12 oil companies ready to use EOR technology: BPMIGAS

At least 12 production sharing contractors (PSCs) have committed to using the enhanced oil recovery (EOR) technology in order to increase their oil production, BPMIGAS? official has said.

Elan Biantoro, the spokesman for upstream oil and gas regulator BPMIGAS, said in Jakarta on Sunday that the 12 oil companies included Pertamina EP, Kondur Petroleum, VICO, CNOOC, PHE West Madura Offshore, PetroChina, Premier Oil, Petro Selat, Total EP Indonesie, Medco EP, JOB Pertamina-Medco Tomori and JOB Talisman Jambi Merang.

The EOR technology will be used in 32 oil fields operated by the 12 companies, he said, adding that 19 of the fields would use chemical injection in their EOR program, six would be use Co2 injection, three would use polymer injection and the others would apply steam injection.

According to Elan, the EOR technology would enable to significantly increase the volume of oil reserves which could be recovered.

Without the use of the EOR, the recovery rate is only 30 percent of the total oil reserves. ?With the use of EOR, the recovery rate could reach 60 percent of the proven reserves,? Elan said, adding that the recovery rate could in some cases reach between 70 percent and 85 percent. (godang)