Page 49: of Offshore Engineer Magazine (Jun/Jul 2014)

48 50

EyebrowProduction technological challenges. Most new or microbial enhanced oil recovery (one

The research mentioned that there is a offshore EOR projects are aimed at light feld application). WAG appears to be the great opportunity to economically apply and medium oil felds due to the higher most successful EOR technology applied

CO -EOR in major offshore reservoirs in 2 the GOM. The study also recommend market value of these fuids, and because in the North Sea.

Since 2003, China National Offshore designing CO -EOR in the conceptualiza- they are easier to transport from the 2

Oil Corp. (CNOOC) has implemented EOR tion stage of the development plan for new reservoir to its fnal destination. The chemical fooding in offshore heavy oil deepwater offshore projects, which could production of deepwater, offshore heavy reservoirs in Bohai Bay, China (Xiaodong, greatly reduce the overall cost and make oil felds is severally impacted by the et. al. 2011). Polymer fooding is an impor- the application of these processes more low temperature of the sea water (around o tant technology for the strategic develop- attractive in the future.

4 C in the sea foor) making it diffcult to pump the oil to the surface as its viscos- ment of these kinds of felds with three

Conclusion ity is increased due to heat loss along the existing polymer EOR projects on heavy oil felds. The projects have been imple- production well to the surface. Moreover, Various factors are driving the search for mented to improve mature water fooding. the high heat loss and fuel costs make increased EOR such as successful sec-

The total oil production improvement was transporting steam into the reservoir for ondary recovery methods, new important more than 6MMstb by the end of 2010. the steam injection process very expen- offshore discoveries, as well as efforts sive and ineffcient. In 2011, Petrobras implemented the to reduce the production decline of

The picture is different for developing frst EOR pilot project of CO and natural mature offshore felds in the North Sea, 2 heavy oil felds located in shallow water, gas injection in pre-salt Brazil, at mis- GOM and China. To enable the economic close to shore, such as on eastern cost cible conditions, through a WAG scheme transformation of these resources, further of Maracaibo Lake (60m water depth) in injection (SantÁnna Pizarro, Moreira development of oil recovery and fow

Branco 2012). The pilot is being carried assurance technologies are necessary.

Venezuela, with more than 40 years of suc- cessful offshore, cyclic steam stimulation out at Lula Field (28-300API), deepwater

O (CSS), in felds like Bachaquero, [11.7 API, (1800-2400m), in the Santos Basin. The Elena Escobar is 6621million stock tank bbl (MMstb) OOIP] source of CO is the associated natural manager of an R&D 2 gas produced with the oil in the feld. strategic project on (Escobar et. al. 1997).

Early results show that the tested EOR thermal EOR and has

Current applications process has the potential to be successful. worked at the Repsol

Additionally, Repsol and Petrobras

A number of feld examples show the Technology Center have evaluated different chemical EOR increasing importance of offshore EOR (CTR) as a consultant application. for oil recovery since technologies (i.e. polymers, surfactants, and low-salinity water fooding) for the

Offshore EOR projects have been 2007. Over the last 27 years, Elena has

Albacora-Leste feld in deepwater (about applied in North Sea felds since 1976 been involved in enhanced oil recovery 2300m), off Brazil (Abdelmawla 2013). (Awan, Teigland, Kleppe 2006). EOR off- (EOR) projects for different oil companies

Albacora-Leste is a turbidity reservoir, with shore processes in this region have been and research institutes. During that time, focused on fve technologies and 19 feld she has also been a technical leader for very high salinity (80,000-90,000ppm) formation brine. Currently, Repsol and application projects such as hydrocarbon different thermal and gas EOR projects gas injection (six miscible feld applica- and pilot projects. From 2007 to 2009,

Petrobras are working together to go ahead with a chemical EOR pilot test. tions); water-alternate-gas (WAG) injection Elena had also served as mentor of the

Di Pietro et al. (2014) evaluated recover- (three miscible and six immiscible feld Repsol reservoir knowledge community. able crude oil resources associated with applications); simultaneous water & gas Elena has a PhD in Petroleum

CO -EOR to 531 offshore oil felds in GOM. (SWAG) injection (one feld application); Engineering from Texas A&M University.

2

Buoyancy, insulation and

Booth 1611 elastomer products

Trust us with your project success

With decades of experience working on the highest pro?le deepwater projects in the world you can count on us. Professionally and personally.

Balmoral O?shore Engineering www.balmoralo?shore.com oedigital.com June 2014 | OE 51 050_IE0614_ProdOps4_Repsol.indd 51 5/22/14 10:20 PM