Page 16 - Formation Damage during Improved Oil Recovery Fundamentals and Applications

PREFACE

The concept for this book was originated in 2016. We realized, from the
valuable body of published work exists focused on improved/enhanced
oil recovery (IOR/EOR) and formation damage, that most of that work
did not link or integrate the knowledge available for those two topics.
Formation damage, of some form, is frequently associated with most
EOR projects, so it makes sense to consider them with a more integrated
approach. That is the aim of this book.
During 2017 we assembled a team of respected experts in the various
EOR techniques to produce concise and focused chapters on how forma-
tion damage impacts various EOR applications. These include causes,
effects, and potential mitigation and exploitation strategies. This book could
certainly not have been written and compiled without the valuable contri-
butions of each chapter author, and their dedication to the demanding
schedule we imposed upon them. We thank them for their contributions.
Formation damage in subsurface reservoirs, typically caused by
changes in the chemical physical environment during IOR/EOR, such
as low-salinity water flooding, inorganic/organic scaling, chemical flood-
ing, gas flooding, thermal recovery of heavy oil, and produced water rein-
jection, can involve major negative consequences for the reservoirs, e.g.,
water blockage, fines migration, wettability alteration, scaling, wax,
asphaltene deposition, etc. These impacts need to be mitigated. However,
in some cases, formation damage does lead to beneficial outcomes that
enhance oil recovery, e.g., isolation of high-permeability water flow,
improved reservoir sweep, reduction of fines migration, etc. Such benefits
need to be exploited to improve reservoir performance and profitability.
Several of the chapters include detailed quantitative analysis supported
by laboratory analysis, field case studies, and simulation and reservoir
modeling. However, our approach here is to bridge the gap between the-
oretical knowledge and field practices while highlighting the risks and
opportunities associated with formation damage relating to IOR/EOR
associated with both conventional and unconventional oil and gas reser-
voirs, geothermal reservoirs, deepwater oilfields, and coal-bed methane.
Indeed, we describe an integrated risk and opportunity assessment and
management framework, designed to improve outcomes and awareness of
the diverse possible outcomes associated with IOR/EOR projects.

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