Quality Control of Injection Water: Key to Maintaining Facility and Reservoir Integrity in Waterflood Projects

Umurhohwo, Jonathan Oghenovo, Innocent C. Okoro, Chevrontexaco Nigeria Limited, Lagos, Nigeria

Waterflooding, where successful is an effective secondary recovery method. One impor­tant factor in this success is the quality of the injected water. Poor quality water could jeop­ardize the success of the flooding project due to the adverse effects it could have on the facilities, injection wells and reservoirs. Processing of the injection water is therefore imper­ative, even requiring dedicated surveillance techniques to ensure the achievement and main­tenance of the desired water quality. Achieving and maintaining the desired quality of injec­tion water becomes more critical in waterfloods utilizing processed seawater as against those using fresh water.

The paper discusses the treatment requirements for waterfloods utilizing seawater or fresh water for injection, together with the surveillance techniques required to measure, con­trol and maintain the desired water quality. Based on case studies from managing these waterfloods, thorough discussions were made on the adverse effects of neglecting water quality