Field testing, additive technology

Recent research and field tests have focused on the use of relatively low concentrations or volumes of chemicals as additives to other oil recovery processes. Of particular interest is the use of surfactants as CO (184) and steam mobility control agents (foam). Also combinations of older EOR processes such as surfactant enhanced alkaline flooding and alkaline-surfactant-polymer flooding have been the subjects of recent interest. Older technologies polymer flooding (185,186) and micellar flooding (187-189) have been the subject of recent reviews. In 1988 84 commercial products polymers, surfactants, and other additives, were listed as being marketed by 19 companies for various enhanced oil recovery applications (190). 

The value of the extra chlorine recovered will pay for the membranes in about nine months. Addition of operating costs still gives an attractive pay-out. However, the base case for Table 7.4 assumes that nothing is done to handle the chlorine issuing from liquefaction. This is not an option. The real question is how the membrane process compares with the alternatives, and this is the subject of Table 7.5. The basis assumed is an 800 tonnes per day plant with gas composition 93.16% CI2,2.40% O2, 3.82% N2, 0.37% CO2, and 0.25% H2. The table covers costs only. Product values are highly sensitive to local conditions and are not included. In all cases, the membrane option is based on the field test in order to give the most reliable numbers available. Technological development will improve the case for the use of membranes. 

The Biocube aerobic biofilter is an ex situ off-gas filtration system that is commercially available. The technology utilizes microbes to biologically oxidize volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and complex odors. It can be used in conjunction with vapor-vacuum-extraction (VVE), a process that draws gases from subsurface soil. These gases often require further treatment before being released into the atmosphere. Biocube has been field tested and has been implemented at over 100 sites for the treatment of hydrocarbon vapors. The technology has also been successfully used for odor control at a variety of sites. In addition, the Biocube system can treat odor and VOC emissions simultaneously. The units are modular, so additional stacks can be added as needed for increased flow and/or removal rates. 

Startech PWC systems are applicable to manufacturing facilities, hospitals, process plants, military sites, and municipalities. Systems have been used in the field to treat chemical weapon and explosive simulants. In addition, the vendor claims that the technology has successfully treated metals, such as lead and barium, during testing. The technology is commercially available in the United States and overseas. 

It should be noted that the field tests were made with only one type of surfactant, and without benefit of many recent research advances in such areas as high-pressure phase behavior and surfactant design, mechanisms of dispersion formation and disappearance, and mechanisms of dispersion flow through porous media. Furthermore, the design and successful performance of field tests pose many technological challenges in addition to those encountered in the prerequisite experimental and theoretical research. 

A new membrane procedure was tested with field tests in Port Hueneme (Cahfornia). By means of special hollow fibre membranes (HEM) and the additional creation of a vacuiun on the exterior of the membranes MTBE can be transferred into the gas phase and destroyed by thermal procedures, for example. The efficiency of the technology strongly depends on the vacuum applied, the water temperature and the retention time. Very good results were obtained with low flow rates of 4 L min [ 14]. 

This collection of SPE papers was prepared to introduce the reader to the fundamental concepts of polymer flooding to improve oil recovery, with selected field tests demonstrating applications. These papers were selected from more than 900 entries in OnePetro we believe they provide a reasonably complete overview of currently accepted technology, although many new concepts are under investigation. In addition, we have included an extensive bibliography drawn from OnePetro all of these references can be downloaded by clicking on the links provided. 

NMR imaging has been tested in a multitude of cases and many simple and sophisticated methods have been developed. The most successful applications of the method, however, are in the field of soft matter, because transverse relaxation times are compatible with current hardware technology. In the non-medical field, NMR imaging of elastomers shows great promise for genuine applications, and in addition to academic laboratories, the method is used in industry for product development and control. While academic efforts often strive towards the development more sophisticated measurement schemes and... 

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