Objective
The overall objective of the project was to increase the amount of usable crude oil produced during primary and subsequent recovery phase in north sea reservoirs.
This work culminated with a field test (onshore) at the forties oil treatment plant which substantiated test rig results. The function of the test rig and associated laboratory test procedures has been explained to many european manufacturers of additives. The problems associated with the production of surfactant and polymer contaminated oils that might arise from tertiary recovery operations have been investigated.
The developments listed above were supported by an associated programme of more fundamental research. A paper covering part of this project was presented at the eec Luxemburg symposium in April 1979.
A range of in-reservoir oil displacement fluids was investigated . In particular a microemulsion fluid was developed to raise the injectivity of water injection wells by displacing flow impeding residual crude oil out of the critical flow zone around the well perforations. This development was continued through rigorous laboratory simulation tests and large scale plant blending to a successful full scale test with a forties field injection well. Other development of surfactants and temperature sensitive polymer solutions was terminated at the laboratory test phase.
The separation of co-produced water from crude oil is a major operation in the later life of most oilfields. Work on identifying the optimum conditions for achieving this within offshore platform restrictions was carried out. A unique test rig was built and was successfully used to identify optimum conditions and chemical additives for north sea crude oils.
Programme(s)
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DEM - Demonstration contractsCoordinator
EC24 9BU London
United Kingdom