Sonochemical approaches to enhanced oil recovery

• A sonochemical method is developed to enhance oil recovery from horizontal oil wells.
• Ultrasound can enhance the effect of chemicals used to improve the performance of wells.
• The method increases the permeability of the wellbore perforation zone and reduces blockages.
• Field tests of the sonochemical method of EOR in vertical and horizontal wells have shown a significant improvement in oil production.

Oil production from wells reduces with time and the well becomes uneconomic unless enhanced oil recovery (EOR) methods are applied. There are a number of methods currently available and each has specific advantages and disadvantages depending on conditions. Currently there is a big demand for new or improved technologies in this field, the hope is that these might also be applicable to wells which have already been the subject of EOR. The sonochemical method of EOR is one of the most promising methods and is important in that it can also be applied for the treatment of horizontal wells. The present article reports the theoretical background of the developed sonochemical technology for EOR in horizontal wells; describes the requirements to the equipment needed to embody the technology. The results of the first field tests of the technology are reported.