scholarly journals Technical constraints limiting application of enhanced oil recovery techniques to petroleum production in the United States

1984 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Enhanced Oil Recovery ◽  
Oil Recovery ◽  
The United States ◽  
Petroleum Production ◽  
Recovery Techniques

Enhanced Oil-recovery and Its Environmental and Economic Implications in the United States

1981 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglas Argyle Campbell
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Enhanced Oil Recovery ◽  
Oil Recovery ◽  
Oil Production ◽  
The United States ◽  
Chemical Processes ◽  
Environmental Research ◽  
Thermal Processes ◽  
Microbiological Processes ◽  
The Earth

This survey has described the foreseeable environmental and economic impacts of enhanced oil-recovery (EOR) on U.S. oil production between 1980 and 2000. It has indicated that EOR production may be expected to rise from the approximately 4% of total U.S. oil production in 1980, to the projected approximations of 10.5% in 1985, 18.5% in 1990, 23% in 1995, and perhaps 30% in 2000. These percentages are substantial, particularly as this form of oil production has been, up until recently, quite limited. Many of the processes are still in the laboratory stage of development—particularly chemical and microbiological processes. With continued laboratory experimentation and field research, it is possible that the percentages could be even greater than the above suggestions as we reach into the 21st Century.The potential for EOR is very considerable and probably great, as it could involve some two-thirds of all the oil already identified in the United States and assumed to be unrecoverable by primary or secondary means. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has given important incentives to the EOR industry to make such increased production worth while through raising prices to compensate for the cost of equipment, and deducting expenditure on such equipment from a new ‘Windfall Profit Tax’.Along with EOR's economic potential, there are two major ecological dangers: air pollution through thermal processes, and ground-water pollution through chemical processes. It is essential to the well-being of the United States that clean air standards be adhered to, and that the equipment necessary to purify the air (particularly in California) be available and operate to reduce emissions.A great deal more research needs to be undertaken towards developing safeguards to ensure that drinkingwater is not contaminated by dangerous chemicals which may be used in ‘chemical flooding’ of depleted oil-wells. Many of these chemicals have merely ‘come out of the laboratory’ and are sold by chemical companies without sufficient field-testing. How far these chemicals could travel underground must still be determined. It is also important to ensure that carbon dioxide, fed into a geological formation, can be recaptured and re-injected without escaping into the atmosphere, where there is the potential danger of a global ‘greenhouse effect’ upon the world's temperature. Finally, it is important to safeguard the Earth against microbes which could be injected into its geological strata without sufficient knowledge of their impact on the ecology of the Earth. Thus, much environmental research will be called for with these new methods of producing oil for Man's use.This study has reviewed the four major methods of EOR that are currently being utilized or proposed— thermal processes, miscible and semi-miscible processes, chemical processes, and microbiological processes, and found that they could all have ongoing possibilities.Given appropriate environmental safeguards, EOR should become a major force in the production of energy for the United States over the next 20 years, and it seems reasonable to expect that much the same could apply to other parts of the world. However, it is important that safeguarding the environment should guide the DOE in terms of its incentive programmes for specific processes.

scholarly journals A Database and Probabilistic Assessment Methodology for Carbon Dioxide-enhanced Oil Recovery and Associated Carbon Dioxide Retention in the United States

2017 ◽  
Vol 114 ◽  
pp. 7055-7059 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter D. Warwick ◽  
Mahendra K. Verma ◽  
Emil D. Attanasi ◽  
Ricardo A. Olea ◽  
Madalyn S. Blondes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Enhanced Oil Recovery ◽  
Oil Recovery ◽  
The United States ◽  
Probabilistic Assessment ◽  
Assessment Methodology

An Analysis Of Underwater Oil Recovery Techniques

2005 ◽  
Vol 2005 (1) ◽  
pp. 883-893 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jim Elliott
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Water Depth ◽  
Oil Recovery ◽  
The United States ◽  
Recent Case ◽  
Technical Paper ◽  
Viscous Oil ◽  
Technological Advances ◽  
Recovery Techniques

ABSTRACT Historically, once a ship sank below the surface, the oil that remained onboard became inaccessible to responders. In the last few years, however, there has been a significant push by both regulators and salvors to go deeper below the surface to recover oil trapped within a shipwreck. Recent examples in the United States include the recovery of oil from the SS JACOB LUCKENBACH in a water depth greater than 175-feet seawater (fsw) and the attempt to recover oil from the T/V BOW MARINER at a depth greater than 265 fsw. This technical paper provides an analysis of recent technological advances available to recover oil at depth, from using saturation diving systems and manually connected viscous oil pumping systems to remotely operated vehicles and associated offloading systems. Recent case studies frame the presentation of advances in sub-sea oil recovery equipment and associated safety, logistical and financial considerations.

Applicability of Enhanced Oil Recovery techniques on mature fields - Interest of gas injection

2005 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frederic Maubeuge ◽  
Danielle Christine Morel ◽  
Jean-Pierre Charles Fossey ◽  
Said Hunedi ◽  
Jacques Albert Danquigny
Keyword(s):  
Enhanced Oil Recovery ◽  
Oil Recovery ◽  
Gas Injection ◽  
Recovery Techniques
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