The National Petroleum Council EOR study: Chemical processes

Conference · Sat Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1984 · Soc. Pet. Eng. AIME, Pap.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6249538

Doe, P H; Carey, B S; Helmuth, E S

The 1984 National Petroleum Council study of Enhanced Oil Recovery evaluated the potential of three major EOR methods: thermal, miscible and chemical flooding. The study used an extensive reservoir data base which represented about 70% of the total oil originally in place in known U.S. reservoirs. The chemical flooding portion of the study considered three processes - polymer, surfactant and alkaline flooding. Screening criteria were developed, based on chemical EOR projects conducted to date, which allowed reservoirs amenable to each of the three chemical processes to be selected. The incremental oil recovery obtainable from these candidate reservoirs was estimated using simplified predictive models for each process. Each model included an economic subroutine which accounted for costs associated with the EOR process and calculated a discounted cash flow rate of return. A minimum rate of return was used to screen projects according to their likelihood for favorable economics. Recovery potentials at various minimum rates of return were estimated for oil prices ranging from $20 to $50 per barrel. The study considered two technology cases. The implemented technology case represents process efficiencies already demonstrated in field tests or commercial applications. The advanced technology case assumed that process improvements currently at the laboratory stage will be successfully moved into field application. The results of the study indicate that total EOR potential for chemical flooding ranges from one billion barrels at $20/barrel oil to 4.1 billion barrels at $50/barrel for implemented technology. Recovery could reach 13.5 billion barrels at the $50 oil price for the advanced technology case. In both technology cases, the bulk of this projected recovery is expected to come from surfactant flooding.

• Research Organization: Phillips Petroleum Co.
• OSTI ID: 6249538
• Report Number(s): CONF-8409104-
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Soc. Pet. Eng. AIME, Pap.; (United States) Journal Volume: SPE 13240
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020300* -- Petroleum-- Drilling & Production
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
ECONOMICS
ENHANCED RECOVERY
FLUID INJECTION
INDUSTRY
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MISCIBLE-PHASE DISPLACEMENT
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
OIL WELLS
PERFORMANCE
PETROLEUM INDUSTRY
RECOVERY
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
THERMAL RECOVERY
WATERFLOODING
WELLS