SPE 143287

EOR Potential in the Middle East: Current and Future Trends

Saad M. Al-Mutairi, SPE and Sunil L. Kokal, SPE, Saudi Aramco
Copyright 2011, Society of Petroleum Engineers
This paper was prepared for presentation at the SPE EUROPEC/EAGE Annual Conference and Exhibition held in Vienna, Austria, 2326 May 2011.
This paper was selected for presentation by an SPE program committee following review of information contained in an abstract submitted by the author(s). Contents of the paper have not been
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Abstract
The majority of enhanced oil recovery (EOR) projects are being executed in the the U.S., Canada, Venezuela, Indonesia and
China. The volume of oil produced by EOR methods increased considerably from 1.2 MMBD in 1990 to 2.5 MMBD in 2006
(Sandrea and Sandrea 2007). Current total world oil production from EOR is approaching 3 MMBD representing about 3.5%
of the daily global oil production (Sandrea and Sandrea 2007). Thermal and CO2 methods are the major contributors to EOR
production, followed by hydrocarbon gas injection and chemical EOR. Other more esoteric methods, e.g., microbial, have only
been field tested, without any significant quantities being produced on a commercial scale. In recent years, the number of EOR
projects has increased with escalating oil prices.
The number of EOR projects in the Middle East (ME) has also increased over the past decade. In some countries like Oman,
there has been no choice but to implement EOR projects aggressively due to dwindling easy oil. Other countries in the
region have also started to think EOR, and are including them in their strategic short-, medium- and long-term development
plans. Furthermore, there are many projects on the drawing board and appropriate screening studies and EOR pilots are being
pursued region-wide. This paper reviews the current ME EOR projects from full-field development to field trials, including
those on the drawing board. The option of advanced secondary recovery (ASR) also known as improved oil recovery (IOR)
technologies before full-field deployment of EOR is also discussed. A case is made that they are a better first option before
deployment of capital-intensive EOR projects. The MEs general drive towards ultimate oil recovery instead of
immediate oil recovery is highlighted in the context of EOR. Some of the enablers for EOR in the ME are also discussed in
the paper. It highlights the opportunities and challenges of EOR specific to the region.
Introduction
EOR process is a tertiary oil recovery method representing the last stage in a fields life. Figure 1 shows the definition of
various oil recovery terms, as defined by the Society of Petroleum Engineers (Stosur 2003, Stosur et al. 2003). Primary and
secondary recovery (conventional recovery) targets the mobile oil in the reservoir and tertiary recovery, or EOR, targets the
immobile oil (that cannot be produced due to capillary and/or viscous forces).

Fig. 1 EOR/IOR definition.

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Primary, secondary and tertiary (EOR) recovery methods follow a natural progression of oil production from the start to a
point where it is no longer economical to produce from the hydrocarbon reservoir. EOR processes attempt to recover oil
beyond secondary methods, or whats left. Recovery, especially EOR, is intimately tied to the price of oil and overall
economics. On average, the worldwide recovery factor from conventional (primary and secondary) recovery methods is about
a third of what was originally present in the reservoir. This factor implies that the target for EOR is substantial ( of the
resource base). Improving the recovery factor can be achieved by deploying advanced IOR technologies using best-in-class
reservoir management practices, and EOR technologies.
Today, most documented EOR projects are being executed in the US (193 projects), Canada (39 projects), Venezuela (49
projects) and China (39 projects) (Moritis 2010). The volume of oil produced by EOR methods doubled from 1982 to 1990
(1.2 MMBD) and doubled again to 2.5 MMBD in 2006 (Sandrea and Sandrea 2007). US EOR production has increased up to
643 MBD in 2010 representing roughly 14% of total US production. Outside the US, the number of EOR projects is also
increasing. There are just over 300 active EOR projects worldwide (Moritis 2010). It should be noted that most of the EOR
projects are generally small with only a few producing more than 10 MBD of oil.
EOR projects are also receiving some attention in the ME region. There are 11 EOR projects have been kicked off, either on a
pilot or a commercial scale (Fig. 2). Oman is taking the lead, among the ME countries, in the implementation of EOR projects
due to its declining oil production. Other ME countries are also following, albeit with much less vigor. The urgency of EOR
implementation in the ME is a function of several factors including declining oil production rates, availability of remaining
easy oil, impending momentum to do something about CO2, starting early (due to long lead times for such projects), and other
geo-political reasons. Current status of EOR projects in the ME are discussed in the following section. A case is made about
the deployment of advanced secondary recovery methods to maximize oil recovery before EOR deployment. This paper
highlights the opportunities and challenges of EOR specific to the ME.

Fig. 2 Locations and type of current EOR projects in the ME.

Current Status of EOR Projects in the Middle East

The ME is one of the biggest oil producing regions in the world. The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimated that the
ME provides over 20 MMBD in 2009 representing about one-fourth of the world's total production (Petroleum Economist
Magazine, February 2010). EOR, not a priority in this region historically speaking, has been gaining some traction lately
(Hadhrami et al. 2007, Wang et al. 2010, Macaulay et al. 1995, Penney et al. 2007, Deinum et al. 2007, Malik et al. 2010,
Teeuw et al. 1983, Koning et al. 1988, Thum et al. 2010,Van Putten et al. 2010, Milhem and Ahmed 1987, Ahmad and
Milhem 1989, Alkafeef et al. 2007, Al-Ajmi et al. 2010, Barge et al. 2009, Saadawi 2010, Al-Hajeri et al. 2010, Samir 2010,
Vledder et al. 2010, Khatib and Earlougher 1981, Karaoguz et al. 1989, Sahin et al. 2007). It is slowly becoming a strategic
target for short- and long-term production plans. Since 2005 the number of EOR projects has gone from 0 to 11 (Fig. 3).

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Cumulative Number of EOR Projects

12
10
8
6
4

No EOR Projects

2011

2006

2002

1998

1994

1990

1986

1982

Fig. 3 Historical trend of EOR projects in the ME.

7
6
Number of EOR Projects

Thermal
5

Polymer

CO2
Others

3
2
1
0
Total Porjects

Commerical Scale

Pilot Scale

Fig. 4 Current EOR projects status in the ME.

Figure 4 shows the current EOR projects in the ME region. Out of the 11 EOR projects running currently in the ME, 6 are
thermal projects, 3 CO2 injection projects, one polymer project and one project of water injection with low salinity. Thermal
recovery has been applied in both carbonate and sandstone reservoirs while CO 2 injection has been conducted in carbonate
reservoirs only (Fig. 5). The polymer and low salinity projects are being implemented in sandstone reservoirs. Reservoir
properties of selected fields where EOR is being pursued are presented in Table-1. Next the paper discusses in-depth status of
current EOR projects in the ME.
5

Number of EOR Projects

Thermal
4

Polymer
CO2

Others

0
Carbonate

Sandstone

Fig. 5 EOR projects by lithology type.

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Country

EOR
Type
Miscible
Gas

Field
Harweel

EOR
Status

Rock Type

Depth (ft)

API
Gravity

Permeability
(md)

Porosity (%)

Commercial

Carbonate

14700

38

1-10

12

Qarn Alam

Thermal

Pilot

Carbonate

1300

16

5-14

29

Mukhaiznah

Thermal

Commercial

Sandstone

2800

16

10-10000

15-35

Marmul

Polymer

Commercial

Sandstone

2950

21

1-20

26-34

Kuwait

Ratqa-Lower Fars

Thermal

Pilot

Sandstone

600

15

33

Neutral Part

Wafra

Thermal

Pilot

Carbonate

1000-2000

16

250

37

Egypt

Issran

Thermal

Commercial

Carbonate

1000

11

20

Bati

Immiscible
Gas

Pilot

Carbonate

4300

12

10-100

Oman

Turkey

14-20

Table-1: Rock/fluid properties of selected ME fields where EOR is implemented.

Oman
Oman has taken the lead among the ME countries in the implementation of EOR projects due to its declining oil production.
As stated by officials of Petroleum Development Oman (PDO), the oil production contributed though EOR methods will
represent one third of total Omans oil production by 2016 to offset the steady decline in oil production over the last 10 years.
There are many EOR projects running in Oman currently either on pilot or commercial scales as described below. As reported
(Pipeline Magazine, April 2010, Manuel 2010, Moritis 2010), initial results showed the impact of EOR projects on the oil
production performance from the fields where EOR projects are being implemented (Fig 6).
Oil Production (MBD) Without EOR

Oil Production (MBD) With EOR

Oil Production Rate (MBD)

90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Harweel Field * Qarn Alam Field
*

Mukhaiznah
Field *

Marmul Field*

Amal Field*

(* Data from Pipleline Magazine, April 2010, Manuel 2010 and Moritis 2010)

Fig. 6 Production performance of EOR projects in Oman.

Harweel Field (Miscible Gas): (ODell et al. 2006, Hadhrami et al. 2007) Harweel field is a carbonate cluster consists of 8
fields and 11 reservoirs that are characterized by high pressure and high temperature. The cluster is located in the south of
Oman. The field has light crude oil with an API gravity of 38. The formation thickness is about 330 ft, and reservoir depth
varies from 2500-5000 m. The permeability varies from 1-10 md and average of porosity is 12%. Large volume of sour gas is
present with 3-4% H2S and 10-15% CO2. Due to the high reservoir pressure and light oil conditions, miscible gas injection was
selected as a feasible option that has the potential to increase the recovery factor from 10% to 50%. The availability of the
large quantities of sour gas was capitalized by re-injecting the produced sour gas into the reservoir as EOR method. The
project was fully commissioned late 2010. Harweel oil production is expected to increase by 40 MBD (Manuel 2010, Moritis
2010).
Qarn Alam Field (Thermal): (Penney et al. 1995, Macaulay et al. 2007) Qarn Alam is an intensively fractured carbonate
reservoir located in central Oman south of the western Hajar Mountain. The permeability and porosity of the field are 5-14 md
and 29% respectively. The oil viscosity is 220 cp with 16 API crude. Several factors such as high viscosity, tight matrix rock
with oil-wet wettability state, presence of the extensive fracture system and strong aquifer drive resulted in low oil recovery
(2%) under primary flooding. Steam-Assisted Gas-Oil Gravity Drainage (SAGOGD) was tested, to raise the recovery factor
from 2 to 20%. The steam injection is being used to capitalize on the existing gravity drainage system. The steam heats up the
oil and reduces its viscosity, which helps in the drainage of the oil from matrix to the fractures easily. The SAGOGD method
requires fewer wells than conventional steam floods. It is expected to be on operation by 2011 with production target of 40
MBD after commencing steam injection (Manuel 2010).

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Mukhaizna Field (Thermal): (Deinum et al. 2007, Malik et al. 2010) Mukhaizna is a heavy oil sandstone reservoir located in
South Sultanate of Oman. The API gravity is about 16. The permeability and porosity vary between 10-10000 md and 1535% respectively. The reservoir is on primary production since 2000 with ~75 horizontal producers. Due to the nature of low
crude oil viscosity, recovery factor under primary flooding has been very poor. As a result, steam injection was selected as a
strategic development plan to increase the oil recovery factor. The steam injection started initially in July 2007 with drilling
horizontal producers of 500-1000 m lengths. Vertical injectors are spaced equally along the laterals. The configurations of
vertical injectors and horizontal producers created a new modified steam assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) recovery process.
The field went on full EOR deployment since 2008 with current oil production over 80 MBD (Pipeline Magazine, April 2010,
Moritis 2010).
Marmul Field (Polymer): (Teeuw et al. 1983, Koning et al. 1988) Marmul field is a heavy oil sandstone reservoir located in
the southern part of Oman. The oil API gravity is 21. The ranges of permeability and porosity are 1-20 md and 26-34%
respectively. The high oil viscosity yields low oil recovery factor. Early water breakthrough was expected with water injection
due to unfavorable mobility ratio. A decision was made to inject polymer and increase the viscosity of the driving fluid. A five
spot polymer was piloted initially in late 1980s proving the concept of polymer flooding. It is expected that the recovery will
be boosted to 20% resulting in extension of production plateau by 20 years. A commercial polymer flooding scale was
commenced in February 2010. Marmul field has one of the biggest centralized plants in the world including treatment facilities
to process 80,000 cubic meters (equivalent to some 500,000 barrels) per day of water as well as polymer injection station.
Marmul is expected to yield an additional 10 MBD of oil production (Manuel 2010, Moritis 2010).
Amal Field (Thermal): (Thum et al. 2010) Amal field is a sandstone reservoir located in south of Oman. The field
characterized with a heavy crude and low pressure. To enhance recovery and reduce the oil viscosity, the thermal pilot project
was started in 2007 on continuous steam injection mode in Amal West and cyclic steam injection mode in Amal East. The
development plan calls for drilling 300 new wells over a 14-year period. A single steam-generation facility will be built for
both fields. The facility is planned to be in place by the end of 2012. The steam injection project will increase production from
the two Amal fields, in the East and West, three times the current oil production of 20 MBD (Manuel 2010, Moritis 2010).
Kuwait
(Milhem and Ahmed, 1987, Alkafeef et al. 2007, Ahmad and Milhem 2010) Kuwait has conducted several studies to
investigate ways to recover heavy oil from its shallow reservoirs. The studies have shown that thermal methods (primarily
steam injection) have the potential to increase oil recovery from these reservoirs. Two steam injection projects were piloted to
evaluate the feasibility of thermal application in Ratqa Lower Fars field, one in 1982 and the other in 1986. The oil API
gravity is 15. The permeability and porosity are 3 md and 33% respectively. The results from both pilots indicated the
suitability of the reservoir to thermal recovery process. There are no firmed plans in place yet to implement the thermal
flooding at a commercial scale since the primary and secondary techniques are more than enough to meet the daily production
requirements.
Kuwait has also been conducting feasibility studies for the use of CO2 in EOR (Al-Ajmi et al. 2010). CO2-EOR and other
miscible processes were evaluated for applications in mature oil reservoirs in Kuwait. A very comprehensive miscible gas
EOR feasibility screening review was conducted on the North Kuwait (NK) Sabiriyah and Raudhatain oil fields (carbonate
reservoirs) earlier. The initial study results suggested that using CO2 is feasible to increase the recovery by 10%.
The Partitioned Neutral Zone
(Barge et al. 2009) The Wafra field is one of four major fields located in the Partitioned Neutral Zone between Kuwait and
Saudi Arabia. It has heavy oil with an API gravity of 16. The field has two distinct reservoirs: first one is shallow, at a depth
of 1000-1400 ft while the second one is deep at a depth of 1900-2200 ft. The average porosity and permeability are 37% and
250 md respectively. A steam flooding pilot was implemented in the Wafra field to assess key technical challenges associated
with steam flooding in a carbonate reservoir. Steam injection began in February 2006 at rate of 500 BPD. The pilot is
comprised of a five spot pattern (four producing wells, a single injector and a single observation well). At the initial time of
steam injection, oil production experienced an increase before it dropped when the steam breaks through. The pilot was
successful on proving the concepts of steam injectivity into a dolomitic reservoir.
UAE
(Al-Hajeri et al. 2010, Saadawi 2010) Abu Dhabi Company for Onshore Oil Operations (ADCO) recently piloted the injection
of CO2 in Rumaitha field. This field is a carbonate reservoir with average thickness of 130-150 ft. The average values of
porosity and permeability are 14-17% and 1-3 md respectively. The project had only three wells, one injector and one
producer, that were spaced at about 70 meters; one observation well in between. The objective of the project was not to assess
recovery; however, it was aimed at understanding operational challenges associated with CO2 injection in the oil field. The
CO2 injection was about 1 MMSCFD and oil production target was 400 BPD. Drilling in this field experiment started in March
2009 and CO2 injection started in November 2009. CO2 gas is captured from MASDAR facility and transported though trucks

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almost 70 km to the pilot site. The pilot duration time is proposed to be 1 year. It is worth mentioning that this pilot was
executed in a virgin part of the reservoir. ADCO has hinted at expanding the CO2 injection to about 80-100 MMSCFD in a
larger pilot area. The CO2 is expected to come from MASDAR.
Egypt
(Samir 2010) steam injection project was applied in Issaran field in 2006 to increase oil recovery factor. Issaran field is a
heavy oil fractured carbonate reservoir that consists of three formations. Each formation is distinct. First, Zeit formation
contains massive sand bounded with upper and lower dolomite sections. Second, Gahrandal formation has three limestone
bodies with permeability of 20 md. Third, Nukhul formation is a naturally fractured zone. Average oil gravity is about 11
API. The total reserves are about 5 MMBBLs representing a recovery factor of less than 1%. A total of 287 wells were drilled
in Issaran field during the steam injection project implementation. The initial results of the steam injection showed that the
recovery factor can reach 45% yielding in total reserves of 300 MMBBLs.
Syria
Injection of low salinity water is emerging as one of the promising EOR technologies (Vledder et al. 2010). The Omar field is
a sandstone reservoir containing light oil with viscosity of 0.3 cp. Low salinity water injection was tried in the field and
showed that wettability can be changed from oil wet to a water wet system. Formation water in the field has a salinity of
90,000 mg/L. The current average recovery factor is about 47%. Based on the pilot results, it was found that the change in
wettability, due to low salinity water injection, led to an associated incremental recovery of 10-15%.
Turkey
(Khatib et al. 1981, Karaoguz et al. 1989, Sahin et al. 2007) Extensive work has been conducted to evaluate the feasibility of
EOR techniques in Turkey. One application (1980) was to test the application of immiscible CO2 injection in two
demonstration areas of the Bati Raman Field, the largest oil field in Turkey. This field is a limestone reservoir, elongated eastwest anticline, about 17 km long and 4 km wide. The reservoir rock is a fractured vuggy limestone in the western and central
parts of the field, but is chalky and tighter to the east. Porosity and permeability values are 14-20% and 10-100 md
respectively. The reservoir contains heavy oil with an API gravity of 12 at an average depth of 4300 ft. The reservoir
temperature is 150 F and the original reservoir pressure was 1800 psi.
CO2 gas was obtained from the Dodan gas field and shipped, as a supercritical fluid, 85 km to the Bati Raman field. Total of
33 wells were drilled in a five spots pattern. Application of huff and puff was considered to increase the bottom-hole
pressure of the wells, before putting them back in production. The project was started in 1986 by injecting about 50 MMSCFD
of CO2 gas. The application of CO2 injection was expanded to the whole field in 1988.
Positive results of the pilot project application were observed in 1988. The reservoir pressure was increased significantly from
400 psi to 1300-1800 psi level. The total oil production increased from 300 BPD to about 4 MBD. Oil production rate per well
also jumped from 25 STBD to reach 100 STBD by mid-1991 resulting in increasing the recovery factor by 5%. The Bati
Raman immiscible CO2 injection project has been considered as one of the most successful EOR applications in the history for
heavy oil fractured limestone reservoirs.
Advanced IOR Technologies
EOR process is a tertiary method representing the last stage in any fields life. EOR is also very capital intensive with
significant risks. A good first option for any reservoir is to maximize secondary stage recovery. Advances in technology and
leveraging best-in-class reservoir management practices will enable the maximization of waterflooding oil recovery before
deploying EOR. Saudi Aramco is perhaps the world leader in optimizing the recovery from its reservoirs through prudent
reservoir management practices. Some of these include (Saggaf 2008) the deployment of maximum reservoir contact wells
(MRC), intelligent autonomous fields, gigacell simulation, deep diagnostics (ability to see inside the reservoir with clarity),
and advanced monitoring and surveillance technologies. These are just a few available technologies that may help improve oil
recovery and should be considered before full scale deployment of EOR. Some of these are described below.
Multilateral Drilling: Drilling technology has come a long way over the past decade. Well architecture has taken a leap and is
now a very attractive approach to target remaining oil, especially the difficult to reach oil. Adapting a fit-for-purpose advanced
well completion along the horizontal sections such as inflow control valves (ICVs) and inflow control devices (ICDs) can
enhance well productivity significantly, at reasonable incremental costs. Multilateral wells coupled with smart completions can
enhance productivity and control water cuts optimally. Giant Shaybah field is the first field developed entirely in Saudi
Aramco using horizontal wells exclusively (Saggaf 2008). Multilateral wells have advanced to the next generation wells with
maximum reservoir contact (MRC) and extreme reservoir contact (ERC) concept (Fig. 7). This type of configuration is
successful in heterogeneous and tight reservoirs due to the increase in number of laterals. The recent Haradh-III field of Saudi
Aramco, for example, relied exclusively on such wells to produce 300 MBD from 32 smart MRC wells.

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Fig. 7 MRC and ERC wells concept.

I-Field Concept: I-Field concept is the instrumenting of the field to get real time data at all levels. It provides active control
and response for superior reservoir management of the field. For example, in the Haradh III field, each well is equipped with a
permanent downhole-monitoring system that conveys real-time reservoir data to the surface, where these data are integrated to
provide real-time monitoring of the field. Figure 8 shows real-time reservoir pressure monitoring in Haradh III that has
resulted in indentifying anomalies quickly. It has helped in deciding where new injectors should be drilled. I-Field provides
excellent monitoring and surveillance (M&S) opportunities that add to increased productivity through diagnostic evaluations.

Fig. 8 Real-time reservoir pressure profile in Haradh III.

Gigacell Simulation: Reservoir simulation is a very powerful tool helps petroleum engineers in evaluating and predicting
reservoir production performance. Data obtained from 3D-seismic is usually used to describe reservoir geologically. Some of
the geological reservoir description details are lost when they are scaled up for the dynamic simulation models. The scaling up
process is made to overcome the incapability of the existing simulation models of handling a large number of cells. Future
reservoir simulators will be able to simulate giant fields in high resolution by use of the geologic models directly without
scaling up (Saggaf 2008). For example, Saudi Aramco launched GIGAPOWERS in 2010 with full capability of handling
billions of cells. The anticipated outcomes from the gigacell simulation models will be more representative.
Smart Waterflooding: Another option to consider before EOR is smart waterflooding. Here the idea is to inject water with
an optimized composition (in terms of salinity and ionic composition) into the reservoir instead of any available water that
may currently be injected or planned to be injected. Recent research has shown (Lager et al. 2007, Strand et al. 2009) salinity
and/or ionic composition can play a significant role in oil recovery during waterflooding and may yield up to 10% or higher
additional oil recoveries when compared to un-optimized water injection.
Emerging M&S Technologies: Another aspect of waterflooding that can be improved is the monitoring and surveillance
(M&S) of projects. In many cases, adequate monitoring is not done due to expense and budget constraints. This situation may
be detrimental to the overall recovery during waterflooding. While an optimum M&S plan cannot be predetermined for a given
reservoir, some of its components include the time tested open/cased hole logging, coring, flood front monitoring, single and
inter-well tracer tests, and emerging technologies, such as borehole gravimeter, cross-well and borehole to surface

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electromagnetic (EM), and geophysical methods (cross-well seismic, 4D seismic and 4D vertical seismic profiler (VSP)). A
good M&S plan is essential in optimizing the oil recovery at the secondary recovery stage, and even more important during the
EOR phase.
Future EOR Potential in the ME Region
EOR is still not a priority for several coming years in most ME countries. Many ME countries have started to invest in EOR
including screening and feasibility studies, R&D and technical studies, and some pilots and limited commercial projects. This
investment will provide the learning curve for an EOR experience that is needed for the long lead time nature of EOR projects.
There still remain significant challenges to the widespread deployment of EOR in the ME region. Ultimately, companies will
have to resort to EOR as the easy oil gets depleted.
Another factor that is important to consider in the ME region is the type of EOR methods that may be deployed. While the
initial projects have targeted heavy oil with thermal methods, this may have limited application in the very long run. The
bulk of the crude reserves in the ME region are classical conventional light oils where thermal methods have limited
applicability. These oil reservoirs favor miscible/immiscible gas and chemical flooding, depending on the reservoir conditions,
fluid properties, and availability of injectants.
EOR Challenges
EOR, in general, faces significant challenges worldwide (Kokal and Kaabi 2010). Some of these challenges include its close
association with the price of oil, generally complex projects, technology-heavy, and requiring considerable capital investment
and financial risks. The risks are aggravated with the fluctuations in the oil price. The unit costs of EOR oil are substantially
higher than those of secondary or conventional oil. Availability of injectant can be an issue, especially if it involves CO2 or a
hydrocarbon gas. High capital investments are initially required to move from secondary process to an EOR process. In
addition, personnel need to be highly educated and equipped with the necessary competencies to run EOR projects efficiently.
Another challenge for EOR projects is the long lead time required for such projects. Typically it may take several decades
from the start of the concept, generating laboratory data and conducting simulation studies, to the first pilot ultimately leading
to full commercialization. While there has been some discussion in the literature of applying or deploying EOR early during a
reservoirs life, this is generally difficult, and not necessarily the best option, due to the risks involved and the lack of data
availability, that can easily be obtained during the secondary stage of recovery.
EOR projects also require long lead time before full implementation. To plan for any EOR project, it should go over four main
stages (Fig. 9). First, screening studies should be conducted to determine a suitable EOR method. Fluid and rock properties
play a major role in selecting the appropriate EOR method. Once the EOR method is identified, necessary lab work needs to be
done to generate the needed data for a simulation model. A mechanistic simulation study should then be conducted to design
an appropriate pilot, including the type of well and equipment requirements. All of the previous three stages are crucial to
ensure the success of the pilot execution phase. An economic analysis then needs to be performed before full field EOR
deployment. A negative response coming out of any of these four steps leads to a curtailment of the given EOR method.

Fig. 9 EOR research program stages.

EOR processes are also inherently more complex compared to simple water injection. Some of the complexities arise from
the complex multiphase fluid flow, fluid-fluid and fluid-solid interactions, reservoir characterization and description, and
conformance issues. Some of the upscaling issues that may be unimportant for waterflooding may have an important effect in
an EOR process. One example is the description of tight layers and its impact on gas flooding operations.
EOR Enablers: While significant challenges remain for EOR worldwide, and especially in the ME region, some enablers will
assist its deployment in the long run. Some of these enablers include a focus on ultimate oil recovery, moving toward more
difficult resources (swept oil), investment in R&D, stepwise implementation and environmental concerns.
There is a concerted move especially by the ME national oil companies to focus on ultimate oil recovery and not on
immediate oil recovery dictated by short-term profits. This commitment to a long-term view will ensure optimum
exploitation of the oil resource by keeping the depletion rates low, improving the secondary oil recovery through sustainable

SPE 143287

development and maintaining long-term profits. Appropriate EOR methods can then be deployed to maximize ultimate oil
recovery. A more holistic approach in the life-cycle planning of a reservoir is happening across the industry. The motivation
toward maximizing recovery also helps in better resource exploitation. Lifecycle planning includes thinking about EOR early
enough to conduct relevant R&D studies, feasibility testing and conducting pilots to enable key decisions to be made at the
right time.
Investment in R&D is essential to generate the correct options for field development. Often, in a drive to produce oil as fast as
possible, an incorrect strategy is adopted to develop an oil reservoir. This mistake can lower the overall recovery from a
reservoir considerably. Proper R&D investment, especially early on, not only assures a good overall strategy for secondary
recovery, but for EOR as well. A good example is the Marmul field in Oman where R&D studies and pilot testing with
chemicals were done in the 1980s. This data helped PDO (Oman) and Shell to implement chemical EOR with little difficulty
in the late 2000s. Another good example is China, where R&D investment in chemical EOR has paid off handsomely with
successful implementation of full field EOR projects (two examples: Daqing and Shengli fields).
EOR projects are inherently complex compared to conventional recovery methods. These projects are also manpower intensive
requiring high-level professional skills. For companies that nurture, develop and possess these competencies,
implementation of EOR will be easier. In addition, EOR professionals also ensure better IOR implementation strategies. EOR
projects are also facilitated by stepwise implementation and integration of R&D, technology, people, and commitment. A
stepwise implementation involves moving from laboratory scale tests, single well tests, pilot tests and on to full field
implementation. This approach will significantly reduce risks associated with typical EOR projects, and eventually improve
overall economics.
In recent years, a strong boost to EOR has come from environmental concerns. This boost is especially true for CO2-EOR.
CO2, a greenhouse gas, has been closely linked to global climate change. There are incentives to sequester this CO2. It is also a
very good solvent for light crudes and is generally miscible with the oil at moderate reservoir pressures. The number of
projects injecting CO2 for EOR has been steadily rising and is anticipated to increase further in the foreseeable future. In many
ways, this is a win-win situation, sequestering the CO2 at the same time producing incremental oil. In the ME, Masdar and
ADCO in Abu Dhabi have great plans to sequester CO2 through EOR.
Conclusions
The number of EOR projects in the past decade has increased worldwide and also in the ME region.
Oman has taken the lead in the ME region in the implementation of EOR projects due to its declining oil production,
which has steadily declined in the last 10 years.
Other countries in the ME region have also started to think EOR, and have slowly started to include them in their
strategic short-, medium- and long-term development plans.
Advanced secondary recovery technologies, including best-in-class reservoir management practices, advanced
reservoir simulators, the Intelligent Field concept, and next-generation multilateral wells will assist in improving
recoveries before full-field EOR deployment.
Other methods that should also be investigated before capital intensive EOR project implementation include
smart waterflooding and state-of-the-art monitoring and surveillance technologies.
Significant challenges remain for EOR deployment, including: its close association with the price of oil, generally
complex projects, technology-heavy processes, and requirement for considerable capital investment and financial
risks.
For the bulk of the crude reserves in the ME (classical conventional light oils), the likely EOR methods that are
applicable include miscible/immiscible gas and chemical flooding.
Some of the EOR enablers in the ME region include a focus on ultimate oil recovery, moving towards more difficult
resources (swept oil), investment in R&D, stepwise implementation and environmental concerns.
Nomenclature
BBLs
BPD
F
ICDs
ICVs
IOR
m
MBD
md
mg

=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=

Barrels
Barrel Per Day
Degree Fahrenheit
Inflow Control Devices
Inflow Control Valves
Improved Oil Recovery
Meter
Thounds Barrels Per Day
Milli Darcy
Milli gram

10

SPE 143287

MMBD
MMSCFD
MRC
OOIP
km
L
cp
STBD

=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=

Millions Barrels Per Day

Million Standard Cubic Feet Per Day
Maximum Reservoir Contact
Original Oil In Place
Kilo meter
Liter
Centipoise
Standard Barrel Per Day

Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank Saudi Aramco for permission to publish this paper.
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