A Novel Enhanced Oil Recovery Method for the Oilfields of Upper Assam Basin and Analogous Reservoirs

In this paper the authors have devised a novel technique of Enhanced Oil Recovery with the help of a case study of Barail Sandstone of Shalmari oilfield of Upper Assam Basin. The authors have done investigation of Reservoir Rock and Fluid Samples and different phenomena occurring in the Petroleum Reservoir with Thermo-Gravimetric Analysis, XRay Diffraction, Scanning Electron Microscope photograph, and Viscosity Analysis to find out the ideal conditions of Enhanced Oil Recovery in the reservoir. From these analyses, the authors have devised a combination of Thermal and Chemical recovery method which is ideal for the industry and which can give maximum ultimate recovery with minimum investment and without causing much damage to the reservoir. In addition to designing the perfect concentration and type of chemicals to be used and determining the best range of temperature in which the injected fluid to be send, the authors have proposed the idea of using solar energy to heat up the water before injecting it underground and hence paving the way for Solar EOR in Upper Assam Basin to decrease the viscosity of the crude oil. The Enclosed Trough Technology illustrated here for oil recovery is an extremely promising one and is a sustainable method of generating hot water/ steam keeping in view the degradation of the environment. This technology can be further extended to analogous reservoirs all over the world having reservoir characteristics similar to Barail sandstone of Shalmari oilfield.