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In this paper, we carried out an updated investigation of enhanced oil recovery (EOR) applications in Kuwait. The investigation employs EOR screening analysis to determine the suitability of EOR processes to mature oil reservoirs. Following the determination of the suitable EOR process, we performed incremental recovery (IR) calculations. We also performed a preliminary economic analysis to determine the economic feasibility of the EOR processes in question. The screening analysis revealed that CO2 and other miscible processes would have wide applications in these mature oil reservoirs. Polymer, surfactant/polymer, and alkaline flooding processes would also be widely applicable. In some cases, the polymer and surfactant/polymer processes were not suitable due to high reservoir temperature. Some of the important oil reservoirs have shown to be suitable for the application of thermal recovery processes, particularly steam injection. A relatively new injection method known as steam assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) appears to be viable for enhancing heavy oil recovery from the oil reservoirs containing heavy oil. These reservoirs are thick fractured layers, which can be good candidates for drilling horizontal wells where injected steam chambers can contact large volumes of oil. The presence of fractures may present a conduit for steam to cover a large volume pore space. The incremental recovery calculations indicated that the additional recovery is 10-12% for miscible, 4-5% for polymer, 20-22% for surfactant/polymer, all of which refer to percentage of original oil in place (OOIP) in addition to water flooding. The fractional recovery due to the application of steam injection (SAGD) could be as high as 50% of the OOIP for the reservoirs containing the heavy oil. The economic analysis revealed that the oil market environment is favorable for the application of EOR processes in Kuwait where reservoirs are thick and contain huge oil volumes. Introduction Kuwait has one of the largest recoverable oil reserves in the world and most, if not all, of its production is still due to primary forces. The primary and secondary forces are expected to recover approximately 45% of the oil in place.1,2 The huge volume of unrecoverable oil will be the target of enhanced oil recovery techniques that have become attractive because of the higher oil prices. If the heavy oil sands of Alberta can become economically attractive, then the much lighter oil in Kuwait oil reservoirs will certainly present a more attractive target for enhanced oil recovery processes. Due to the large current production capacity of Kuwait oil fields, no published study has been undertaken previously to investigate the Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) potential in Kuwait, as the capacity due to primary and secondary techniques is more than enough to meet the daily production requirements. In this paper we investigate the applicability of EOR processes in Kuwait. The potential of applying EOR in the various oil reservoirs is done by applying the screening criteria of the different EOR processes.3–5 Once a reservoir was found to be suitable for one or more enhanced oil recovery processes, the incremental recovery over primary and secondary was calculated for each process. Using the incremental recovery figures and the costs for the specific process, we conducted a preliminary economic analysis. The incremental recovery calculations and the economic comparisons were based on the simple models developed by U.S Department of Energy.6 The fluid and reservoir data were gathered from the literature; assumptions were made for unavailable data when required.7–17 Enhanced Oil Recovery Methods Oil reservoirs, following discovery, undergo production of oil by primary recovery. In primary recovery, the energy and pressures inherent in the reservoir are used to force the oil through the complex pore network toward the producing wells. The primary recovery mechanism can differ from one reservoir to another, depending on the type of reservoir and the properties of the rock and the hydrocarbons present. Following the primary stage, the reservoir energy is supplemented by the injection of water and/or gas in a "secondary recovery" stage. The ultimate oil recovery by primary and secondary recovery usually ranges from 25-45% of OOIP.1 As the secondary recovery approaches its economic limit of operation, the "tertiary recovery" process begins.

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TX 75083-3836, U.S.A., fax 01-972-952-9435. AbstractOil and gas prices have historically been very volatile taking the demand for oil through wild cycles and have taken the economy of the world through the cycles with them. Oil producers and consumers tried to dampen the cycles and establish a market with softer fluctuations; however, their efforts were largely unsuccessful. OPEC strategy for dealing with the possibility of declining oil prices in the future appears to be the same old one that failed to stem the price fluctuations of the past. OPEC appears to be setting themselves up for yet another failure and the old cliché "history repeats itself" seems to be in order.Indeed every steep price increase results in a steep decline and we appear to be due for one, will it actually happen? If the past is any indicator, nobody knows. This implies that the forces that drive the oil and gas demand are not all understood and certainly not easily predictable. Perhaps the cyclical nature of supply, demand and prices of energy is a lasting phenomenon, and therefore both producers and consumers should be prepared to live with this reality.In our paper we looked at the fundamentals, we examined the forces that drive oil and gas prices, we point out the changes that are occurring in the world socio-economic systems that may affect the oil and gas supply patterns in the future.Our method breaks the barrel of oil into segments, namely industrial plus, transportation, Commercial & public services, Residential and electrical generation. Then we predict the demand level for each segment based on the projected growth in the segment, incorporating uncertainty factors. Population growth and the expected standard of living improvements, particularly in the developed nations, are the main causes for increases in energy requirements. In our conclusions, we have found that structural changes are occurring in the energy market. The large consumers of yesterday may not be the same ones tomorrow, and hence we may have new players on both sides; the producing and the consuming sides. We believe that oil and gas prices are going to be more stable and more in tone with the market forces.

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