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Sweep Improvement from the Lab to the Field
- Publisher: European Association of Geoscientists & Engineers
- Source: Conference Proceedings, IOR 2009 - 15th European Symposium on Improved Oil Recovery, Apr 2009, cp-124-00041
- ISBN: 978-90-73781-60-3
Abstract
In the early 1990 s BP pioneered the use of reservoir triggers for in-depth placement of chemical<br>treatments to improve water flood sweep efficiency. It was recognised that the most difficult cases<br>involved injection water thief zones that were in contact with lower permeability zones of high remaining<br>oil saturation. In such cases near well-bore treatments were ineffective and an in- depth block appeared to<br>be required to redistribute the pressures in the reservoir and mobilise the remaining oil. The lessons<br>learned from this work suggested that the most effective treatments would employ single component<br>materials placed deep in the formation. A particulate material was envisaged that was likened to popcorn.<br>It would move freely through the matrix rock until a reservoir trigger caused the particles to increase in<br>size to block thief zone pore throats.