An Update on Full Field Implementation of Chemical Flooding in Daqing Oilfield, China, and Its Future

Abstract The implementation of chemical fooding such as polymer flooding and alkaline/surfactant/polymer (ASP) flooding in Daqing oilfield is presented in this paper. The annual crude oil production rate by chemical EOR in Daqing oilfield has been kept over 73.3 million barrels per year for 15 consecutive years. According to the actual field production data, the incremental oil recoveries by polymer flooding is over 10% OOIP and incremental oil recovery by ASP flooding is more than 20% OOIP over that of waterflooding. This paper discusses the progresses made in Daqing over the last 30 years, including crucial application strategies, optimized design of surface facilities, field results, methods to solve technical challenges of chemical flooding, strategies to reduce cost for commercial-scale chemical EOR, and future development direction, especially future development plan for ASP. Four major lesssons are obtained for the best quality reservoirs defined as First Class oil layers in Daqing oilfield, in which polymer flooding has been completed. The existing problems are described for the medium and poor quality reservoirs defined as Second or Third Class, in which polymer flooding or ASP flooding is in progress, and the strategies are proposed, such as injection mode optimization, optimization of injection parameters, optimization of adjustment measures, optimization of well spacing, subdivision of pay zones, separate layer injection, optimization of slug combination, etc. This paper also proposes policy guidance for chemical flooding adjustment in Daqing oilfield in the coming years and provides references for chemical flooding production in other oilfields.