Diaphragm Pumps Enhance Chemical Injection Systems During EOR

If reality were like the movies, drilling for oil and gas would be as simple as digging a hole in the ground and waiting for the product to explode upward. However, the movies typically do not resemble reality. In fact, oil and gas production is a difficult and strenuous process, involving numerous techniques and large amounts of heavy-duty equipment.

Oil and gas production is typically separated into three phases. The first of these phases is called primary recovery. During primary recovery, the natural pressure of the reservoir, combined with pumping equipment, brings the product to the surface. This is the easiest and cheapest method of recovery, but usually produces only about 10 percent of a reservoir’s original oil.

The next phase of recovery is called secondary recovery. During this phase, water or gas is injected into the reservoir, making displacing and driving the resources to the surface easier. This technique typically recovers anywhere from 20 to 40 percent of the original amount of product in the reservoir.

After primary and secondary recovery methods have been exhausted, the reservoir is usually only about half empty. Until recently, these wells were often abandoned because techniques for removing the remaining oil did not justify the cost. However, with so much product remaining in these wells, companies clearly saw the need to invest in other techniques to remove the remaining oil and gas. These techniques are used in the third and final phase of recovery. This phase is known as tertiary recovery or what is better known as enhanced oil recovery (EOR).

EOR is a complex method of recovery that helps increase production through one of three distinct methods: gas injection, chemical injection or thermal recovery. This article focuses on the chemical injection recovery process, touching on the types of pumping equipment used with EOR.

Chemical Injection Method

Since oil and gas wells and production systems are located in different environments, they are subjected to an array of harmful effects that makes extracting the resources difficult. These include liquid loading, corrosive substances, sandy wells, extreme temperatures and more. To help counteract these effects and help extract an increased amount of product, EOR methods are used.