The ActiveEOR® Reaction

A pumpable, easily-handled material, ActiveEOR® is introduced as a 40% wt sodium silicide (NaSi) slurry in a hydrocarbon dispersion. Injected either as a Huff and Puff process or as a chemical flood, ActiveEOR® disperses throughout the reservoir and penetrates the pore spaces where water is present. During reaction, heat and high-pressure hydrogen gas are rapidly released and a soluble alkali silicate is generated to help reduce formation interfacial tension (IFT) and increase oil mobility. All reaction products are generated in the oil zone, eliminating heat losses and maximizing production benefits.

Na4Si4 (s) + 10H2O (ℓ) ⟶ 10H2 (g) + 2Na2Si2O5 (aq) + 1,654 kJ

ActiveEOR® can be injected into a variety of reservoirs and well types. It can also be used as a standalone technology or in parallel with other EOR technologies, such as polymers, surfactants, etc. No wellbore or infrastructure changes are required, allowing for a low-cost operation. The injection process can be implemented safely with no risk to the well, field equipment or personnel.

The Result

With ActiveEOR®, the result is a faster production start and increased recovery – up to 50% more oil can be recovered compared to existing EOR methods. Whether used alone or with other recovery technologies, ActiveEOR® can bring new life to declining wells.

ActiveEOR®

ActiveEOR® is an enhanced oilfield chemical that improves secondary and tertiary recovery, while significantly reducing environmental impacts. Heat, high-pressure gas and alkali are generated downhole, within the oil zone. Usable at any depth, and with any type of crude or oil viscosity/API, ActiveEOR® can be economically applied for a range of oil field operations.

Steam-Like Benefits from a Chemical Flood

ActiveEOR®

Combines thermal, chemical & immiscible gas mechanisms in one chemical

Generate surfactants downhole to help reduce IFT

Usable at any depth and with any viscosity oil

Usable alone or with other EOR technologies

PRODUCT FEATURES

Generates ~500,000 BTU per barrel of ActiveEOR®

Increases temperature up to 350ºC at the reaction sites

Up to 10X volume expansion

Recovers up to 50% more oil

Starts production up to 20% faster

RECOVERY BENEFITS

ActiveEOR® is an important advancement for improved oilfield operations, bringing

new life to existing fields.

ActiveEOR® | Steam-Like Benefits from a Chemical Flood

ActiveEOR® for Chemical EOR Operations ActiveEOR® was developed to augment polymer / surfactant flooding and ASP techniques. With CEOR, the primary recovery mechanisms from ActiveEOR® are viscosity reduction due to heat, increased drive energy due from gas expansion, and produced surfactants to contribute to IFT reduction.

ActiveEOR® also aids in sweep stability by reducing the heavy oil/water viscosity ratio via thermal viscosity reduction and a chemical increase in water emulsion phase viscosity. Applying CEOR techniques and ActiveEOR® simultaneously increases the control and uniformity of the sweep front and ultimately improves recovery.

Linear core floods and modeling confirm the ability to recover more oil with ActiveEOR®. Recovery increases range from 50% up to as much as 98% more oil (when ActiveEOR® is used after a water flood). The generation and expansion of hydrogen gas within the core also accelerates a faster production start, by up to 20%.

With ActiveEOR®, assets that are marginal for EOR due to crude viscosity and gravity can be shifted into the recoverable category, opening up currently trapped crudes.

Injection of ActiveEOR® into a Chemical EOR Operation Chemical reaction occurs downhole, maximizing heat, pressure and alkali benefits

ActiveEOR® | Steam-Like Benefits from a Chemical Flood

Cyclic injection of ActiveEOR® leads to an additional 50% recovery over primary production.

ActiveEOR® delivers 24% more oil and 9% less water compared to solvent injection.

CHOPS operations are underway in western Canada.

Injection of ActiveEOR® into a CHOPS Well Huff-and-Puff Injection: 1-day injection, 3-day soak, 120-day production

Process leverages wormholes to deliver chemicals into the reservoir

Chemical reaction

generates ~500,000 BTU

and 10X pressure per bbl

of Active EOR®

ActiveEOR® for CHOPS (Cold Heavy Oil Production with Sand) ActiveEOR® delivers energy to CHOPS reservoirs in the form of heat and gas. The slurry is injected cyclically and leverages the existing wormhole network to distribute the material throughout the oil zone. No costly capital investments or special well site equipment are needed.

The primary mechanism for improved CHOPS recovery is a viscosity reduction via heat and pressure. Temperature and pressure effects extend along the near-wormhole region, with an increase of ~350°C at the reaction sites and an average pressure increase of ~100 kPa. A soluble alkali silicate is generated to help reduce formation IFT and increase oil mobility. A typical operation recommends a 1-day injection, up to 3-day soak time and a 120-day production time.

ActiveEOR® increases recovery up to 50% over primary CHOPS production. Production increases can be anticipated for 5 to 10 years, adding 25-50% to recoverable reserves. In some wells, a wormhole collapse may also be triggered, which would help re-establish a primary recovery phase.

Winner of the Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award

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ActiveEOR® for High-Temperature Carbonate Wettability Alteration ActiveEOR® alters wettability from oil-wet to water-wet, even at the high temperatures needed for steam flooding. With ActiveEOR®, producers are able to generate silicates downwell, where they alter the reservoir’s wettability characteristics. The rate and timing of the ActiveEOR® reaction can be controlled, allowing producers to more evenly deliver the material throughout the formation and widely influence reservoir wettability.

With ActiveEOR®, the value of underdeveloped carbonate reservoirs can be maximized.

Conversion from highly oil wet to highly water wet The oil contact angle at the mineral surface was transformed from 23º at post-treatment of silicide

FRESH SURFACEA fresh polished carbonate surface is water wet (high

contact angle for oil droplet)

AGED SURFACEAfter aging, the surface

becomes oil wet (low contact angle)

POST ActiveEOR® INJECTIONAfter ActiveEOR® application, the carbonate surface is again highly

water wet (high contact angle)