Enhanced Oil Recovery Processes - New Technologies

2019 ◽  
Energies ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (24) ◽  
pp. 4671 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oscar E. Medina ◽  
Carol Olmos ◽  
Sergio H. Lopera ◽  
Farid B. Cortés ◽  
Camilo A. Franco

The increasing demand for fossil fuels and the depleting of light crude oil in the next years generates the need to exploit heavy and unconventional crude oils. To face this challenge, the oil and gas industry has chosen the implementation of new technologies capable of improving the efficiency in the enhanced recovery oil (EOR) processes. In this context, the incorporation of nanotechnology through the development of nanoparticles and nanofluids to increase the productivity of heavy and extra-heavy crude oils has taken significant importance, mainly through thermal enhanced oil recovery (TEOR) processes. The main objective of this paper is to provide an overview of nanotechnology applied to oil recovery technologies with a focus on thermal methods, elaborating on the upgrading of the heavy and extra-heavy crude oils using nanomaterials from laboratory studies to field trial proposals. In detail, the introduction section contains general information about EOR processes, their weaknesses, and strengths, as well as an overview that promotes the application of nanotechnology. Besides, this review addresses the physicochemical properties of heavy and extra-heavy crude oils in Section 2. The interaction of nanoparticles with heavy fractions such as asphaltenes and resins, as well as the variables that can influence the adsorptive phenomenon are presented in detail in Section 3. This section also includes the effects of nanoparticles on the other relevant mechanisms in TEOR methods, such as viscosity changes, wettability alteration, and interfacial tension reduction. The catalytic effect influenced by the nanoparticles in the different thermal recovery processes is described in Sections 4, 5, 6, and 7. Finally, Sections 8 and 9 involve the description of an implementation plan of nanotechnology for the steam injection process, environmental impacts, and recent trends. Additionally, the review proposes critical stages in order to obtain a successful application of nanoparticles in thermal oil recovery processes.


2021 ◽  
pp. 51725
Author(s):  
Conny Cerai Ferreira ◽  
Thais Barros Gomes Silva ◽  
Agatha Densy dos Santos Francisco ◽  
Lucas Bandeira ◽  
Renato D. Cunha ◽  
...  

2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 69 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristiano José de Andrade ◽  
Gláucia Maria Pastore

Worldwide oil production has been declining. Microbial enhanced oil recovery is one of the most important tertiary recovery processes. The aim of this work was to evaluate the surface activity properties of surfactin and mannosylerithritol lipids-B. In our previous studies, surfactin and mannosylerithritol lipids were produced using cassava wastewater as substrate and then purified by ultrafiltration. Thus, this work extends our previous studies. Experiments of surface activity under extreme conditions (temperature, ionic strength and pH), oil displacement, removal of oil from sand and emulsification index were carried out. Central composite rotational design was performed under extreme conditions of temperature, pH and ionic strength. The results indicated that ionic strength significantly affected the surface activity of surfactin. On the other hand, ionic strength, but also temperature and pH significantly affected the tenso activity of mannosylerithritol lipids-B. Regarding oil displacement test, mannosylerithritol lipids-B showed higher clear zone than surfactin. Contrary, in the experiments of removal of crude oil from sand, minimal differences were observed between surfactin and mannosylerithritol lipids-B. Therefore, both surfactin and mannosylerithritol lipids-B showed good surface activity under extreme conditions. In addition, it seems that mannosylerithritol lipids-B is subtly better than surfactin for microbial enhanced oil recovery.


2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. L. Delgadillo-Aya ◽  
M.L.. L. Trujillo-Portillo ◽  
J.M.. M. Palma-Bustamante ◽  
E.. Niz-Velasquez ◽  
C. L. Rodríguez ◽  
...  

Abstract Software tools are becoming an important ally in making decisions on the development or implementation of an enhanced oil recovery processes from the technical, financial or risk point of view. This work, can be manually developed in some cases, but becomes more efficient and precise with the help of these tools. In Ecopetrol was developed a tool to make technical and economic evaluation of enhanced oil recovery processes such as air injection, both cyclic and continuous steam injection, and steam assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) and hot water injection. This evaluation is performed using different types of analysis as binary screening, analogies, benchmarking, and prediction using analytical models and financial and risk analysis. All these evaluations are supported by a comprehensive review that has allowed initially find favorable conditions for different recovery methods evaluated, and get a probability of success based on this review. Subsequently, according to the method can be used different prediction methods, given an idea of the process behavior for a given period. Based on the prediction results, it is possible to feed the software to generate a financial assessment process, in line with cash flow previously developed that incorporates all the elements to be considered during the implementation of a project. This allows for greater support to the choice or not the application of a method. Finally the tool to evaluate the levels of risks that outlines the development of the project based on the existing internal methodology in the company, identifying the main and level of criticality and define actions for prevention, mitigation and risk elimination.


2021 ◽  
pp. 249-275
Author(s):  
Xiaohu Dong ◽  
Huiqing Liu ◽  
Zhangxin Chen

2021 ◽  
pp. 297-312
Author(s):  
Xiaohu Dong ◽  
Huiqing Liu ◽  
Zhangxin Chen

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