Challenges of MEOR Implementation in Indonesia

Abstract

The target of oil production Indonesia in 2030 has been set at 1 million bopd. Opportunities and challenges to achieve these production figures are certainly not easy. One of these efforts is the application of EOR methods.

Microbial Enhance Oil Recovery (MEOR) technology is one of the EOR methods by utilizing microbes that will degrade types of oil to make it easier to flow as well as a producer of bio surfactants that can reduce surface tension or internal force tension (IFT). Before implementing MEOR, screening is carried out which includes reservoir parameters, selection the type of microbes to be used and proper nutrition. All over the world this technology has been tried in 17 countries with positive results in 10 countries.

Several fields in Indonesia have been tested for MEOR implementation, including Cepu, Ledok, Bentayan and Mangunjaya. MEOR implementation is carried out with the Huff and Puff system of nutrient injection and microbial injection in production wells. The problem in implementing MEOR is the selection of appropriate nutrients and microbes, besides that when implementing the huff and puff system it takes a relatively long time for soaking. To maintain the production of huff and puff wells, it is necessary to repeat the injection work.

The factors that support this success are reservoir screening, nutrient selection, and injection technique. The results of laboratory tests in 3 fields showed that MEOR resulted increasing Recovery Factor (RF) more than 10% and from the implementation of huff and puff in 4 fields, it showed a decrease in water content and a gradually increasing production after soaking.