From July 24 to August 2, 2023, the delegation PM Industrial visited Novi Sad, Serbia to participate in a scientific and technical session on the prospects for introducing surfactant-polymer flooding technology at one of the fields of the oil and gas company NIS (Nafna industrija Srbije), the only company in the country engaged in the exploration and production of oil and gas.

During the visit, company specialists took part in a discussion of the project design, assessment of surface and underground infrastructure during a visit to the field and the target pilot site.

Surfactant-polymer flooding refers to tertiary oil production methods and is aimed at influencing residual capillary-trapped oil by reducing interfacial tension at the interface and the formation of microemulsions in the formation. This technology is considered one of the promising areas in the field of enhanced oil recovery, especially for fields at a late stage of development.

NIS has already completed comprehensive laboratory studies of the physicochemical properties of selected surfactant-polymer formulations, which is an important step in assessing the effectiveness of the technology. The next important step will be to conduct a series of tracer tests on a single well (Single-Well Chemical Tracer Test, SWCTT). These tests are planned for the near future and are aimed at assessing the potential for reducing residual oil saturation in the reservoir under the influence of surfactants under real reservoir conditions.

The results of the tests, together with laboratory research data, will serve as the basis for the formation of an updated and adapted hydrodynamic and economic model of the project. Based on a comprehensive analysis of the results obtained, a decision will be made on the feasibility of conducting pilot tests aimed at verifying the applicability of surfactant-polymer flooding technology throughout the perimeter of the entire field.