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MEOR SPE Distinguished Lecture Series A_sober_look

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  • The Producers Tale, Part 1

    Discovery, appraisal, development

    Life is good!

  • The Producers Tale, Part 2

    Primary recovery doesnt

    Life is tough.

  • The Producers Tale, Part 3

    Secondary recovery battles physics Poor sweep efficiency

  • The Producers Tale, Part 3

    Secondary recovery battles physics Poor displacement efficiency

  • The Producers Tale (Chorus)

    Primary recovery doesnt Secondary recovery battles physics

    and loses

    Oil left in place

  • The Germ of an Idea

    SelfSelf--propagating!propagating!Just add Just add

    water!water!

    Intelligent agent for oil recovery

    featuring DCF*SelfSelf--directing!directing!

  • The Germ

    Microbe produces recovery-enhancing chemicals

    Nutrients

    Trapped oil

    Products

  • The microbes replicate! Process is self-

    sustaining!

    SelfSelf--directing!directing!

    The Best Part

    SelfSelf--propagating!propagating!

    The microbes consume residual oil! Find their own carbon

    source in the reservoir! Create recovery-

    enhancing chemicals right where needed!

    DCF eliminates logistical hassle!

  • The Producers TaleNew

    Life is good again!EOR

    performance at waterflood cost

  • The Hard Part process development, scale-up, field implementation.

    Rube Goldberg Inc.

  • Overview

    Scale-up, design issues for microbial enhanced oil recovery

    Derive performance constraints Review laboratory, field experience

  • What is MEOR? EOR, not well stimulation goal: increased displacement, volumetric

    efficiencies

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    Recovery process without stimulation

    Enhanced recovery process

    incremental oil

    t1

    Same process with well stimulation at t1

    faster oil

  • EOR vs. Well Stimulation

    stimulation zone of influence

    EOR zone of influence

    stimulation zone of influence

    Stimulation treats producers increase near-wellbore

    permeability acidizing hydraulic fracturing

    increase near-wellbore oil mobility thermal chemical microbial

    EOR process propagatesfrom injector to producer

  • Microbial products*

    Acids Biomass Gases Solvents Surfactants Polymers

    * Momeni, D. and T. Yen, in Microbial Enhanced Oil Recovery: Principle and Practice, 1990

  • What is MEOR?

    MEOR is chemical EOR, but with chemicals generated in situ

    Chemical flooding

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    residual oil

    bypassed oil

    rmrw

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    microbesresidual oil

    bypassed oil

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    Microbial EOR

  • MEOR Base Case Implementation

    recovery enhancing chemicals

    water, nutrient injection

    OperationInoculation

    microbe, nutrient injection

    microbe colony

    rmShut-in

  • Review of Field Experience (1)

    Few EOR projects

    Many well stimulations

    Increase in oil rateStimulation

    % ROIP recoveredMEOR

    Measure of successProcess

    ROIP = Remaining Oil In Place

  • Review of Field Experience (2)

    Three projects aimed at increasing displacement efficiency Two watered-out, low oil rate Oklahoma

    fields

    One high water cut, low oil rate Texas field

  • Review of Field Experience (2)

    Watered-out, low oil rate Oklahoma fields Incremental recovery

  • Review of Field Experience (3)

    Three projects aimed at increasing volumetric efficiency (SPE 75328, 59306, 35448, 27827)

    Mixed results Positive result (SPEREE Feb.

    2002) Uses native microbes Extrapolates to ~5% ROIP ultimately

    recovered, comparable to polymer floods Simpler mechanism Issues

    limiting reactant analysis maintaining long-term

    injectivity

    Technical basis: growing biomass

    reduces permeability,

    redirects injected water

  • Review of Field Experience (4)

    Well stimulation with microbes Popular in some regions Cheap Mixed results Inconclusive evidence for mechanism(s)

    Some involve microbe/oil interaction Viscosity reduction

    MEOR analytical tools/engineering constraints applicable

    Residence time Limiting reactant

  • Microbial Well Stimulation

    Inoculation

    microbe, nutrient injection

    microbe colony

    rmShut-in

    Oil, water production

    Operation

    Viscosity reduction

    Microbial Enhanced Oil Recovery: A Sober Look at an Infectious IdeaAcknowledgementsThe Producers Tale, Part 1The Producers Tale, Part 2The Producers Tale, Part 3The Producers Tale, Part 3The Producers Tale (Chorus)The Germ of an IdeaThe GermThe Best PartThe Producers TaleThe Hard PartOverviewWhat is MEOR?EOR vs. Well StimulationMicrobial products*What is MEOR?What is MEOR?MEOR Design OptionsMEOR Base Case ImplementationReaction/Reservoir Engineering ConstraintsReaction/Reservoir Engineering ConstraintsReaction/Reservoir Engineering ConstraintsReaction/Reservoir Engineering ConstraintsReaction/Reservoir Engineering ConstraintsReaction/Reservoir Engineering ConstraintsMobility Control for EORReaction/Reservoir Engineering ConstraintsReaction/Reservoir Engineering ConstraintsHigh MEOR recoveries in lab?High MEOR recoveries in lab?Capillary Desaturation Curve (Lake, 1989)Review of Simulator DevelopmentMicrobial Well StimulationReaction/Production Engineering Constraints