An Approach to Thermal Enhanced Oil Recovery: A Review Study

Thermal Enhanced Oil Recovery are the most utilized EOR globally, and can be aqueous or nonaqueous form. The aqueous form relates to water and its derivatives such as hot fluid injection, while the non-aqueous approaches focuses more on electric heating and electromagnetic heating. The non-aqueous are rarely utilized due to technical and ecological challenges, and will require futurist study in order to make them more competitive in comparison with existing technologies. In this study a review of the various aqueous and non-aqueous methods were evaluated. From the review study, steam assisted gravity drainage is the most utilized hot fluid injection. In-situ combustion technique is promising approach for enhanced oil, though requires lots of careful consideration when engineering and implementing the technique. The success of in-situ project varies based on factors such as reservoir features, project design and operational parameters. The development and optimization of in-situ combustion approaches such as THAI and CAPRI will be essential for continued recovery of hydrocarbon from unconventional zones. The electrical heating can be combined with chemical flooding such as surfactant and polymer, cyclic steam simulation can be utilized with inert fluids, steam flooding can utilized with solvents, surfactant and polymers, while in-situ can be combined with exothermic chemicals or chemicals such as surfactant and polymers.