Enhanced Oil Recovery Page
Conventional EOR Methods
Department of Energy (DOE) has estimated that full use of 'next generation' EOR in United States could generate an additional 240 billion barrels of recoverable oil resources.
Enhanced Oil Recovery (abbreviated EOR) is a generic term for any technique used to increase the amount of oil extracted from an oil field after the primary and secondary production stage. EOR has been receiving much more attention over the last few years due mainly to the soaring price of oil and the enormous market value of the remaining entrapped oil.
The typical drilling cycle of an oil well involves two stages:
1. The Primary Stage - Utilizes the oil well's natural pressure to release the oil - taps about 25% of the reserve
2. The Secondary Stage - Utilizes additional pressure, usually water, to release the oil - taps an additional 15% of the reserve
This leaves about 60% of the oil reserve still entrapped, or stuck in the ground due to more extreme geological conditions.
"With oil prices topping $100/barrel, interest in EOR in this country has never been higher" Penn Energy, 2008
The benefits of EOR are clear:
* Increases overall oil production and supply
* Existing infrastructure/proven well already in place
* No new drilling exploration risk
* Enormous reserves of residual oil waiting to be re-tapped.
* The utilization of this process can extend the life of the average well without increasing excessive lifting costs.
Typically, the petroleum industry has used mechanical (steam/CO2) and chemical (Polymer) EOR processes to increase production in oil and gas wells. These chemical or synthetic based products have experienced only marginal success and provide short-term solutions with the following limitations:
Cost of chemicals and injection and lift equipment
Excessive chemical loss and gravity segregation renders it less effective
Hazardous to the workers and the environment
© 2008 Biosurfactant EOR, Inc.