×
INTELLIGENT WORK FORUMS
FOR ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS

Log In

Come Join Us!

Are you an
Engineering professional?
Join Eng-Tips Forums!
  • Talk With Other Members
  • Be Notified Of Responses
    To Your Posts
  • Keyword Search
  • One-Click Access To Your
    Favorite Forums
  • Automated Signatures
    On Your Posts
  • Best Of All, It's Free!
  • Students Click Here

*Eng-Tips's functionality depends on members receiving e-mail. By joining you are opting in to receive e-mail.

Posting Guidelines

Promoting, selling, recruiting, coursework and thesis posting is forbidden.

Students Click Here

Jobs

Electricity used in EOR
2

Electricity used in EOR

Electricity used in EOR

(OP)
I will try this again...
I am working with a Russian company that has a patented technology of using the existing production casings of two well points (a maximum 2km away from each other and a maximum depth of 3km deep) to inject both high frequency and low frequency waves into an oil reservoir to increase the productivity (as a tertiary EOR method).
From my understanding there must be some water in the reservoir to aid in the transmission (either natural intrusion or by water flooding) - the waves then create microexplosions in the smallest passagewaves opening them a bit wider to allow the oil to flow to the well points. The water is vaporized into steam which helps temporarily pressurize the reservoir and aid in water cut (as well as creating heat which allows the oil to pool). The end result is that a single treatment (of 24 to 48 hours) will get gains of 15% or greater and last 2 to 5 years. It uses a relatively small amount of electricity (a generator running for the treatment duration will require several tanks of fuel - which is relatively a small cost in the overall picture).
The cost is relatively small as the upfront cost involve only mobilization and a small fee - with the main cost being charged after several months of "proven" increases.
While I have seen it first hand and realize its potential I am having a hard time convincing producers in North America to try it.
TO get more information, there was an article posted on www.thegeospecialists.com about the technology however I no longer see it there. I think they can point you in the right direction for more information.

The main problem is this:
1) The technology has been primarily in Kazakhstan and the former Soviet states.
2) Primarily Russian oil companies have used this technology and getting references that are accepted are just not possible. (I understand that Saudi Aramco has investigated this process and will do a pilot test program sometime this year - or so I am told)

My questions are as follows:
A) Has anyone (either a producer or engineering company) seen this technology?
B) Can anyone verify how well it works?
C) In today's world, where "exploitation" may bring faster results than "exploration", does this technology have a place in North America where EOR method typically require long term treatments with expensive infrastructure?
D) Any ideas of how to approach oil producers to try this method?
Thanks

RE: Electricity used in EOR

Well, that sounds really interesting.  Have you tried contacting one of the national labs?  They might have some interest or exposure.

RE: Electricity used in EOR

I'd ask the SPE (Society of Petroelum Engineers) if they've heard of it. To get wider exposure to this technoloy, I;d either present an SPE parer at one of their conferences or for one of their publications.  Failing that, I'd try and get one of the trade magazines- Harts E&P  or World Oil say, to publish something.

Most oil companies are nervous about being the first people to do something (apart from Norway's Statoil- they love being the first!), especialy something that's a little strange and from the former Soviet Union.

Red Flag This Post

Please let us know here why this post is inappropriate. Reasons such as off-topic, duplicates, flames, illegal, vulgar, or students posting their homework.

Red Flag Submitted

Thank you for helping keep Eng-Tips Forums free from inappropriate posts.
The Eng-Tips staff will check this out and take appropriate action.

Reply To This Thread

Posting in the Eng-Tips forums is a member-only feature.

Click Here to join Eng-Tips and talk with other members!


Resources