Enhanced recovery

Efforts Lead to Formulation of High-Performance ASP

The paper describes the development of an alkaline/surfactant/polymer formulation for the Mangala field in India, which involved more than 30 corefloods.

Photograph of initial formulation with Mangala crude after 11 days at 62°C (WOR=2.33).
Photograph of initial formulation with Mangala crude after 11 days at 62°C (WOR=2.33).

Mangala is a large low-salinity, high-quality fluvial oil field in India with stock-tank oil initially in place (STOIIP) of more than 1 billion bbl of waxy and moderately viscous crude. Aqueous-based chemical enhanced oil recovery (EOR) has been identified as the most suitable technique to improve recovery over waterflooding. The objective of the complete paper is to describe alkaline/surfactant/polymer (ASP) formulation development for Mangala, which involved more than 30 corefloods at the time of writing, with formulation design changing over time.

Field Background

The Mangala field has been regarded as an excellent chemical EOR candidate since its discovery in 2004. The main reservoir unit is divided into the Lower and Upper Fatehgarh formations. These units are subdivided into five reservoir units, FM1 to FM5 from top to bottom.

Mangala contains waxy sweet crude oil with gravity ranging from 20 °API near the oil/water contact to 28 °API in the oil column.

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