Exploration & Production Technologies
Reservoir Characterization - EOR Imaging & Control
Advances in seismic imaging may help expand the application of enhanced oil recovery (EOR) to thousands of mature oil reservoirs across the United States. DOE-funded research could yield the technology keys to enable that growth. The reward for these efforts could be the addition of billions of barrels of oil to the Nation's reserves.
NETL research is underway to improve interdisciplinary reservoir characterization technologies and methods that are needed to more directly tie together reservoir rocks and fluid engineering parameters—from a geologic model to a reservoir engineering model—for simulating EOR processes. Imaging technology provides tools to accurately describe reservoirs and apply that information so as to predict oil locations, volume estimates, and responses to recovery processes.
Researchers are using these tools to develop new methods to interpret and integrate multiple data sets into refined geologic and engineering models. In turn, operators can use these models to find more bypassed oil reserves, further develop oilfields, and better manage EOR projects for maximum economic oil recovery.
NETL supports research in several areas of subsurface imaging designed to help operators optimize their EOR projects. Among the prominent areas of research are:
- High-resolution seismic monitoring in real time (a series of 3-D seismic surveys taken over time, or 4-D).
- Time-lapse seismic modeling and related processing of fluid data for use in carbon dioxide EOR and sequestration efforts.
- Reservoir simulation and modeling.
- Elastic wave field stratigraphy.
- Lithological indicator from full-waveform sonic to 3-D surface seismic.
- Seismic attenuation characterization.
- Next-generation modeling and imaging.
- Multi-component CO2 injection monitoring using crosswell electromagnetic imaging.
- Inversion of pre-stack and post-stack seismic data.
- Reservoir imaging using frequency-dependent seismic attributes.
Significant results have been accomplished, but more study is necessary in these disciplines in order for subsurface imaging techniques to reach their full potential in helping EOR project operators better characterize reservoirs and fluid behavior.
Bettering the performance of gels in shutting off water production in improved oil recovery operations boosts oil production and ultimate reserves recovery. At the same time, this benefits the environment by minimizing the handling and disposal of large volumes of produced water. NETL research used X-ray computed microtomography to demonstrate why gels reduce permeability to water more than to oil.
More on Reservoir Characterization
|
About NETL
E&P Technologies