Polymer Flooding with the Polysaccharide Schizophyllan - First Field Trial Results

. For the first field trial an existing fermentation plant at BASF’s industrial compound at Ludwigshafen, Germany, has being expanded to include a pilot plant for the production of a sufficient amount of Schizophyllan. In this field trial Schizophyllan is being injected for the first time into a mature oil field in Northern Germany. New wells were drilled in the selected project area and surface facilities for polymer storage and mixing and oil transportation were constructed. One of the new wells was drilled as an observation well fairly close to the injection well, to provide quick information on the project progress. Microbiological surveillance, pressure monitoring using permanent down-hole gauges and frequent production tests are performed to monitor the progress of the polymer trial. The paper summarizes learnings from the implementation phase and provides first results of the biopolymer injection. The surveillance plan will be discussed, and the challenges posed by planning and executing a new technology trial in a mature oil field are highlighted.