Enhanced Oil Recovery Research

Erik Nickel

Project Manager, Petroleum Technology Research Centre

STEPS Business-Led Network of Centres of Excellence

Petroleum Technology Research

CentreNon-Profit Research & Development

Collaborative partnership with

Industry, Government and Research

Organizations

Committed to reducing environmental

impacts of oil production

STEPS

JIVE

Phanerozoic Fluids Project

Research associated with CO2

management

IEA GHG Weyburn –Midale CO2 Storage &

Monitoring Project

Aquistore

PTRC’s Portfolio of Projects

Sustainable Technologies for Energy Production Systems

Business Led – Network of Centres of Excellence

Non-recoverable80%

4 billionrecoverable barrels of heavy oil

1.9 billionrecoverable barrels of heavy oil

20.4 billion barrels currently in place

20%

9%

Non-recoverable

91%

Saskatchewan’s Heavy Oil Production

Current STEPS Focus Areas

Current Research

ra rm

Well

Wormholes x

y

z

0

7

CHOPS/Primary ProductionWormholes in primary production prove to be a challenge for producers. Effective wormhole modeling of reservoirs will help improve production

Wormhole Mapping

Memorandum of Understanding signed with INCAS3 to develop advanced remote sensor technologies for mapping wormholes

•Research program with U of R leadership

•Attempt to use micro-sensor technologies to help optimize existing recovery methods during primary heavy oil production

JIVE Outcomes

* per billion barrels of oil (compared

to Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage)

Potential for billion +

incremental barrels of oil in

western Canada

• Avoided CO2 emissions: 85 million tonnes*

• Natural gas not burned: 1.65 trillion cubic feet*

• Fresh water saved: 400 million barrels*

Environmental

Economic

Saskatchewan Research Council: Experimental Apparatus

The Overburden Pressure Vessel System

�Pressure rated at 10.5 MPa.

�Temperature controlled between 20 and 60°C.

�Rotate 90°from horizontal to vertical

�Uses water for overburden fluid.

Solvent Injection and SVX

Solvent Injection: SVX 3D Model

Capabilities SummaryThe 3D Physical Model System

�Fibreglass with tub and Lid design

�NPT connections for wells, imbibing ports & thermocouples

�Pressure rated at 10.0 MPa

�Temperature between 20 and 60°C

�Different model sizes

�Use of synthetic or actual field porous media and field reservoir fluids

Solvent Injection

�Numerical Simulation Modeling→ scaling and predicting field estimates

�Commercial numerical simulators from CMG are used: STARS & GEM

Advanced techniques and algorithms →developed at SRC to:

� Tune numerical models for the proper handling of:

�Non-equilibrium solubility that occurs during SVX processes

�To correct for excessive numerical dispersion that occurs as the gridblock size increases for field-scale simulations

These techniques require:

1) PVT mixing experiments for non-equilibrium solvent solubility2) A pair of 3D model experiments with different geometries

Numerical Simulation Modeling:

Chemical Flooding•A general term for injection processes that use specialized chemical

solutions.

•Micellar, alkaline and soap-like substances reduce surface tension between oil and

water in the reservoir

•polymers such as polyacrylamide or polysaccharide are employed to improve

sweep efficiency. The chemical solutions are pumped into injection wells.

The STEPS program seeks to optimize these flooding options by studying

different chemical combinations and sequences, and to identify

characteristics around what might work best in a given reservoir.

Thermal Recovery• SAGD

• Development of technologies to

improve water handling capabilities

during SAGD

• In Situ Combustion

• Air injection and Fire Flood

• maintaining the combustion

front

• Identification ideal reservoir

conditions for success

Field Pilots: Hot Water Vapour Production

• Project in co-operation with PTAC (technology

developers)

• Husky providing field access

• Devon co-funding to gain access to results and

provide consultation

Photo courtesy SRC: Norm Freitag and Ray Exelby work on a PVT apparatus

Waterflooding

What is ASP?

• Alkali – Surfactant - Polymer

• A process of adding of chemicals or a

combination of chemicals to enhance a

traditional waterflood.

1. Surfactants reduce the interfacial tension (IFT)

between the oil and flooded fluid

2. Alkali chemicals can then better contact the trapped

oil, reacting with it to form additional surfactant

3. Polymers increase the viscosity and sweep efficiency

Project Types

• Physical study of oil bank formation

– Core flood tests and 2D/3D models

– Different injection methods

– Differing pressures, chemicals, sequencing

– General goal of flood optimization

• Simulation studies

• Examination of cost reduction strategies

• Novel concepts

– Biosurfactants

Selected Results – Zhang 2005

• Ultra-low IFTs generated with certain

surfactants, and oil banks are created.

– If ultra-low IFT is not achieved, polymer is

required.

Field Pilot: Unconventional Microbial EOR

•MEOR can improve recovery by

modifying the interfacial properties

of the system oil-water-minerals. In

such a system, microbial activity

affects:

• fluidity (viscosity reduction, miscible

flooding);

•displacement efficiency (decrease of

interfacial tension, increase of

permeability);

•sweep efficiency (mobility control,

selective plugging) and

•driving force (reservoir pressure).

Project in co-operation with Husky and DuPont

•Husky field testing•DuPont microbial technology

Produced Water

Water Management and Handling

• Water Cleaning:• Screening of ceramic and polymeric membrane

• A service to aid in the decision of which membranes to use.

• MFD Microencapsulating Flocculating Dispersion• A new type of flocculant to clean oil from water

• Desalinization• Technologies from New Mexico Tech to aid in desalinization

• Forward-osmosis through a proprietary membrane

Water Usage

• “Smart” Water injection for water flood.• Use of low salinity water to improve sweep efficiency in light and

medium oil reservoirs

• Waterflooding Database Study• Builds upon previous work at the SRC to statistically characterize

water usage in waterflooding in order to improve decision-making

• Will eventually focus on chemical waterfloding statistical analysis

as well.

Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) Tax Incentive Program

• STEPS membership, and development of the Bakken Research

Program, may be eligible for tax credits and refunds under SE&ED.

• A federal tax incentive program, administered by the Canada

Revenue Agency (CRA), that encourages Canadian businesses of all

sizes, and in all sectors to conduct research and development (R&D)

in Canada.

• The largest single source of federal government support for

industrial R&D.

• Industry participants will need to examine requirements for the

credit carefully

http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/sred/

Saskatchewan Petroleum Research Incentive

•In Saskatchewan, the SPRI outlines the benefits to investing in

research in Saskatchewan, including credits towards the remission

of royalties and taxes based on:

• 50% of eligible research costs directly involving the Petroleum

Technology Research Centre in Regina (to a maximum of $1

million per project), and

• 30% of any remaining costs directly involving the PTRC and all

other eligible research costs (to a maximum of $3 million per

project)

•The SPRI was established to help increase the capacity in

Saskatchewan to conduct EOR research, and the PTRC specifically

has been targeted to maximize remissions on paying royalties.

Summary

• A suite of projects to gain knowledge of enhanced oil

recovery in light and tight oil reservoirs, and heavy oil

• Considering the certainty of decline, these will hopefully

provide solutions before solutions are even required

• Projects designed to help us with water, be it from an

environmental standpoint, or usage in waterflood

Current Public Sector and Academic Partners

Ministry of Enterprise and Innovation

Ministry of Environment

Thank You