Clariant Oil Services Successfully Increases Water Injection with Chemical Drag Reducer

Benefits

• Significantly improved water injection rate by 20% to 40%, yielding improved oil recovery
• Maintained a less turbulent flow throughout production transport lines, thus, reducing drag 

Background

A major operator in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea desired to constantly increase the rate of water injection in order to maximize oil production. The water injection rate for the target well was 192 m³/hour (29,000 bbl/day), the THP was 4,200 psi and the BHP 7,700 psi. Field trials were conducted to monitor the effect that Clariant Oil Services’ FLOTREAT DR 1506 drag reduction chemical had on the water injection rate in the well by observing seawater injection volumes.

FLOTREAT DR 1506 was injected into the wellhead downstream of the choke using a high-pressure injection pump. Injection rates varied between 20 ppm and 40 ppm, based on the water rate through the system.

Clariant Oil Services Solutions and Value Delivered

Clariant Oil Services‘FLOTREAT DR 1506 drag reducer is a polymeric emulsion system that hydrolyzes quickly when in contact with water, thereby activating the polymer via it uncoiling to form a microscopic thread. When FLOTREAT DR 1506 is injected into a water system with a turbulent flow regime, these thread-like polymer structures have the effect of “calming” the water and can reduce the frequency and magnitude of turbulent eddy currents in a flowing fluid. Maintaining less turbulence through production transport lines has proven to increase the water injection rate.

Results proved that the injection of FLOTREAT DR 1506 improved the water injection rate by 20% to 40%. Test results illustrated below show that an injection rate of 40 ppm of FLOTREAT DR 1506 gave an increased effect of above 40%. Additionally, the field trial was performed without causing any process upsets.

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