A revolutionary new heavy oil recovery method is be trialed in the North Sea.
The Steam Oil Production Company intends to launch launching the first offshore use of a technique known as ‘steam flooding.
Hot water vapour is injected into a well, heating the oil to a higher temperature so that it thins, allowing it to flow more efficiently through the underground formation and into the production wells.
It is already a popular recovery medium in the Alberta sands of Canada but is yet to be trialed offshore.
Steam Oil want to learn the best offshore application of this method before committing to a full scale development scheme for the heavy oil fields on the Western Platform 140km east of Aberdeen.
The firm was awarded four part blocks surrounding the Pilot field during the most recent licensing round.
And the company has now entered into a cooperation agreement independent international heavy oil technology company FluidOil.
Together they will explore the potential of integrating FluidOil’s Viscositor Heavy-to-Light (“VHTL”) oil upgrading technology into the project.
If successful it will form part of a steam flood demonstration project on part of the Pilot field.
The development of the remainder of the Pilot field, and the other Western Platform heavy oil fields, has the potential to produce in excess of 300 mmbbls.
Further exploration success could increase the potential recoverable resource base from the Western Platform to over 500 mmbbls.
Steve Brown, chief executive of Steam Oil, said: “We are very taken with the obvious synergies of integrating FluidOil’s upgrading technology into a steam flooding project. Steam flooding is the most effective recovery mechanism for heavy oil and we expect to see recovery factors of between 50% and 80% when we steam flood these reservoirs.
“To do that we will need a lot of steam and the steam produced as a by-product of FluidOil’s upgrading process will significantly reduce our fuel costs.
Charles Parker, chief executive of FluidOil, added: “We are pleased to be playing a part in what could potentially be the first project of its kind.
“At a time when the industry is looking to maximise value, we believe that our patented technology could help play an important role in enabling offshore heavy oil producers realise greater returns from their output.”
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