Implications of the diagenetic history on polymer flooding performance for the Ben Nevis Formation, Hebron Field, Jeanne D'Arc Basin, offshore Newfoundland, Canada

• Main Author: Valencia, Luis E.
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: Memorial University of Newfoundland 2017
• Subjects: Newfoundland; Canada; Ben Nevis; Hebron
• Online Access: https://research.library.mun.ca/12626/; https://research.library.mun.ca/12626/1/thesis.pdf

The Hebron Project is the fourth major offshore development in Newfoundland and Labrador with more than 700 MBO recoverable. This research focuses on the Ben Nevis Formation (Pool 1) polymer flooding experimental evaluation based on its diagenetic history, reservoir characterization, and the recovery mechanism interactions. The reservoir properties were studied before and after the application of polymer flooding at laboratory scale using optical petrographic and SEM-MLA analyses, showing an increase of calcite cement and fines to Pool 1 top, diminishing the reservoir properties and establishing them as potentially the most critical diagenetic features to influence the EOR performance. Three polymers were tested at Pool 1 reservoir conditions, and core flooding experiments showed an additional oil recovery increase (3-6 %) after water flooding with FLOOPAM-5115. Polymer flooding, as the secondary method, consistently showed a higher increase in oil recovery than standard water flooding stage; thus applying polymer flooding in an early stage of the field development would be beneficial.