low

linking researchers with industry with the
aim of improving the efficiency of industrial
works with focus on solution –based projects
resulting from research projects.
3. There is limited experiences in implementation
of EOR/IOR projects in Iran and these limited
works have just been restricted to academic
research projects. Additionally this situation
worsened by rushing into execution of such
methods without comprehensive studies and
planning.
4. EOR/IOR projects are containing various
phases of data gathering, laboratorial
experiments, simulation of several scenarios,
pilot application and finally, full field
implementation. The time required for
maturation and qualification of an EOR
technique might be up to ten years. Often
new technologies are utilized during all of
the mentioned stages which is one of the
main concerns in implementation of EOR/IOR
projects. Acquiring these technologies and
transferring the technologies to local service
companies is quite a big issue and thus makes
these technologies not accessible and easily at
hand. It also increases the cost of the EOR/IOR
projects which have negative impact on the
economic justification of EOR/IOR methods.
Conclusion and Suggestions
Comparing the recovery factor in Iranian fields
(i.e. average of 25 %) with current worldwide
experiences to achieve a recovery factor of above
34% and also considering variety of previous
activities for this targets, it could be concluded
that there is a high potential for development in
this area which requires also some infrastructural
developments including changes in strategies and
managerial paradigms. Knowing that recovery
factor targets of more than 60% in some of the
fields of Statoil in Norwegian Continental Shelf
(NCS) proves such targets are achievable though
challenging and requires both technical and
managerial competencies.
Generally two different categories of EOR/IOR
methods with different levels of budget and
impact on recovery factor can be considered:
Low risk and low CAPEX methods
Modification/Improvement of production
facilities and/or applying new technologies
for improving the production on well and topside
facilities such as multilateral wells, infill drilling,
smart wells, tailored technologies such as water
shut off technologies, process modifications and
applying asset integrity tests and equipment
renewing, increases the production rate. Here the
focus is more on the production facilities and there
is no or little focus on reservoir physical properties
and resultantly there would be no alterations on
underground production strategies. Therefore it
will be cheaper and less risky and the production
increase might be achieved in a shorter time
duration.
High risk and high CAPEX methods
Second approach focuses more on reservoir
alterations which are more expensive, more
time consuming and also inherently more risky.
Such production enhancing methods could be
categorized as follows:
1. Empowering current water/gas injection
projects
As mentioned before, most of current water/
gas injections to Iranian fields are not adequate
considering low rate and volume of injection.
Lack of required gas for injection is one of
the main issues. 72 million m 3 of gas has been
injected to Iranian fields in 2014 while only in 3
fields out of 13 fields there has been successful
gas injection and 10 remaining fields have
high potential for gas injection. So improving
current gas/water injection projects to fulfill
their potentials can be a priority for enhancing
oil recovery in the fields of Iran.
2. Conducing new EOR projects with priority
on giant fields
There are 120 un-developed and 60 developed
fields in Iran and also in 60 developed fields
and only 19 fields have had poorly conducted
EOR/IOR projects (water/gas injection). Most
of Iranian fields are under production from
natural energy of reservoirs and there has been
no EOR/IOR activities on them. Therefore,
there are huge potentials in this area which
need to be explored.
Continues reservoir monitoring and gathering
more data from reservoir before and during
implementation of EOR/IOR methods are
critical. It is important to note that this
integrated view, helps us to have an in-depth
understanding of the field response during
EOR screening workflow even before piloting
phases. Resultantly there will be a valid,
trustable and integrated databank of reservoir
characteristics and other parameters which
have been created, modified and matured
while screening steps to reach to the best
fitted method to be implemented.
From technical points of view continues
monitoring of reservoirs during implementation
of the EOR projects will result in improving and
updating knowledge and understanding of the
reservoir thus assisting the decision makers
to make more precise and accurate decisions
improving chance of EOR projects’ success.
References
www.commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/
File:World_Oil_Reserves_by_Country-pie_
chart.svg.
Scientific Propagative Journal of Oil & Gas
EXPLORATION & PRODUCTOIN, 2003. p. 3-4.
www.fa.wikipedia.org.
The 8th IIES International Conference “Energy
Security and New Challenges”, h.i.N., IRIB
Conference Center, Tehran, Iran.
NIOC Official News Agency , w.s.i.-f.h.
Tabnak News Agency, h.w.t.c.n.p.i., 2 February
2010.
Scientific-Propagative Journal of Oil & Gas
EXPLORATION & PRODUCTOIN, 2011.
1390(77): p. 6-11.
Scientific-Propagative Journal of Oil & Gas
EXPLORATION & PRODUCTOIN, 2017.
1396(145): p. 28-35.
www.hydrocarbons-technology.com/projects/
ghawar-oil-field
Scientific-Propagative Journal of Oil & Gas
EXPLORATION & PRODUCTOIN, 2012.
1391(91): p. 6-9.
Oil Rig in South Part of Iran
14 OIL INNOVATORS International Journal MAR. 2018 15