ITF MEOR Conceptual Study Underway
Duncan Anderson (d.anderson@oil-itf.com) is Technology Manager - Subsurface at ITF. Here he reports on a MEOR Conceptual Study that ITF is supporting.
MEOR Conceptual Study
ITF (Industry Technology Facilitator) is a not for profit company that is owned and supported by its member companies, which are currently all oil and gas operators. It is a mechanism through which these companies fund innovative technology development. Since it was established in 1999, ITF has launched 85 joint industry technology development projects, and 18 field trials.
As part of a broader theme that aims to develop practical technologies to maximise hydrocarbon recovery, a group of ITF’s members have supported a conceptual study to address the realistic potential that microbial EOR offers.
The study, which is being undertaken by a group led by Dr Murray Gray at the University of Alberta, will consider all the possible microbial mechanisms for enhancing recovery factor, and recommend which have significant potential for providing reproducible additional hydrocarbon recovery under realistic reservoir conditions.
Chemical and reservoir engineering aspects are to be addressed, as well as the microbiology and mass balance of the processes. The study will consider the role of indigenous and introduced bacteria, including aerobic MEOR process, and assess the feasibility of mechanisms such as IFT reduction, wettability changes, flow pattern changes, gas production and acid production.
The study is due to be completed at the end of April 2007. The report will make recommendations on the development work required to progress any feasible MEOR mechanisms to the point where they could be deployed with confidence by a reservoir management team.