Next* Magazine, Issue 4 - Chevron

Investing in Next-Generation ResearchersAlfian works for Chevron as a senior operatorat Gathering Station Area 4 at the Minas Fieldin Sumatra. The Minas Field has the largestwaterflood project in Indonesia.To supplement Chevron’s internalresearch and development on enhancedoil recovery, Chevron has teamed up withthe University of Texas’ (UT’s) Center forPetroleum and Geosystems Engineeringto address novel recovery techniquesand processes. Through a multiyearjoint research initiative, the Chevronand UT alliance has already contributedtechnological breakthroughs, includingnovel surfactants that offer cost savings,new models of complex enhancedrecovery processes for heavy oil fields,and advanced forecasting tools. In 2010,Chevron extended its support for thealliance, with the next phase investigatingsolutions to handle viscous crudes andcarbonate reservoirs.Along with bringing innovations,Chevron’s investment in the UT allianceis helping prepare the next generation ofenhanced recovery specialists. ChevronFellow Ganesh Thakur noted, “Supportingthe development of future researcherswho will be directly engaged in addressingthe world’s energy needs is vital. And,for us at Chevron, it’s personally rewardingto work with young researchers whoshare our passion for unlocking thepotential of challenging reservoirs.”To learn more about enhanced recovery,please see the videos on California’sKern River Field, where steamfloodingcoaxes out hard-to-reach oil and benefitslocal agriculture at Chevron.com/Next/Steamflooding and Chevron.com/Next/EnergyAndOranges.recovery applications, what sets Chevron apart is our extensive portfolio of practical knowledgeand hands-on experience with a far-reaching range of techniques around the world. It takesboth technology and technique.”A quick look at some of Chevron’s enhanced oil recovery projects shows the breadth andscope of the company’s technology leadership:• Kern River, United States Since the introduction of steamflooding more than four decadesago, enhanced recovery techniques have already captured 67 percent of this 100-year-oldheavy oil field’s estimated 3 billion barrels of original oil in place. A pilot program to usehorizontal steam-injection wells seeks to push ultimate recovery to 75 percent or higher atthis field, one of the largest and most prolific in the United States, and this technology willhave application throughout Chevron’s portfolio.• Duri, Indonesia Onshore Sumatra operations have applied steamflooding to about 80 percentof the Duri Field since 1985, ranking it among the world’s largest steamflood developments.Chevron continues to expand recovery projects in Duri’s northern section, which holdsexcellent potential for adding more reserves.• Partitioned Zone, Middle East Leveraging Chevron’s experience from the United States andIndonesia, the company and its partners operate a steamflood project at the Wafra Field in thePartitioned Zone between Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. The large-scale pilot project, whichbecame operational in 2009, is expected to lead to full-field steamflooding in the First Eocenephoto: PETER CANNON22 | Next*