Application of enhanced oil recovery methods in Kazakhstan has been ongoing for decades alongside the continued discovery of new oil and gas fields in the Pre-Caspian Basin.The objective of this review is to provide a...Application of enhanced oil recovery methods in Kazakhstan has been ongoing for decades alongside the continued discovery of new oil and gas fields in the Pre-Caspian Basin.The objective of this review is to provide an overview of the hydrocarbon reserves and production,and the status of the petroleum industry in Kazakhstan,with a focus on the EOR methods and projects being applied to recover those reserves.A summary of the specific EOR methods in use was prepared,and existing enhanced recovery projects in Kazakhstan were reviewed and their successes and challenges were investigated.The performance of these projects in the context of EOR performance indicators such as capillary number and mobility ratio,as well as operational and environmental issues,were examined.Recommendations for current and potential applications of EOR in Kazakhstan were also discussed.The widespread application of thermal EOR methods,in use for decades in Kazakhstan’s older fields,was found to be successful,with very favorable impacts on mobility ratio from the addition of thermal energy to the reservoirs.Miscible EOR methods in Kazakhstan have had more limited success,with some significant challenges due to high concentration of hydrogen sulfide in the injected gas.Polymer injection started in the late 1960s,achieving good results.A recent polymer injection pilot project has shown some promise,with a favorable impact on mobility ratio and oil production,although the project has not yet been expanded beyond two polymer injectors.These results indicate the huge potential of existing and future EOR projects.This review is the first compilation of Kazakhstan’s existing oil and gas reserves,production,and EOR project performance,and should be seen as a guide to the existing applications of EOR methods in Kazakhstan.展开更多
This paper studies the adsorption behavior of representative guar-based polymers onto the surface of source rock outcrop samples to provide a better picture of the interaction(s)of polymers with these rocks.Outcrop sa...This paper studies the adsorption behavior of representative guar-based polymers onto the surface of source rock outcrop samples to provide a better picture of the interaction(s)of polymers with these rocks.Outcrop samples from the Barnett,Eagle Ford,and Marcellus shales were collected,analyzed for mineralogy and total organic content,and then exposed to different polymer solutions under elevated temperature and moderately elevated pressure.Viscosities of these polymer solutions were measured before and after exposure to the rock samples to establish a correlation between polymer adsorption and rock mineralogy and/or organic content.Results indicate a direct correlation between polymer adsorption and both rock mineralogy.Cationic polymers are shown to be more prone to adsorption onto the surface of the rock than non-ionic polymers.The results from this work establish that fluid-rock interactions are significant and that further research regarding shale polymer interactions and its effects on hydrocarbon production is needed with representative downhole shale samples given the trends now shown with outcrop samples.展开更多
文摘Application of enhanced oil recovery methods in Kazakhstan has been ongoing for decades alongside the continued discovery of new oil and gas fields in the Pre-Caspian Basin.The objective of this review is to provide an overview of the hydrocarbon reserves and production,and the status of the petroleum industry in Kazakhstan,with a focus on the EOR methods and projects being applied to recover those reserves.A summary of the specific EOR methods in use was prepared,and existing enhanced recovery projects in Kazakhstan were reviewed and their successes and challenges were investigated.The performance of these projects in the context of EOR performance indicators such as capillary number and mobility ratio,as well as operational and environmental issues,were examined.Recommendations for current and potential applications of EOR in Kazakhstan were also discussed.The widespread application of thermal EOR methods,in use for decades in Kazakhstan’s older fields,was found to be successful,with very favorable impacts on mobility ratio from the addition of thermal energy to the reservoirs.Miscible EOR methods in Kazakhstan have had more limited success,with some significant challenges due to high concentration of hydrogen sulfide in the injected gas.Polymer injection started in the late 1960s,achieving good results.A recent polymer injection pilot project has shown some promise,with a favorable impact on mobility ratio and oil production,although the project has not yet been expanded beyond two polymer injectors.These results indicate the huge potential of existing and future EOR projects.This review is the first compilation of Kazakhstan’s existing oil and gas reserves,production,and EOR project performance,and should be seen as a guide to the existing applications of EOR methods in Kazakhstan.
文摘This paper studies the adsorption behavior of representative guar-based polymers onto the surface of source rock outcrop samples to provide a better picture of the interaction(s)of polymers with these rocks.Outcrop samples from the Barnett,Eagle Ford,and Marcellus shales were collected,analyzed for mineralogy and total organic content,and then exposed to different polymer solutions under elevated temperature and moderately elevated pressure.Viscosities of these polymer solutions were measured before and after exposure to the rock samples to establish a correlation between polymer adsorption and rock mineralogy and/or organic content.Results indicate a direct correlation between polymer adsorption and both rock mineralogy.Cationic polymers are shown to be more prone to adsorption onto the surface of the rock than non-ionic polymers.The results from this work establish that fluid-rock interactions are significant and that further research regarding shale polymer interactions and its effects on hydrocarbon production is needed with representative downhole shale samples given the trends now shown with outcrop samples.