Selection of Fields for the Implementation of Solar EOR as a Thermal Process of Improved Recovery in Colombia

Abstract

Solar EOR technology currently plays an important role in the combination of EOR technologies for thermal recovery processes with continuous steam injection; since, instead of burning natural gas to produce steam, Solar EOR involves the use of solar energy concentration technology (CSP) to produce steam. The mechanism of operation consists in installing parabolic mirrors protected by a greenhouse, which reflect and concentrate the sunlight in the receivers that collect solar energy and then turn it into heat. The heat is used to produce steam from the water; Solar EOR can generate the same quality and temperature of steam as natural gas. In Colombia there are areas of interest where oil fields meet the criteria of the petrophysical properties of fluids and the deposit, as well as the direct normal irradiation (DNI) necessary for the installation of this technology, therefore, the use of Solar EOR could reduce the demand that natural gas is required for EOR, which can be redirected to other economic activities such as power generation, water desalination and as raw material and energy for industrial processes. This paper seeks to select the candidate fields for the application of this technology.