The Advantages of the Application of Automated Work Flows to Coreflood Testing: Introducing the Next Generation of BP's Advanced EOR Testing Capability

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Abstract Coreflood testing forms the basis of the development and deployment of Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) technologies; allowing reservoir engineers to simulate reservoir-scale enhanced oil production curves from measurements made on individual pieces of reservoir core. Coreflood testing has undergone continued development during the last 30 years, such as, the development of in-situ saturation monitoring, the use of reservoir condition coreflood techniques and development of procedures for low salinity coreflood testing. These tests still form a significant part of the time required to build a "pyramid of proof" to support EOR technology deployment. In this paper we will describe the results of the application of advanced robotic technology and automated workflows to waterflood core testing; demonstrating a significant increase in test capacity without loss of data quality and accelerating the development and deployment of new EOR technology. This will be the first publication of results obtained through sustained operation of the automated coreflood unit. BP has pioneered the implementation of a number of EOR technologies such as LoSal® EOR and Bright Water™ sweep enhancement chemistry and is developing new technologies to further extend the amount of oil it is possible to recover economically. This work led to a significant increase in demand for coreflood capacity and consequently a project was initiated to investigate how automation could be used to meet this demand. The project resulted in the design, construction and validation of what, to our knowledge, is the world's first automated coreflood laboratory. The focal point of the laboratory is an integrated, computer-controlled robotic system that manages all aspects of the coreflood process in a continuous operation. In addition, the laboratory includes a dedicated liquid handling robotic system which manages samples to deliver detailed analysis of produced oil and water. The paper will include a description of the workflow and illustrate the benefits in terms of increased capacity, reduced operator interventions and improved HSSE performance without compromising the data quality. Insights gained through increased analysis capacity will be demonstrated. The laboratory has been operating at full capacity for a significant period and the paper will present a description of the unit and a selection of the data generated. These will include operability data and core characterization data such as dispersion, permeability and oil production. Representative data from low salinity studies will illustrate the type of mechanistic understanding that can be gained from a combination of the increased test capacity and integration of analytical methods. The full range of testing capability to support EOR technology development and deployment will be summarised together with a view of how the automated coreflood laboratory fits with the other capabilities to deliver the goal of the safe, efficient and economic deployment of EOR technology.