Optimizing Thermal – Chemical Enhanced Heavy Oil Recovery in the Niger-Delta: An Experimental and Economic Approach

As conventional oil reserves in Nigeria’s Niger Delta region continue to steadily decline, there is a pressing need to explore heavy oil production, which represents nearly 20% of the estimated crude oil reserves. The innovative hot chemical flooding system utilized thermal and chemical EOR technologies, economic analysis for optimal heavy oil production. The methodology involved developing a novel chemical mix that included dissolved liquid soap, scent leaf extract, bitter leaf extract, palm frond ash, xanthan gum, dry gin, and DG + DPFA, subjecting them to different temperatures (noting the corresponding heavy oil recovery results associated with each temperature), and comparing the results with the standard hot water and steam flood EOR processes currently practiced by oil and gas companies. Economic analysis was then carried out on the best-performing local process and also the steam flood process in order to obtain the most economically viable option. From the results obtained, xanthan gum was seen as the best-performing conventional chemical, with an average recovery factor of 96.43%, while the alkali-surfactant mix (DG – DPFA) was the best-performing local chemical, with an average recovery of 95%. The software simulation process provided key insights into the expected futuristic heavy oil recovery and expected water cut from the reservoir, and the economic analysis provided proxy mathematical equations for estimating the economical relevance of the project. Analysis of the results also gave the optimal surfactant – alkali – water mix percentage (10ml: 5g: 1000ml) for an effective production and economic viability. Observation and conclusions from the experimental and simulation results show the need for upstream companies to adopt hot chemical flood strategies for heavy oil production in the Niger Delta.