The earth’s crude oil reserves are finite. And as an oil field becomes depleted, the flow pressure declines, and after a while, the feed rate starts to slow down.
However, it is possible to exert some influence over this process using enhanced oil recovery (EOR). This method involves injecting gas or water to heat the oil, or using chemicals to reduce surface tension. This delays or reduces the drop in feed rates.
Depending on the field, traditional procedures only allow around 15 to 20 percent of the oil reserve to be extracted, with the majority remaining in the ground. Enhanced Oil Recovery encompasses a range of techniques that increase the recovery rate during a second, and sometimes even a third, production phase.
