Oil recovery of 70% is achievable at Johan Sverdrup, says Statoil

Statoil ASA reported that it has set a goal of recovering an average of 70% of the oil in its Johan Sverdrup field on the Norwegian continental shelf.

“We’ve set a very large goal for oil recovery for Johan Sverdrup,” said Bill Maloney, Statoil executive vice-president for North American operations. “With the right technology and ingenuity, we believe 70% is achievable over the life of the field for this giant development in Norway.”

The company said that by focusing its attention carefully on increasing oil recovery, it has steadily improved the recovery rates and longevity of the large fields it develops.

“While every situation is unique, we believe that the right technology can shift the economics in the right way,” Maloney said. He noted that Statoil has been able to change the economic picture in many of its international operations, including Brazil with the application of technology in its heavy oil offshore fields.

The typical expected recovery rate for Gulf of Mexico Paleogene Wilcox fields is 6-10%, although production in these fields is in early stages and data is limited. Statoil believes that with both cost-efficient technology and policies that encourage long-term investment, operators may be able to double this rate to 20% or higher, resulting in longer field life and more efficient resource management.

Statoil and its partners in February selected a concept for the first development phase of Johan Sverdrup, which will be a field center consisting of four installations and power from shore (OGJ Online, Feb. 13, 2014).