An Experimental Research on Enhanced Oil Recovery Using Local Polymers

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abiola Oyatobo ◽  
Amalachukwu Muoghalu ◽  
Chinaza Ikeokwu ◽  
Wilson Ekpotu

Abstract Ineffective methods of increasing oil recovery have been one of the challenges, whose solutions are constantly sought after in the oil and gas industry as the number of under-produced reservoirs increases daily. Water injection is the most extended technology to increase oil recovery, although excessive water production can pose huge damage ranging from the loss of the well to an increase in cost and capital investment requirement of surface facilities to handle the produced water. To mitigate these challenges and encourage the utilization of local contents, locally produced polymers were used in polymer flooding as an Enhanced Oil Recovery approach to increase the viscosity of the injected fluids for better profile control and reduce cost when compared with foreign polymers as floppan. Hence this experimental research was geared towards increasing the efficiency of oil displacement in sandstone reservoirs using locally sourced polymers in Nigeria and also compared the various polymers for optimum efficiency. Starch, Ewedu, and Gum Arabic were used in flooding an already obtained core samples and comparative analysis of this shows that starch yielded the highest recovery due to higher viscosity value as compared to Ewedu with the lowest mobility ratio to Gum Arabic. Finally, the concentration of Starch or Gum Arabic should be increased for optimum recovery.

2020 ◽  
Vol 72 (12) ◽  
pp. 60-61
Author(s):  
Judy Feder

This article, written by JPT Technology Editor Judy Feder, contains highlights of paper SPE 199498, “Reuse of Produced Water in the Oil and Gas Industry,” by Madeleine Gray, International Petroleum Industry Environmental Conservation Association, prepared for the 2020 SPE International Conference and Exhibition on Health, Safety, Environment, and Sustainability, originally scheduled to be held in Bogota, Colombia, 28-30 July. The paper has not been peer reviewed. The onshore oil and gas industry investigates new and improved ways to manage the supply and disposal of produced water continually. Within oil and gas operations, produced water increasingly is being recycled and reused for enhanced oil recovery, drilling, and well stimulation. The growing global demand for water resources also is creating interest in reusing produced water outside oil and gas operations. The complete paper focuses on sources of produced water from conventional and unconventional onshore oil and gas operations and addresses the challenges and opportunities associated with reusing the produced water. Introduction Produced water is water that is brought to surface during oil and natural-gas production. It includes formation, flowback, and condensation water. Produced water varies in composition and volume from one formation to another and is often managed as a waste material requiring disposal. In recent years, increased demand for, and regional variability of, available water resources, along with sustainable water-supply planning, have driven interest in reusing produced water with or without treatment to meet requirements within the industry or by external users. Reuse of produced water can provide important economic, social, and environmental benefits, particularly in water-scarce regions. It can be used for hydraulic fracturing, waterflooding, and enhanced oil recovery, decreasing the demand for other sources of water. However, reuse for offsite, non-oilfield applications such as crop irrigation, wildlife and livestock consumption, industrial processes, and power generation, is subject to a variety of constraints and risks. Practical considerations for offsite reuse include supply and demand and regulatory, infrastructural, economic, legal, social, and environmental factors. Sources, Chemical Properties, and Management of Produced Water The information contained in the paper is based on an internal survey conducted by the International Petroleum Industry Environmental Conservation Association (IPIECA) of 14 of its member companies, interviews with selected external stakeholders covering a range of sectors and geographic regions, and a literature review of readily available information. The external stakeholders were identified from the membership survey as well as from IPIECA and consultant experience. Sources and Volumes. Onshore oil and gas operations generate millions of barrels of produced water each day world-wide. The composition and flow of produced water can differ dramatically from one source to another.


Sensors ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 1161
Author(s):  
Mehrdad Ebrahimi ◽  
Axel A. Schmidt ◽  
Cagatay Kaplan ◽  
Oliver Schmitz ◽  
Peter Czermak

The oil and gas industry generates a large volume of contaminated water (produced water) which must be processed to recover oil before discharge. Here, we evaluated the performance and fouling behavior of commercial ceramic silicon carbide membranes in the treatment of oily wastewaters. In this context, microfiltration and ultrafiltration ceramic membranes were used for the separation of oil during the treatment of tank dewatering produced water and oily model solutions, respectively. We also tested a new online oil-in-water sensor (OMD-32) based on the principle of light scattering for the continuous measurement of oil concentrations in order to optimize the main filtration process parameters that determine membrane performance: the transmembrane pressure and cross-flow velocity. Using the OMD-32 sensor, the oil content of the feed, concentrate and permeate streams was measured continuously and fell within the range 0.0–200 parts per million (ppm) with a resolution of 1.0 ppm. The ceramic membranes achieved an oil-recovery efficiency of up to 98% with less than 1.0 ppm residual oil in the permeate stream, meeting environmental regulations for discharge in most areas.


2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alibi Kilybay ◽  
Bisweswar Ghosh ◽  
Nithin Chacko Thomas

In the oil and gas industry, Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) plays a major role to meet the global requirement for energy. Many types of EOR are being applied depending on the formations, fluid types, and the condition of the field. One of the latest and promising EOR techniques is application of ion-engineered water, also known as low salinity or smart water flooding. This EOR technique has been studied by researchers for different types of rocks. The mechanisms behind ion-engineered water flooding have not been confirmed yet, but there are many proposed mechanisms. Most of the authors believe that the main mechanism behind smart water flooding is the wettability alteration. However, other proposed mechanisms are interfacial tension (IFT) reduction between oil and injected brine, rock dissolution, and electrical double layer expansion. Theoretically, all the mechanisms have an effect on the oil recovery. There are some evidences of success of smart water injection on the field scale. Chemical reactions that happen with injection of smart water are different in sandstone and carbonate reservoirs. It is important to understand how these mechanisms work. In this review paper, the possible mechanisms behind smart water injection into the carbonate reservoir with brief history are discussed.


Nanomaterials ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 1013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lipei Fu ◽  
Kaili Liao ◽  
Bo Tang ◽  
Lujun Jiang ◽  
Weiqiu Huang

Graphene and its derivatives, with their unique two-dimensional structures and excellent physical and chemical properties, have been an international research hotspot both in the research community and industry. However, in application-oriented research in the oil and gas industry they have only drawn attention in the past several years. Their excellent optical, electrical, thermal and mechanical performance make them great candidates for use in oil and gas exploration, drilling, production, and transportation. Combined with the actual requirements for well working fluids, chemical enhanced oil recovery, heavy oil recovery, profile control and water shutoff, tracers, oily wastewater treatment, pipeline corrosion prevention treatment, and tools and apparatus, etc., this paper introduces the behavior in water and toxicity to organisms of graphene and its derivatives in detail, and comprehensively reviews the research progress of graphene materials in the upstream oil and gas industry. Based on this, suggestions were put forward for the future research. This work is useful to the in-depth mechanism research and application scope broadening research in the upstream oil and gas industry.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rouhi Farajzadeh ◽  
Siavash Kahrobaei ◽  
Ali Akbari Eftekhari ◽  
Rifaat A. Mjeni ◽  
Diederik Boersma ◽  
...  

AbstractA method based on the concept of exergy-return on exergy-investment is developed to determine the energy efficiency and CO2 intensity of polymer and surfactant enhanced oil recovery techniques. Exergy is the useful work obtained from a system at a given thermodynamics state. The main exergy investment in oil recovery by water injection is related to the circulation of water required to produce oil. At water cuts (water fraction in the total liquid produced) greater than 90%, more than 70% of the total invested energy is spent on injection and lift pumps, resulting in large CO2 intensity for the produced oil. It is shown that injection of polymer with or without surfactant can considerably reduce CO2 intensity of the mature waterflood projects by decreasing the volume of produced water and the exergy investment associated with its circulation. In the field examples considered in this paper, a barrel of oil produced by injection of polymer has 2–5 times less CO2 intensity compared to the baseline waterflood oil. Due to large manufacturing exergy of the synthetic polymers and surfactants, in some cases, the unit exergy investment for production of oil could be larger than that of the waterflooding. It is asserted that polymer injection into reservoirs with large water cut can be a solution for two major challenges of the energy transition period: (1) meet the global energy demand via an increase in oil recovery and (2) reduce the CO2 intensity of oil production (more and cleaner energy).


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 462-474
Author(s):  
Matan Beery ◽  
Christian Pflieger ◽  
Marcus Weyd

Abstract The federal research project, PAkmem, deals with the recycling of industrial wastewater. The aim of the project is to develop and pilot an innovative integrative process for produced water treatment in the oil and gas industry utilizing flotation and ceramic micro-nano-membrane filtrations (MF-NF membranes) as well as the wastewater treatment of the ceramic industry with ceramic NF-membranes and electrodialysis (ED). The process utilized should remove fine particles, organic matter and divalent ions in order to make the water dischargeable or reusable (direct disposal or reuse as process water in the ceramic industry and the enhanced oil recovery reinjection in the oil and gas industry in which the water is conditioned in order to increase the oil production yield). Three pilot plants were designed and built according to strict safety standards and were operated on industrial manufacturing sites in Germany in 2019. Two innovative optical fine particle measuring techniques (inline and online) have been specially adapted for the project and integrated into the pilot plants. The results show promising technical potential for the use of ceramic membranes in the above-mentioned applications.


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