What are the best practices and lessons learned from low salinity water flooding projects around the world?

2 Challenges of LSWF

LSWF is not a one-size-fits-all solution. It requires careful design, monitoring, and evaluation to optimize its performance and avoid potential pitfalls. Some of the challenges of LSWF include: determining the optimal salinity level and composition of the injection water, accounting for the heterogeneity and variability of the reservoir properties and fluids, managing the water quality and compatibility issues, assessing the environmental and economic impacts, and measuring the incremental oil recovery.

3 LSWF in sandstone reservoirs

Sandstone reservoirs are generally more responsive to LSWF than carbonate reservoirs, due to their higher clay content and sensitivity to salinity changes. LSWF has been successfully implemented in several sandstone fields, such as Snorre in Norway, Clair Ridge in the UK, Endicott in Alaska, and Minagish Oolite in Kuwait. The best practices for LSWF in sandstone reservoirs include: performing laboratory tests and numerical simulations to determine the optimal salinity range and injection strategy, monitoring the reservoir pressure, production rates, and water chemistry, and evaluating the incremental oil recovery using tracer tests, production logs, and reservoir models.

4 LSWF in carbonate reservoirs

Carbonate reservoirs are generally less responsive to LSWF than sandstone reservoirs, due to their lower clay content and higher mineral stability. However, LSWF can still enhance oil recovery in some carbonate fields, such as Al Shaheen in Qatar, Mauddud in Bahrain, and Umm Shaif in Abu Dhabi. The best practices for LSWF in carbonate reservoirs include: characterizing the reservoir rock and fluid properties, especially the wettability and the brine composition, injecting water with low salinity and low sulfate content to avoid precipitation and souring, and applying LSWF in combination with other enhanced oil recovery methods, such as smart water or surfactant injection.

5 LSWF in unconventional reservoirs

Unconventional reservoirs, such as tight oil, shale oil, and heavy oil, pose different challenges and opportunities for LSWF. LSWF can improve oil recovery in unconventional reservoirs by reducing the capillary pressure, increasing the relative permeability, and altering the wettability and viscosity of the oil. However, LSWF also faces limitations, such as low injectivity, high water consumption, and complex geochemical interactions. LSWF in unconventional reservoirs is still in its early stages of development and research, and requires more field trials and data analysis to validate its feasibility and effectiveness.

6 LSWF in offshore and deepwater reservoirs

Offshore and deepwater reservoirs present additional challenges and costs for LSWF, such as water sourcing, treatment, and transportation, reservoir pressure and temperature, well integrity and control, and environmental regulations. LSWF in offshore and deepwater reservoirs is still relatively rare, but some examples include: Troll in Norway, Marlim in Brazil, and Mars-Ursa in the Gulf of Mexico. The best practices for LSWF in offshore and deepwater reservoirs include: using seawater or produced water as the injection water source, adjusting the salinity and composition of the injection water according to the reservoir conditions and objectives, and implementing LSWF as part of an integrated reservoir management plan.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?