present operators with the most economically compelling options for recovery enhancement. Production may be most effectively enhanced by keeping the production well bore continuously clean. Periodic well bore clean-outs can maintain optimum production rates for only a short time before fouling begins anew, and production again declines. The conceptual Lambda technology holds significant promise in this area. Computer-modeled lambda data were presented at the 1985 Unitar conference. The data suggested that a well which produces, say, 23 b/d of oil immediately after clean-out could be sustained continuously at that level, the cumulative production increase over a 7-month period would amount to approximately 3,000 bbl. Assuming only a $7/bbl profit for the incremental production, in 7 months the operator would gain about $21,000 - more than the projected cost of drilling and installing a continuous near-well-bore treatment system. The estimated $21,000 gain does not include substantial cost savings resulting from the elimination of periodic well-cleaning workovers. It also does not take into account the possible increased production resulting from an improved reservoir pressure profile. Thus, in the coming years, field experience with near-well-bore phenomena may come to dominate operators' ideas of how their properties can be produced most efficiently and cost effectively.
- Research Organization:
- Oil Field Technologies, Houston, TX
- OSTI ID:
- 5782118
- Journal Information:
- Pet. Eng. Int.; (United States), Vol. 58:4
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
29 ENERGY PLANNING
POLICY AND ECONOMY
ENHANCED RECOVERY
COST
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
FEASIBILITY STUDIES
FINANCING
MARKET
OIL WELLS
PETROLEUM
PLANNING
PRICES
PROFITS
WELL STIMULATION
ECONOMICS
ENERGY SOURCES
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
RECOVERY
STIMULATION
WELLS
020300* - Petroleum- Drilling & Production
020700 - Petroleum- Economics
Industrial
& Business Aspects
294002 - Energy Planning & Policy- Petroleum
290200 - Energy Planning & Policy- Economics & Sociology