EOR Technologies and Applications Towards 70% Recovery Factor Aspiration in Giant Carbonate Middle East Reservoirs

As part of enhanced oil recovery (EOR) strategic objectives to boost oil recovery towards 70% aspiration and demonstrate EOR as an attractive viable option for environmental Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS) applications, various conventional and novel EOR technologies and applications are being screened and studied to ensure meeting mandated objectives. Accordingly, number of EOR pilots and projects have grown substantially over recent years to ensure derisking the full field expansion uncertainties and challenges, especially in such carbonate reservoirs with harsh conditions of temperature (~ 250 F) and salinity (~ 200,000 ppm). Detailed screening study and performance review assessment have been conducted, in which gas and chemical based EOR technologies were identified for targeted reservoirs. The candidate reservoirs have a long history of EOR projects focusing on miscible hydrocarbon gas (HC) as early as 1996, which has supported oil production meeting forecast demand. On the other hand, as part of environmental driven strategy for CCUS and EOR applications, CO2 technology has been successfully progressing as EOR business case full-integrated cycle from pilot to field expansion during 2009-2016. In 2016, Al Reyadah has been launched as a unique commercial- scale CCUS facility in the region, that captures 800,000 tonnes of CO2 annually from Emirate Steel Industries and injects it into oilfields to boost crude recovery. Furthermore, novel EOR technologies have been screened and identified with significant potential added value, that includes SIMGAP, SIWAP, Surfactant, Polymer and others, which are currently under modeling and design phase for implementation within upcoming few years to boost recovery factor towards 70% aspiration. Development and piloting of latest technologies are among the main enablers to ensure fit-for purpose applications, proper planning and optimum design for ultimately maximum revenue economically. This paper presents a big-picture overview of EOR technologies with the focus on some cases, challenges and opportunities for super giant carbonate reservoirs.