Presented by:
Editor's note: This article appears in the new E&P newsletter. Subscribe to the E&P newsletter here.
The global trend toward environmentalism has created a growing need for sustainable, cost-effective EOR solutions that can help companies maintain their social license to operate, but few solutions yet satisfy these demands.
Nakasawa Resources found an efficient, profitable solution for thermal EOR (TEOR) in heavy crude oil wells with its Super Matroid Heater (SMH) and Super Matroid Cyclone (SMC), which significantly enhance oil recovery from existing wells. Both were designed with a strong emphasis on efficiency, because Nakasawa Resources believes a “waste not, want not” attitude will be key to ensuring a future for the oil and gas industry, especially as drilling new wells becomes increasingly unpopular among public opinion.
The SMH and SMC leverage their highly efficient steam production technology to significantly boost oil recovery, greatly reduce feedwater usage, increase heat transmission and minimize operating time, all of which work together to maximize profits. Automation and digitization also play an important role here, allowing users to monitor variables and execute commands remotely and in real time through a centralized panel as well as providing the system with the ability to make immediate adjustments to ensure no time goes to waste.
Furthermore, the solutions are designed to be highly corrosion-resistant (using a chrome and molybdenum alloy) and fully mobile, making them much hardier and easier to move between injection points or over roads—another important aspect for enhancing sustainability, as it prevents the need for costly construction and removal projects.
The SMH and SMC’s results have shown a 315% increase in oil production for wells using this technology. Its high-quality steam (over 95% dry) enhances heat transfer and helps extract every drop of oil available in a well. As there are millions of barrels of oil left in existing wells that have historically been unreachable, this advancement could help prevent the need to drill as many additional wells by using the tremendous volume Nakasawa has already found.
More efficient and sustainable TEOR technologies are very important to ensuring the continued health of the industry. Through advances like these, the increasing energy demands in the years to come can be met.
RELATED CONTENT:
May 18, 2021: TechnipFMC Wins Subsea Contract for Ithaca Energy’s Captain EOR Project
March 2, 2021: EOR Tech to Help Oil Producers Reach ESG Goals
Feb. 12, 2021: ND Industrial Commission Approves Grant to Trial Green EOR Treatments
Aug. 14, 2021: The Promise of Smart Water for EOR in Carbonate Reservoirs
Recommended Reading
Time is Money: Shell Prioritizes Speed with Brownfield Strategy
2024-05-09 - Shell’s replicant strategy trades customization of the production unit for a sped-up cycle time for Whale, Sparta developments in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico.
Petrobras' Pioneering Tech Powers Decades-long, 2.9 Bboe Production
2024-05-08 - From discovery to revitalization, the deepwater Marlim Field offshore Brazil has driven development of technology while delivering more than 2.9 Bboe.
OTC: SLB Exec Says Goal is to Expand Production, Lower Emissions
2024-05-06 - Despite rapidly expanding global renewables capacity, oil and gas products will still supply around half of global energy demand by 2040, an SLB executive said during the 2024 Offshore Technology Conference.
RBC: Minerals, E&P Stocks Wooing Back Generalist Investors
2024-04-16 - Public mineral and royalty companies have performed well in the markets, and investors are taking notice. But experts say mineral and royalties stocks still have a long way to go to compete for generalist investor capital.