Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) Strategies: Maximising Oil and Gas Production
In today’s competitive oil and gas industry, Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) strategies are essential for maximising the recovery of hydrocarbons from existing fields. By implementing advanced recovery techniques, operators can extend field life, improve production efficiency, and optimise economic returns. EOR is a critical element in planning and executing effective field development plans (FDP) and ensuring that both technical and financial objectives are met.
What Are Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) Strategies?
Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) strategies encompass a range of methods designed to extract additional oil beyond primary and secondary recovery phases. While primary recovery relies on natural reservoir pressure and secondary recovery typically uses water flooding (WF) or gas injection, EOR employs more advanced techniques to mobilise residual oil. Common EOR methods include:
- Thermal recovery: Using heat to reduce oil viscosity and improve flow
- Chemical injection: Adding polymers or surfactants to improve displacement efficiency
- Gas injection: Injecting CO₂, nitrogen, or natural gas to maintain pressure and enhance oil sweep
By selecting the appropriate EOR strategy, operators can significantly increase the ultimate recovery factor, turning previously uneconomic reservoirs into productive assets.
Linking EOR Strategies to Technical and Economic Planning
Successful implementation of EOR strategies requires integration with technical studies and economic evaluation. Key elements include:
- Integrated reservoir studies: Analysing reservoir properties, fluid characteristics, and well performance to determine the most effective EOR method
- Field Development Plan (FDP): Designing well placement, injection patterns, and production schedules to optimise recovery while minimising costs
- Improved Oil Recovery (IOR) and Water Flooding (WF): Evaluating the efficiency of secondary recovery methods and how they complement EOR techniques
- Costing and economic for oil and gas projects: Assessing the financial viability of EOR interventions, including capital expenditure, operational costs, and projected incremental oil production
This integrated approach ensures that technical decisions are aligned with economic objectives, maximising both production and return on investment.
Benefits of Implementing EOR Strategies
Adopting robust EOR strategies provides multiple advantages:
- Increases ultimate recovery from mature fields
- Extends field life and defers abandonment
- Improves cash flow and asset valuation
- Enhances the efficiency of secondary recovery methods such as IOR and water flooding
- Supports more informed investment and operational decisions through integrated reservoir studies and economic analysis
Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) strategies are a vital tool for unlocking the full potential of oil and gas fields. By integrating EOR into a comprehensive Field Development Plan (FDP) and leveraging insights from integrated reservoir studies, operators can optimise production while ensuring the project remains economically viable. Coupled with careful costing and economic analysis, EOR enables mature and challenging reservoirs to deliver additional value, supporting sustainable growth and maximising the return on investment in oil and gas projects.
