"Enhanced oil recovery functions by altering the chemical composition of the oil itself in order to make it easier to extract, while primary and secondary recovery techniques rely on the pressure differential between the surface and the underground well."
Techniques used to increase the amount of oil and gas that can be extracted from a reservoir beyond what can be achieved through primary production methods.
Basic Petroleum Geology: Understanding the geologic formation of hydrocarbons and how they are discovered.
Reservoir Characterization: Determining the characteristics of the reservoir, such as porosity, permeability, and fluid saturations.
Core Analysis: Examining rock samples to understand the petrophysical properties of the reservoir.
Production Logging: Logging and monitoring the well during production to optimize performance and diagnose issues.
Well Completion: Designing and implementing the infrastructure necessary for extracting hydrocarbons from the reservoir.
Well Stimulation: Injecting fluids into the reservoir to enhance production.
Fracturing: Creating fractures in the reservoir using hydraulic pressure to enhance production.
Waterflooding: Injecting water into the reservoir to displace hydrocarbons and increase recovery.
Gas Injection: Injecting gas into the reservoir to displace hydrocarbons and increase recovery.
Steam Injection: Injecting steam into the reservoir to heat the hydrocarbons and decrease viscosity, making it easier to extract.
CO2 Injection: Injecting carbon dioxide into the reservoir to displace hydrocarbons and increase recovery while sequestering carbon dioxide in the process.
EOR Economics: Analyzing the economic feasibility of employing enhanced recovery techniques.
Enhanced Recovery Case Studies: Reviewing case studies of successful enhanced recovery projects to understand best practices and techniques.
Regulatory and Environmental Impacts of EOR: Understanding the potential impacts on the environment and regulations surrounding enhanced recovery methods.
Waterflooding: Injecting water into an oil reservoir to maintain pressure and displace additional oil.
Gas Injection: Injecting gas (usually natural gas or carbon dioxide) into an oil reservoir to increase pressure and displace additional oil.
Thermal Recovery: Applying heat to the oil reservoir to decrease oil viscosity and improve oil mobility.
Chemical Flooding: Injecting various chemicals into an oil reservoir to change rock wettability and improve oil recovery.
Microbial Enhanced Oil Recovery (MEOR): Using microorganisms to break down oil into more easily extractable components.
Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR): A broad term encompassing any technique used to increase oil recovery beyond what can be achieved via primary and secondary recovery methods.
In-situ Combustion: Burning some of the oil in place to create heat and gas to mobilize more oil.
Surfactant Flooding: Injecting surfactants to change interfacial tension between oil and water and improve oil recovery.
Polymer Flooding: Injecting polymers to improve water sweep efficiency and better displace oil.
Alkaline Flooding: Injecting a solution of alkaline agents to reduce viscosity and improve oil recovery.
Solvent Extraction: Using solvents to extract oil from a reservoir.
Electromagnetic Heating: Using electromagnetic waves to heat the reservoir and improve oil mobility.
Reservoir Management: Implementing strategies to optimize reservoir performance, including well placement, production rates, and secondary recovery techniques.
Nanoparticles: Injecting nanoparticles to alter rock properties and improve oil recovery.
Gas Hydrate Dissociation: Using heat or pressure to dissociate gas hydrates and release trapped hydrocarbons.
CO2 Storage: Injecting carbon dioxide into deep geological formations for storage and potential future use in EOR.
Refracturing: Re-fracturing existing wells to improve or restore production.
Heavy Oil Recovery: Using specialized techniques to improve recovery of heavy or viscous oils.
Wettability Alteration: Changing the rock wettability to improve oil recovery.
Foam Injection: Injecting foam to reduce mobility of water and improve oil recovery.
Acidizing: Injecting acids to dissolve rock and improve oil recovery.
Horizontal Drilling: Drilling horizontal wells to increase contact with the reservoir and improve oil recovery.
Gas Cycling: Cycling gas back into the reservoir after production to improve oil recovery.
Immiscible Gas Injection: Injecting immiscible gases into the reservoir to improve oil recovery.
Miscible Gas Injection: Injecting miscible gases (such as CO2 or nitrogen) into the reservoir to improve oil recovery.
"EOR can extract 30% to 60% or more of a reservoir's oil."
"Carbon dioxide and water are injected along with one of three EOR techniques: thermal injection, gas injection, and chemical injection."
"The primary and secondary recovery techniques rely on the pressure differential between the surface and the underground well."
"Compared to 20% to 40% using primary and secondary recovery."
"Enhanced oil recovery functions by altering the chemical composition of the oil itself in order to make it easier to extract."
"The US Department of Energy."
"Carbon dioxide and water are injected along with one of three EOR techniques"
"More advanced, speculative EOR techniques are sometimes called quaternary recovery."
"Carbon dioxide and water are injected along with one of three EOR techniques."
"EOR is the extraction of crude oil from an oil field that cannot be extracted otherwise."
"Altering the chemical composition of the oil itself in order to make it easier to extract."
"EOR can extract 30% to 60% or more of a reservoir's oil."
"Thermal injection, gas injection, and chemical injection."
"The pressure differential between the surface and the underground well."
"The US Department of Energy."
"EOR can extract 30% to 60% or more of a reservoir's oil, compared to 20% to 40% using primary and secondary recovery."
"Carbon dioxide and water are injected along with one of three EOR techniques."
"More advanced, speculative EOR techniques are sometimes called quaternary recovery."
"Thermal injection, gas injection, and chemical injection."