course-details-portlet

PG8604 - Enhanced Oil Recovery

About

Examination arrangement

Examination arrangement: Oral exam and work
Grade: Passed / Not Passed

Evaluation Weighting Duration Grade deviation Examination aids
Oral exam 50/100 1 hours
Work 50/100

Course content

The subject is enhanced oil recovery (EOR) used to improve recovery beyone that expected by pressure depletion. Water injection, hydrocarbon (HC) gas injection, and combined water/gas injection (WAG) are the most common EOR methods used in the industry today. Other EOR methods (typically more expensive and technically more complicated) covered are non-hydrocarbon (CO2 and N2) injection, compositional effects e.g vaporization, and developed miscibility, both in conventional reseervoirs and natrually fractured reservoirs. The course will primarily consider reservoir aspects of EOR methods using HC gas and water injection. Key parameters include microscopic (pore-level) recovery, areal and vertical sweep efficiency. Variations in reservoir rock - i.e. heterogeneities - and fluid property variations with depth can have a strong influence on the success of EOR methods. Therefore we will concentrate on accurate geologic and fluid description and its influence on recovery.

Learning outcome

Knowledge: The students should understand the application of rate flow equations, reservoir simulation, and production models to describe reservoir-to-sales flow system for gas, gas condensate, and oil fields.

Skills: The students should understand how to use the EOS-based PVT program PhazeComp and SENSOR reservoir simulator to estimate oil and gas properties for reservoir and production engineering applications of gas and oil fields, including depletion and gas- and water-based IOR (miscible and immiscible).

General knowledge: The student should learn to solve real-life problems without solutions being handed out (only provided through in-class partial solutions by the teacher) - i.e. relying on their own ability to check and cross-check their work with others, in addition to using the lectures to ask questions about their solutions to problems. Critical self-learning is emphasized. Self-study is also required to decide what supportive reading is needed to understand (1) lectured material, (2) problems, and (3) project - these three defining the course curriculum.

Learning methods and activities

The course will be given as a seminar with self-study curriculum when fewer than 5 students apply to take the course. Students planning to take the course must give a written request to the teacher for taking the course prior to the semester start. Excercises and project will involve the application of geologic and numerical models to describe oil and gas condensate fields. Simulations of different depletion and EOR methods will be used to compare alternative development strategies, with optimization of technical issues and study the sensitivity of results to parameters with key uncertainties.

Compulsory assignments

  • Exercises

Further on evaluation

In order to pass the course, the student has to pass both the compulsory exercises / project (50%) and the final oral exam (50%). To pass a score of at least 70 percent is required. For a re-take of an examination, all assessments during the course must be re-taken.

Course materials

Curtis H. Whitson & G. Brule: Phase Behaviour, SPE Monograph Series. Other literature and electronic information will be handed out in connection with the course and lectures. Main elemnts will be SPE comparative studies (SPE3, SPE5 and SPE9), as well as papers and experiences connected to Sleipner and Åsgard.

Credit reductions

Course code Reduction From To
DIG4920 7.5
More on the course

No

Facts

Version: 1
Credits:  7.5 SP
Study level: Doctoral degree level

Coursework

Term no.: 1
Teaching semester:  SPRING 2025

Language of instruction: English

Location: Trondheim

Subject area(s)
  • Reservoir Engineering
  • Technological subjects
Contact information
Course coordinator:

Department with academic responsibility
Department of Geoscience

Examination

Examination arrangement: Oral exam and work

Term Status code Evaluation Weighting Examination aids Date Time Examination system Room *
Autumn ORD Work 50/100 INSPERA
Room Building Number of candidates
Autumn ORD Oral exam 50/100
Room Building Number of candidates
Spring ORD Work 50/100 INSPERA
Room Building Number of candidates
Spring ORD Oral exam 50/100
Room Building Number of candidates
  • * The location (room) for a written examination is published 3 days before examination date. If more than one room is listed, you will find your room at Studentweb.
Examination

For more information regarding registration for examination and examination procedures, see "Innsida - Exams"

More on examinations at NTNU