ENHANCED OIL RECOVERY (EOR) CHALLENGES AND ITS

FUTURE IN INDONESIA
1
MUSLIM ABDURRAHMAN, 2W.S BAE, 3ADI NOVRIANSYAH, 4IDHAM KHALID
1,2,3
Department of Energy and Mineral Resources Engineering, Sejong University,Republic of Korea
1,3,4
Petroleum Department, Universitas Islam Riau, Indonesia
E-mail: 1muslim@sju.ac.kr, 2wsbae@sejong.ac.kr, 3anba11181@gmail.com, 4idam.khalid29@gmail.com

Abstract— Enhanced oil recovery (eor) has been applied in oil field in Indonesiasince 1985. The steamflooding methodhas
successfullyprolong an oil field life up to now. Steamflooding is the establish method to improve recovery of heavy oil in
Duri Field. However, other method still under several stage such as field trials, pilot project, and works laboratory. This
research present the method to improve oil recovery from mature fields. The method known as enhanced oil recovery. There
are three stage to produce oil involving primary recovery, secondary recovery, and tertiary recovery or eor. Currently,
majority an oil production under primary recovery (25.34 %) and secondary recovery (19.19 %) stage. Due to the low oil
recovery from these methods, remaining oil in place in the reservoirs are huge (more than 50 billion barrel). Enhanced oil
recovery is the best way to produce more oil from the mature fields. However, eor method consumesmuchtime and needsbig
effort from initiation to implementation project in the oil fields. Enhanced oil recovery method categories involving thermal
injection, chemical injection, gas injection, and other. These method has been applied either in fields pilot scale project or
fields trial and eventhough in full project since several years ago. According to the results, there are several challenges to
developeor method in Indonesia. First, the oil fields are in mature condition (high water cut, old facilities, depleted pressure,
and lack of data). Second, eor method is requiring huge capital investment (capex or opex). Third, for chemical injection
supply depends on imported chemical. Fourth, oil price affectthe eor implementation. Fifth, lack of eor expert due to
numerous experts are working in overseas multinational oil company. However, based on previous research and studies, eor
method such as gas injection and chemical injection are the most promising method in the near future. Unfortunatelly,
steamflooding is favorable for heavy oil only. The oil accumulation is limited in Duri Field due to the steamflooding cannot
spread to other fields. This research produced worth information particularly about challenges of eor method and the
information is very crutial before initiation the eor project in the oil field.

Keywords— Steamflooding, Chemical Injection, Gas Injection, eor.

I. INTRODUCTION enhanced oil recovery (eor) since 1985 in Duri Field.

Oil production has been declined since 1995.
However, oil consumption still increase year by year
due to the economic growth. Figure 1 shows the daily
oil production is approximately 800,000 bbl/day and
the daily oil consumption is 1,600,000 bbl/day[1].
There is an unbalance condition between oil demand
and supply. To satisfy the oil consumption,
Indonesian government should import crude oil and
fuel oil every day are approximately 600,000 bbl/day.
According to upon condition, Indonesian government
and oil industry together to increase oil production
from existing oil fields. However, the most problem
is the oil production from the mature field known
as“brown field”. By applying primary and secondary
oil recovery such as artificial lift and waterflooding,
the average oil recoverystill between 5-30% [2].
These stage has conducted up to know. Average oil
recovery using these methods are 25.34% and
19.19% respectively[3].
However, after primary and secondary recovery,
original oil in place is still large(about 50 billion
barrel)[4]. This oil becomes a prospect for eor
application(for example under eor methods oil
recovery between 5-65% from original oil in
place)[2]. In rough estimation,applyingeormethod
may increase oil recovery between 2.3 to 32.5 billion
barrel oil. This is yield a huge additional oil from
these methods. Indonesia has been experience in
Steamflooding is the eor method which was applied
in that field. Thecrude oil is still producing up to
know and known as the biggest steamflooding project
in the world[5, 6]. Successful eor method in Duri
field become a trigger for another oil company to
develop eor in their oil fields.
However, eor methodsis unique and it has many
challenges whenapplied in the oil field. The activities
from initiation project to implementation in the oil
field needa long way. The total time from initiation to
field application consumes at least 10 years
[5].Regarding this situation, aim of this research is to
exhibit the problems and challenges eor methods in
Indonesia. This research is important to develop eor
in the near future to improve oil recovery.
II. ENHANCED OIL RECOVERY
RECENTLYACTIVITIES
2.1. Steamflooding
Thermal recovery has been applied in Indonesia since
1967. The first thermal project was Huff and Puff.
This project was the embryo of steamflooding and the
results have been prolong the life of Duri Field until
now. Since 1975, Caltex Pacific Indonesia (now is
Chevron Pacific Indonesia) conducted two pilot eor
methods. These methods were caustic injection and
steamflooding. 1n 1979, caustic injection stopped due
to the failure to improve oil recovery. At the same

Proceedings of The IRES 28th International Conference, Jakarta, Indonesia, 6th February 2016, ISBN: 978-93-85973-19-2
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 Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) Challenges and Its Future in Indonesia
time, the steamflooding project had succeeded to
improve oil recovery. Thereafter, steamflooding was
chosen as the implemented methods for improving oil
recovery in that field. Duri Field has the largest
steamflooding in Indonesia, even in the world at that
time [5, 6]. The reservoir depth is around 140 ft to
240 ft and the oil category is heavy oil with 25 API
gravity. The effects of steamflooding have been
successfully improved oil recovery since that time.
The steamflooding project has been expanded since
April 1985 in Area 1. Thus, expansion was continued
in Area 2 since 1986, then in Area 14 in 2010. Duri
Field peak production was approximately 300,000
BOPD in 1994. Recently, the total oil production by
steamflooding involving DuriField and North Duri
Development (NDD),have declined to 165,057
BOPD [4]. Steamflooding was conducted only in
Duri Field. There are several reasonswhy Duri Field
was favorable by thesteamflooding method, and its
reasons include heavy oil, shallow reservoir, reservoir
thickness, and wide area.
PT. Caltex Pacific Indonesia has evaluated the
steamflooding method in Minas Field since 1998.
According to the screening eor criteria such as CO2
injection, hydrocarbon injection, and chemical
injection,the favorable eor method was
steamflooding. Although PT. Caltex Pacific
Indonesia has experienced heavy oil in
steamflooding, its method was unsuccessful for light
oil inMinas Field. There are two reasons why Minas
Field was a failure,due touncompleted geologic
attributes characterization and expected rock steam
interaction[7]. However, the steamflooding project in
Minas Field was not developed until nowdue to
several reasons but one being, steam channeling
through the thief zone[8]. Table 1 shows the thermal
activities that has been conducted involving field
trials and full projects since 1967.
2.2. Gas Injection
Gas injection studies have been carried out as early as
1980 to evaluate enhanced oil recovery in Indonesia.
Lean hydrocarbon gas injectionwas implemented in
water flooding by the immiscible mechanism
displacement process. However, these studies were
stopped earlier for economic reasons. Anyway, the
first gas injection was conducted inHandil Field in
1995. During 3 years, the injection yielded additional
oil to be around 1.6 million barrels[9]. In 2000, when
Phase II was initiated, gas injection yielded oil
production to be around 1.2 million barrels for 1.5
years[10]. Gas injection activity either under study or
in full project is shown in Table 2.
2.3. Chemical Injection
Chemical injection which had been initiated in 1980,
used Alkali Surfactant Polymer (ASP) inHandil Field.
The project was suspended fora few years afterwards
due to technical reasons and low oil prices [11].
Nowadays, there is anotable progress in chemical
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flooding in field trial and pilot project such asin
Minas, KajiSemoga, Meruap, Tanjung, Handil,
Widuri, Zamrud, Pedada, and Limau Fields
[3,12,13,14,15]. These field trial projectsprovided
evidences to increase oil production, but some oil
fields are unsuccessful. These fields used surfactant
and polymer as chemical injection. However, in
Meruap, and Limau Fieldsused Huff n Puff method.
On the other hand, the utilizationof local material for
surfactant and polymer has been studied to reduce the
chemical costs. Surfactant and polymer derived from
several sources such as palm fruits, palm bunches,
and pulp industrieshave been developed[16]. Table 3
shows the chemical injection activities that were
involved under research, field trial, and pilot projects
since 1975.
III. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
3.1. Enhanced Oil Recovery Challenges
3.1.1. Mature Oil Fields
Indonesia hasmore than 650 oil fields. Theseare a
huge oil resources involves onshore and offshore
locations. PertaminaExploration and Production
(E&P) is the national oil companywhich has the
largest number of fields in Indonesia.The total
number of fields had been covered124 producing
fields and 59 non active fields. These fields are
spreading from North Sumatra to Papua. In general,
these oil fields aremature field’s categories (95% of
total field). The oil production has been declined
between 5-20% per year since several year ago. Many
of their fields arein depleted pressure condition.
Almost of the reservoir pressure below the bubble
point (pb). Due to mature fields, a lot of the oil
wellshad high water cuts and it has caused non active
fields. These mature fields were discovered since 40
years ago. Its fields usually havelack of data, old
facilities, depleted pressure, low reserve, high water
cut, missing production data, limited core data, and
logging data[17, 18].
3.1.2. Huge Initial Capital Investment
The extra investments are being spent to develop new
eor facilities and to rejuvenate the production
infrastructure. These activities are requiring huge
capital expenditure (capex) and operational
expenditure (opex). From laboratory work to field
implementation of an eor project requireslong time.
Thus, after implementation, production response does
not occur immediately. During that time, the oil
company should spend a lot of much money and
effort. In fact, Duri Field used steamflooding was
approximately 9 years (1985-1994) to achieve peak
production late in the year 1994[6].
3.1.3. Chemical Import Dependence
Cost is the main factor in business.For example,the
chemical injection required high costs inMinas Field.
The total cost was approximately $110 for 1.0 barrel
 Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) Challenges and Its Future in Indonesia
of oil. This cost consisted of $30 for polymer, $70 for
surfactant, and $10 for facilities[19]. Nowadays,
chemical import is the main factor to increase eor
costs. Manyoil fields are suitable by chemical
injections in Pertamina Exploration and Production.
SKKMigas predicted the total amount of chemicals
are requiring for eor approximately 8 million tons
[19].
3.1.4. Oil Price Effects
The eor activities depend on oil price, royalty, and tax
advantages[20]. In fact, based on depth and oil
gravity are being considered, almost 80% of the
reservoir in the world are favorable byCO2 injection.
The decisions on the future eor will not only be based
on depth and oil gravity criteria, but oil price as well,
which is important. Obviously, the economy is
playinga role in whether eor projects move on or not.
In general, eor activity is increasing when the oil
prices increase and vice versa. For example, in the
early 1980s when oil prices were up to $50/bbl, the
eor activity increased also. But, the impact of a lower
oil price ofeor activity has fallen in 1994. At that
time, the oil price was below $20 /bbl[21].
Commonly, the Indonesian Crude Oil Price (ICP) has
increasedfrom 2001 to 2013 [22]. However, the oil
price has dropped below $60/bbl since late 2014
(Figure. 2). Therefore, eor activities will be worse in
the near future if the oil price continue to fall. The oil
price influence the petroleum industry activities. The
lower oil price will reduce several activities such as
research, developing budgets, capital spending,
employment pattern, and exploration[23].
3.1.5 Lack of EOR Experts
EOR method is quite complicated in field scale[20].
This phenomenon is dissimilar between in laboratory
and in the field scales. Then, to solve the complicated
problems it requires expert skill. Currently, inexpert
skillsineordesign and implementation havebecome
one of major problems in Indonesia. Numerous
expertsare working in multinational oil company in
overseas. Its phenomenon due to the high gap in the
salary between Indonesia and overseas[19]. Finally,
lack of expert skillswill bea barrier for developing
and implementing EOR in the future.
CONCLUSIONS
According the research study, we may yield
conclusions are as follows:
1. Steamflooding is the leading eor method to
improve oil recovery. However, this method is
properly in heavy oil and shallow reservoir.
But, its methodcannot spread to another oil
field.
2. Commonly, numerous oil fields are
categorized as mature oil fields. Due to this
condition, mature fields has characteristics
such as lack of production data, old facilities,
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depleted pressure, high water cut, limited core
data, and logging data.
3. EOR application will require huge investment,
particularly capital and operational
expenditure.
4. Imported Chemical cost is expensive. This the
other reason why to apply chemical eoris
difficultin the near future.
5. Currently,oil price is lower than $ 50/bbls.
This condition is worse to apply eor activities.
Oil price is affected to consider apply
eormethod in the oil field.
6. Numerous eor expert working in multinational
company in overseas. Lack of expert in eor
method become barrier to apply eor in
Indonesia.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
We would like say thank you to Sejong University
and Universitas Islam Riau who has encourage and
support us to do this research.
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