Electrical serendipity : can EEOR unlock Wilkie oil?

The project is located in Saskatchewan and is characterized as a heavy oil pay zone with a gross sand thickness of between 9 and 15 meters. Although steam assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) and toe-to-heel injection (THAI) processes have been considered, neither technology is suitable for the 620 meter depth of the project's pay zone. A new electrically-enhanced oil recovery (EEOR) system that uses direct current (DC) is now being tested at a horizontal well at the Wilkie site. EEOR was initially developed in the 1970s, but was abandoned when crude oil prices plummeted in the 1980s. Tests conducted with the technology have shown that the technology is capable of boosting heavy oil production by a factor of 10 while reducing water cut to 12 per cent from 45 per cent. DC is used to heat the formation and ease the flow of oil and water to the wellbore. The EEOR process stimulates electric chemical reactions within the reservoir that break the oil down into smaller molecules. It was concluded that EEOR technologies may be used in formations where SAGD processes are not suitable. 2 figs.