World Energy Outlook 2007

Oil and Gas
The production profile of existing and future fields in India is a major source of
uncertainty. Enhanced oil recovery techniques have been applied to only 26 of the
136 fields currently producing, most of which have proven and probable reserves
of more than 50 million barrels (Mb). With higher oil prices in the High Growth
Scenario, enhanced recovery techniques could be profitably applied to more fields,
even though these techniques are expensive for very small fields. We estimate that
the application of such techniques to fields with proven and probable reserves as
low as 20 Mb could add 120 thousand barrels per day (kb/d) to Indian production
by 2030, two-thirds of which could come from the 12 largest existing fields
(Table 19.3). It would significantly raise the recovery rate 3 , which currently
averages 24% at existing fields and 21% for fields where only primary recovery
techniques are used. At fields where improved and enhanced recovery techniques
are used, recovery rates today average close to 33%. Our analysis only covers the
12 largest producing fields. The potential for raising production from eight
currently producing fields holding more than 50 Mb, which are not covered by
our analysis, is not thought to be large. In practice, it is unlikely that it would be
economic to deploy secondary and tertiary recovery at all fields. In addition, the
application of enhanced recovery techniques in the higher price environment of
the High Growth Scenario is based on the uncertain assumption that price reform
in the oil and gas sector, by alleviating the burden of funding subsidies, allows the
oil companies to invest more in upstream projects.
Table 19.3: Incremental Oil Production from the Deployment of Enhanced Oil
Recovery in the High Growth Scenario* (kb/d)
2010 2015 2030
Top 12 existing fields** 83 92 82
Identified non-producing fields 22 51 38
With reserves higher than 50 Mb (6 fields) 16 33 25
With reserves higher than 30 Mb (5 fields) 6 15 11
With reserves higher than 20 Mb (4 fields) 0 3 2
Total 105 143 120
* Relative to the Reference Scenario.
** See Table 17.3 for the names of the 12 largest producing fields.
Note: Production figures are based on the assumption that EOR techniques are applied to all fields, allowing
recovery of an additional 10% of the oil originally in place.
3. The recovery rate is the percentage of the estimated volume of oil in a field that is actually recovered over the
production life of the field.
566 World Energy Outlook 2007 - INDIA’S ENERGY PROSPECTS