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13-04-2014, 06:13 AM
(13-04-2014, 03:49 AM)sgd Wrote: they say there is oil in abandoned offshore oil rigs usually around 20-30% of the oil remaining in the well but just too deep and too uneconomical to drill it up so they leave it abandoned until technology advances that will make it economical to drill again. There are around 27,000 abandoned oil rigs in the gulf of mexico and nobody is rushing to buy them.
To me if it's really good well they will keep it for themselves why would they want to give it to the public unless the oil remaining in the well is so low or so deep it uneconomical to operate like abandoned oil wells.
I cannot help but smile at comments like that.
There is this concept of OOIP (original oil in place) or STOOIP or STOIIP. That represents the volume of oil in the source rocks. Depending on the nature/formation of the rocks, including porosity, permeability, water, etc., one might be able to produce 20% - 40% of this OOIP.
Enhanced oil recovery (EOR) techniques, e.g. water flood, polymer flood or CO2 flooding might be deployed to increase recovery. Not all oil fields response similarly to EOR. Application of EOR might raise total recovery to 50% - 70%, i.e. a significant amount of oil is still trapped within.
Another point is that it is oil wells or oil platforms that are abandoned (Incidentally, there are rules for plugging and abandonment). Drilling rigs always move on to the next target or prospect.