CONSULTING: Enhanced Recovery

Advanced Resources’ Experience in Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR):

Global Perspective

• IEAGHG/DECC/UNIDO: Global Assessments of CO₂-EOR Potential and Associated CO₂ Requirements: International. ARI prepared reports for the International Energy Agency Greenhouse Gas Research Programme (IEAGHG), UK Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) and UNIDO that reviewed the major CO₂-EOR operations underway around the world to better understand the factors that facilitated or hindered their implementation, and developed a high-level, first-order assessment of the CO₂-EOR oil recovery and CO₂ storage capacity potential in the largest 54 oil basins of the world, using the U.S. experience as analogue. Also assessed were both traditional approaches for CO₂-EOR, along with alternative approaches that optimize both oil production and CO₂ storage. Existing CO₂-EOR operations are described, highlighting those projects pursuing or considering the co-benefits of CO₂ storage and incremental oil production. Expanding on previous work, the world-wide incremental oil production and CO₂ storage potential from CO₂-EOR is assessed assuming a set of “next generation” CO₂-EOR technologies. Other approaches to increase CO₂ storage in conjunction with CO₂-EOR are also identified and evaluated. Finally, life-cycle analyses are presented of the greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) associated with various alternatives for CO₂-EOR development.

Regional Perspective

• “Technical Oil Recovery Potential From Residual Oil Zones: Permian Basin” report prepared by Advanced Resources International for U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Fossil Energy, Office of Oil and Natural Gas, February 2006. This report provided a first of its kind, in-depth documentation of the in-place and recoverable ROZ potential in the Permian Basin. The study was carried out by demonstrating the evidence and origin of ROZs in the Basin, identifying those oil fields that lie above ROZs and using simulation methods to estimate the recovery of this vast resource. Several completion tactics were reviewed to optimize ROZ recovery, which included partially completing the ROZ to target the high oil saturation zones and flooding the ROZ with the main pay zone to make gains in flood efficiency. Overall, the work identified a potential recovery of almost 12 billion barrels of oil could be possible from a current oil endowment of approximately 31 billion barrels of oil beneath Permian Basin oilfields.

Project Perspective

• Using “Next Generation” CO₂-EOR Technologies To Optimize The Residual Oil Zone CO₂ Flood At The Goldsmith Landreth Unit, Ector County, Texas prepared for the University of Texas, Permian Basin (UTPB). The project will use real-time data acquisition and diagnostic tools to monitor CO₂ flood performance (using conformance surveys and chemical tracers to establish CO₂ flow paths and sweep efficiency). The real-time data will be linked with laboratory and bench-scale work and reservoir simulation to control and modify the CO₂ flood on a continuing basis. Incorporation of “next generation” data acquisition and control technology will help overcome the number one challenge facing CO₂ flooding - - achieving improved reservoir conformance and with it more optimum use of injected CO₂ for oil recovery.

For Advanced Resources’ Enhanced Recovery Project Portfolio, click here.

For a partial list of clients, click here.

For more information about Advanced Resources International Inc. and our services, please contact us via e-mail at info@adv-res.com.