DTI Improved Oil Recovery Research Dissemination Seminar (part of DEVEX 2005)
The DTI's improved oil recovery (IOR) seminar, held annually to disseminate the findings from joint industry research projects (JIPs) where DTI is one of the sponsors, was combined with DEVEX 2005. DEVEX (the production and development conference) 2005 was held at the Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre on 18 and 19 May 2005. Around 300 delegates registered and attended. David Hughes (davidavid.hughes@senergyrml.com) with Senergy Ltd in Aberdeen and editor of IOR Views presents some of the highlights.
Background
Since the mid-1970s the UK government, initially through the Department of Energy and then through DTI, has conducted an R&D programme in the area of Improved Oil Recovery. Since then the programme has been expanded to include the environmental aspects of hydrocarbon extraction activity, and has also subsumed what used to be the department’s Offshore Geology Programme. This programme is administered within DTI’s Energy Resources Development Unit (EDRU) and is now known as the Oil and Gas – Maximising Recovery Programme (OG-MRP).
The programme is mainly regulatory driven but has a component for co-sponsoring research, in the form of JIPs at UK universities and commercial research organisations, on topics that have clear links to its regulatory remit. Dissemination of new knowledge and “best practice” is a key objective of OG-MRP, for example the annual IOR dissemination seminar is a way of achieving this.
As the DTI is keen to maximise the exposure of the findings that flow from the research it sponsors, for 2005 it took the decision to combine its annual IOR seminar with DEVEX to achieve a wider audience.
Jackie Banner from the DTI talks to a Delegate on the DTI’s Exhibition Stand at DEVEX 2005
Themes of DEVEX 2005
DEVEX 2005 was organised by PESGB, DTI, AFES and SPE Aberdeen Section. In addition to incorporating the DTI annual IOR seminar, it featured a half day session on the morning of 18 May dedicated to “Winning Heavy Oil” which follows on from earlier Heavy Oil Workshops organised by the DTI in 2004 (see http://heavyoil.senergyltd.com/events.asp). There is a separate report on the heavy oil session by Nigel Brealey in this issue of IOR Views.
The session themes for DEVEX 2005 were Greenfields, Enabling Technologies, Heavy Oil, Integrated Modelling, Reservoir Characterisation, Brownfields, Reservoir Characterisation through Seismic Technology, and Rock Mechanics and Fluid Modelling. The presentations relating to the DTI-sponsored JIPs were fitted in under these themes as appropriate.
Breakfast
There was a high attendance for breakfast on the first day when Mike Wagstaff, Chief Executive of Venture Production plc, was the keynote speaker. Mike spoke of Venture’s business model as an independent oil and gas production company, the need for good access to mature infrastructure and the requirement to attract staff keen to solve challenging problems and see their solutions implemented.
He challenged the industry to reach a more stable equilibrium between the producers and the service sector regarding pricing. When the oil price was low ($20-25/barrel) the operators were able to call the tune regarding prices, but now the oil price is high (around $50/barrel) the balance has switched to the service sector. Mike felt that energy was undervalued in society, illustrating this by holding up a bottle of mineral water which he claimed, although relatively easy to find and bottle, costs more per litre than petrol!
Mike Wagstaff, Chief Executive of Venture Production plc, Addressing DEVEX 2005 Delegates at Breakfast
Papers from DTI-sponsored JIPs
A full list of the papers relating to DTI-sponsored JIPs that were presented is given below. These can all be downloaded from here (http://www.og-mrp.com/dissemination/d-rep-DEVEX05.html) on the main OG-MRP website.
- Uncertainty and Upscaling in Reservoir Modelling, M A Christie et al, Heriot-Watt University
- Flow Assurance: Gas Hydrates and Wax, B Tohidi et al, Heriot-Watt University
- Flow Assurance: Micro and Macro-Scale Evaluation of Low Dosage Hydrate Inhibitors, B Tohidi et al, Heriot-Watt University
- Gas Condensate Recovery Studies: Well Deliverability Prediction and Enhancement, A Danesh et al, Heriot-Watt University
- Outcrop Characterisation of Transgressive Sandstone Reservoirs, Gary J. Hampson et al, Imperial College
- Fast Estimation of Risk, Peter King, Imperial College
- Blind Identification of Seismic Signals, M van der Baan et al, University of Leeds
- Predictive Pore-Scale Modelling, Martin J. Blunt et al, Imperial College
- Coreflooding, Simulation and Network Modelling of Water-Alternating-Gas (WAG) Injection, A Danesh, M I J van Dijke et al, Heriot-Watt University
- Phase Behaviour and Properties of Reservoir Fluids: Reservoir Fluid Sampling and Properties of HPHT Fluids, F Gozalpour et al, Heriot-Watt University