Surfactant injection technology tested in Minas field

After inaugurating the Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) pilot project in the Kaji-Semoga, Rimau, South Sumatera recently, Deputy Minister of Energy and Mineral Resouces Rudi Rubiandini officially started Friday the first trial operation of the EOR technology using surfactant at the Minas block operated by PT Chevron Pacific Indonesia (CPI).

The pilot project on the Minas block, which contributes a large part of the country?s total oil production, is intended to test the effectiveness of the surfactan injection technology in lifting oil reserves in aging wells which could no longer be pumped out with the secondary recovery technology of water injection.

In the pilot project, Chevron for the first time uses surfactant technology in its EOR operation. It will cost CPI about US$165 million for 20 trial wells during the next 6 months.

It is one of sustainable efforts conducted by Chevron in increasing the oil production from aging field like Minas, which at present used the world?s largest water injection technology in the Southeast Asia, Chevron said.

?The test will give significant information on the commercial aspect of using the surfactant technology,? Hamid Batubara, the president director of Chevron Pacific Indonesia, said.

?The increase of oil production is very important to support our economic growth. Our history has shown that already 22,8 billion barrels of oil had been produced from our land. About 50 percent or 11 billion barrels are produced from here (Minas). Most of our development funds since Repelita (Five Year Development Plan) I, II, III, IV, and V were derived from oil and gas. At that time about 70 percent of our national income came from the oil and gas,? said Rudi.

Editing by Benget Besalicto Tnb.