An evaluation of the Robinson M-1 commercial scale demonstration of enhanced oil recovery by micellar-polymer flood

Technical Report · Thu Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1988

OSTI ID:6633327

Cole, E L

A commercial scale micellar-polymer project was conducted in the Robinson Sand of the M-1 project in southwestern Illinois. The project utilized a crude oil sulfonate surfactant system to flood the reservoir which, at the time of the project, was in an advanced stage of waterflood depletion. Injected fluids consisted of a 0.10 pore volume crude oil sulfonate slug, a 1.05 pore volume graded mobility slug using Dow Pusher 700, and a drive water slug to depletion. Micellar injection started in 1977. By December, 1986, overall operations in the 2.5-acre pattern area were uneconomical while polymer injection was continuing in the 5.0-acre pattern area. Depletion of the 5.0-acre pattern area is forecast for 1991 or sooner. Ultimate oil recovery is estimated at 1,397,000 barrels with cumulative oil recovery at December, 1986, of 1,299,000 barrels. Although the crude oil sulfonate system successfully mobilized and produced waterflood residual oil, the project was not economic because of both lower than anticipated recovery and higher than expected operating costs. The lower than anticipated recovery is attributed to poor volumetric sweep efficiency and salinity/hardness effects. 7 refs., 54 figs., 25 tabs.

• Research Organization: K and A Technology, Tulsa, OK (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC19-85BC10830
• OSTI ID: 6633327
• Report Number(s): DOE/BC/10830-10; ON: DE89000714
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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02 PETROLEUM
020300* -- Petroleum-- Drilling & Production
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
DATA
DISPLACEMENT FLUIDS
ECONOMICS
ENERGY SOURCES
ENHANCED RECOVERY
FEDERAL REGION V
FLUID INJECTION
FLUIDS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
HETEROGENEOUS EFFECTS
HYDROGEN ISOTOPES
ILLINOIS
INFORMATION
ISOTOPE APPLICATIONS
ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
MICROEMULSION FLOODING
MISCIBLE-PHASE DISPLACEMENT
NORTH AMERICA
NUCLEI
NUMERICAL DATA
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
OIL SATURATION
OIL WELLS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC SULFUR COMPOUNDS
PERMEABILITY
PETROLEUM
PETROLEUM FRACTIONS
PETROLEUM RESIDUES
RADIOISOTOPES
RECOVERY
RESERVOIR ROCK
SAND
SATURATION
SULFONATES
SURFACTANTS
SWEEP EFFICIENCY
TRACER TECHNIQUES
TRITIUM
USA
WELLS
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES