Om forskningsgruppen
The EOR research program at CIPR involves studies of oil mobilization on many different scales from pore scale physics or displacement mechanisms, core scale flow in porous media and oil mobilization, to fluid flow functions and modelling of EOR processes. This reflects our philosophy that understanding the basic pore-scale mechanisms is a necessary key-element in predicting the large-scale behaviour using simulation tools, as well as to enable design of new field scale methods.
Poor performance prediction by existing simulation tools limits the use of EOR processes due to large uncertainties related to the resulting increase in oil recovery. Better process understanding is a first step towards improved performance prediction. EOR processes where we have been actively working on improved understanding and/or description of the pore-scale mechanisms include gas injection, especially water-alternating-gas (WAG) injection, chemical flooding (surfactant, polymer) methods, foam applications and microbial increased oil recovery (MIOR). CIPR has also, together with the China University of Petroleum, Beijing, developed a new EOR method which has demonstrated a potential for improved oil recovery for a North Sea oil field.