Alkaline Surfactant Polymer Flooding To Revitalize Oil Production from a Mature Water Flooded Field

Ansarizadeh, Mehdi; Weatherstone, Petrina; Strong, Jeff

doi:10.2118/155541-ms

Cited by 5 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 1 publication

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“…ASP injection may begin on January 2014. From the paper by Ansarizadeh et al ., an ASP project was carried out in the Instow field in Canada. But detailed data were not found in searching the SPE OnePetro.…”

Section: Summary Of Pilots and Large‐scale Applicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A comprehensive review of alkaline–surfactant–polymer (ASP) flooding

Sheng

2014

Asia-Pacific J Chem Eng

219

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Alkaline-surfactant-polymer (ASP) flooding is a combination process in which alkali, surfactant, and polymer are injected in the same slug. Because of the synergy of these three components, ASP is the current worldwide focus of research and field trial in chemical enhanced oil recovery (EOR).This paper is to provide a comprehensive review of the ASP process. The reviewed topics include the following: ASP MECHANISMSBefore presenting the synergy of ASP process, the mechanisms of each individual component are discussed first. Mechanisms of polymer floodingThe process of polymer flooding is same as waterflooding except that polymer is added in the water so that the solution viscosity is increased. Sometimes, it is called thickened waterflooding. It is well known that when the Screening criteria for broader EOR processes were discussed by several researchers, e.g. Lake et al., [21] Taber et al., [22,23] Al-Bahar et al., [24] Dickson et al., [20] and Al-Adasani and Bai (2010). [25] Some of the Asia-Pacific Journal of Chemical Engineering A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF ASP FLOODING 473 S o ÀS or 1ÀS or ÀS wc : Here S o , S or, and S wc are oil saturation, residual oil saturation, and connate water saturation, respectively. The proposed mobility control requirement provides a criterion for mobility control design for an ASP project. PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH ASP FLOODINGCommon operational problems in an ASP project are low injectivity, polymer degradation, difficulty to separate J. J. SHENG Asia-Pacific Journal of Chemical Engineering 482 produced water from oil, pump failures, bacterial growth, corrosion, problems related logistics, and handling, especially in an offshore environment. [84] This section discusses issues resulting from ASP applications, including produced emulsion, chromatographic separation, precipitation and scaling, and others.

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Section: Summary Of Pilots and Large‐scale Applicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A comprehensive review of alkaline–surfactant–polymer (ASP) flooding

Sheng

2014

Asia-Pacific J Chem Eng

219

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“…[1--4] The ASP flooding with water, under favorable conditions, can lead to mobilization of the residual oil and improved displacement efficiency. [5,6] Even though success of the ASP has been mostly demonstrated in laboratory test, ASP flooding is very sensitive to heterogeneities in the reservoir, and it is necessary to have a comprehensive investigation of ASP flooding in reservoirs with different petrophysical properties for a wider and more successful implementation. [4] Surfactant solution tends to decrease the interfacial tension (IFT) between oil and injected fluid, altering the reservoir wettability toward water-wetted one, and improves the sweep efficiency through creating macroemulsions or microemulsions with oil and water.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…[3] Polymer injection enhances the sweep efficiency of the flooding though increasing the viscosity of the injecting fluid, which results in better mobility controlling. [5,7] Literature review This section is devoted to a brief review regarding the novel studies carried out in the chemical-based EOR techniques. The aim of this section is not to go deep into the studies regarding ASP chemical agents or a combination of them; instead, it is intended to give an insight about the trend in the recent studies conducted in the chemical-based techniques.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Experimentally investigation of the effects of nanoparticles‐enriched ASP formulations on the spontaneous imbibition in a fractured sandstone reservoir

Rahimi

Adibifard

Hemmati³

et al. 2015

Asia-Pacific J Chem Eng

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Among the chemical methods used in oil industry to boost the ultimate oil recovery, ASP (alkaline surfactant polymer) flooding has gained much attention because of beneficial effects related to simultaneous usage of three different chemical agents. This study is devoted to investigate the separate influences of each chemical agent in the ASP on the attained oil recovery. Furthermore, four different ASP formulations are prepared, and effects of hydrophilic nanoparticles are examined on the ASP spontaneous imbibition process. The utilized core sample in all experiment series belongs to one of the Iranian-fractured sandstone reservoirs. Interfacial tension and contact angle measurements were also included in the experiments to investigate the effects of chemical solutions as well as hydrophilic nanoparticles on the indicated parameters. Results of the experiments indicate that ASP is an appropriate Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) approach not only because effects of each chemical agent on the recovered oil but also because beneficial effects relevant to combination of these chemical solutions. It was also revealed that inclusion of the nanoparticles can significantly increase the ultimate oil recovery because of additional decrease in the interfacial tension of the system and altering the rock's wettability toward a more water-wetted one. Therefore, inclusion of the nanoparticles in the ASP systems should be considered for future ASP implementing schemes.

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Practical Chemical Formulation Design – Time to Break Away from Micellar Polymer Floods, Again

Dean¹,

Pitts²,

Wyatt³

et al. 2020

Day 3 Wed, September 02, 2020

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With a resurgence of chemical EOR opportunities throughout the world, high concentration surfactant design has re-emerged its uneconomic face. High concentration surfactant formulation is the micellar polymer design from the past that produced high oil recoveries in the lab but were uneconomic in the field. Formulation designs must consider factors beyond simply oil recovery for economic success and to minimize production issues in the field. Analysis and comparison of micellar polymer design projects from the 1970-1980s to current SP/ASP formulation designs are discussed. A simple formulation cost calculator is showcased, costs of all formulations are presented, and price per incremental barrel produced (chemical cost only) are shown assuming a 0.1 PV of incremental recovery. Analysis concludes the following: Micellar polymer floods were phased out because they were uneconomic. Key reasons are high cost of surfactant and emulsion problems faced when produced surfactant concentration exceed a certain threshold resulting in either greater production cost or disposal of produced oil in the form an unbreakable emulsion. Alkali can improve economics as a low-cost commodity product that can be used to reduce surfactant concentration required to attain high oil recoveries. Alkali is an order of magnitude lower cost per pound than the typical surfactant and can be used as an enhancing agent to improve the performance of other injected chemicals. Alkali is not a "silver bullet" that will save economics, and adds challenges and cost for water softening, which can be economically detrimental to field projects. Many high concentration surfactant formulation floods are being re-introduced to the industry. Not only are these designs un-economic but include multiple chemicals that add complexity and cost to the facilities and difficulty for facility personnel. A formulation that requires more than $20 of chemical per barrel of incremental oil is unlikely to be economic with $50/bbl oil. Key differences between laboratory results and field implementation results are discussed. Geologic uncertainty is addressed since it is the greatest challenge to field economic success. The industry is taking steps back to an uneconomic time of chemical EOR by obscuring the difference between designs meant to increase reserves (economic oil) versus those that serve an academic or research purpose. Operators are unwittingly paying the price to advance the science of chemical EOR when service companies provide formulations that are not economic. This paper is meant to remind the industry that high concentration surfactant formulations never were economic and certainly will not be economic in today's price environment.

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Alkaline Surfactant Polymer Flooding To Revitalize Oil Production from a Mature Water Flooded Field

Cited by 5 publications

References 1 publication

A comprehensive review of alkaline–surfactant–polymer (ASP) flooding

A comprehensive review of alkaline–surfactant–polymer (ASP) flooding

Experimentally investigation of the effects of nanoparticles‐enriched ASP formulations on the spontaneous imbibition in a fractured sandstone reservoir

Practical Chemical Formulation Design – Time to Break Away from Micellar Polymer Floods, Again

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