Low Salinity Water Flooding (LSWF), Can We Move Forward? The Economic Case
Alireza Bigdeli, Geoffrey Thyne, Vladimir V. Ulyanov
Abstract
Low-salinity water flooding (LSWF) is a technique used in both improved oil recovery (IOR) and enhanced oil recovery (EOR) and may be employed at any stage of hydrocarbon production. The use of LSWF is very desirable because of the low cost of operations, lack of environmental impact, and industry-wide experience with water injection during secondary recovery. Indeed, LSWF has become a favorite topic for both academic and industry researchers with hundreds of scientific papers written. Despite the volume of research into LSWF, standard industrial processes and lab tests that typically go with a standard production technique are still lacking. The first successful field test was in 2004, but nearly two decades later there are still few field projects because the technique is perceived as experimental rather than operational. Here, it is suggested that there is sufficient knowledge to screen and test candidate reservoirs, assess the economics, and use LSWF on a broader scale rather than continuing to conduct iterative cycles of experimental investigations. In addition to providing a thorough economic analysis of a multi-field LSWF project, we provide and discuss the current terminologies, favorable conditions, and screening techniques.