Improving Reserves and Well Productivity Using Modern Technologies

The oil trapped in a reservoir rock through geological processes over millions of years is called the Original Oil in Place (OOIP). Oil recovery factor (RF) represents the recoverable fraction of OOIP. We do not have any control on the quantity of OOIP. However, the volume that we can recover is partly in our control. Through proper well placement, engineering, and production technologies, we can recover anywhere from 5 to 70% of OOIP. Exactly how much we will recover depends on the techniques employed and the nature of the reservoir. The economically recoverable oil is called the reserves. In this chapter, we will talk about various oil field technologies that can be employed to maximize petroleum reserves. We will explore some emerging technologies and processes that have helped some fields achieve 70% recovery factor while others are trailing behind, stuck at an average of 35% recovery factor, some as low as 10%. Despite all the hype, and many decades of research, Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) is contributing just about 4% of total world production, and most of it is from thermal EOR. We need a profound shift in the EOR technology application required to make it simple and widely applicable