Evaluation of Unrecovered Mobile Oil in Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico

Abstract

Abstract This paper summarizes the technical findings of a regional assessment of oil recovery potential through advanced primary and secondary processes for reservoirs in Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico. Intensive infill drilling, polymer-augmented waterflooding, permeability profile modification, and selected combinations of these processes show significant promise for increasing recovery and sweep efficiencies in certain geologic reservoir settings. Given the current technical development and costs of these processes, their application could be feasible in a wide range of reservoirs in the region analyzed, even at oil prices below $20/Bbl. These advanced recovery techniques are all directed at producing unrecovered mobile oil (UMO), which is displaceable by waterflooding but remains in the reservoir at the conclusion of conventional production due to reservoir heterogeneity and unfavorable mobility differences between water and oil. The analysis, which was sponsored by the Department of Energy's Bartlesville Project Office and Office of Planning and Environment, evaluates nearly 500 reservoirs described in the data base. The data base, process predictive models, and analytical methodology used in the study are described in this paper. In addition, Important case study results and comparisons to published results for key reservoirs and other detailed analyses are discussed. The results indicate that UMO extraction has significant future potential to increase oil reserves and maintain domestic production. This potential is large even at low to moderate oil prices and utilizing existing technology. However, the key to maximizing UMO recovery is the development and wide-scale application of advanced techniques resulting from focused research and development (R&D).