Innovation in drilling, production and reserves
Optimizing drilling and production processes prolongs the lifetime of hydrocarbon reserves, thus increasing production efficiency and reducing the impact on the environment. OMV continuously works on optimizing the amount of hydrocarbons that can be extracted from an oil reservoir (recovery rate) and on extending the reliability of facilities and materials.
While the international average recovery rate for crude oil is about 40%, OMV succeeded in pushing recovery rates above 55% in the super-mature Matzen field in Austria by using water injection. OMV is among the global front runners in terms of achieving high recovery rates in mature fields. By 2025, OMV aims to increase the amount of oil that can be extracted from selected fields in Central and Eastern Europe by 5 to 15 percentage points, making our Company a leader in efficient production in the region.
In 2012, OMV started injecting viscous saltwater to achieve higher recovery rates in a pilot project in the Matzen area. This launched our Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) activities and paved the way to attaining the strategic goal of further increasing the recovery rate. In total, 300,000 bbl of incremental oil were produced by the end of 2019. Oil rates could be significantly increased compared to conventional produced saltwater re-injection. In 2019, OMV made further progress in rolling out EOR projects in various fields in Austria and Romania.
OMV has made significant progress in developing new technologies and improving the operational performance of produced water treatment processes. In a series of field pilots targeting optimum produced saltwater quality for re-injection, OMV was able to identify innovative flotation and filtration technologies which can also effectively treat challenging emulsions.
Furthermore, OMV is investigating the possibilities for capturing CO2 from its own assets and introducing it into former gas reservoirs to reduce OMV’s carbon footprint (Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technology).
Extending the lifetime and reliability of facilities and materials ensures safe and efficient hydrocarbon production. Over the past 20 years, OMV has implemented extensive materials selection and corrosion management programs to ensure asset integrity, reduce safety risks, and minimize environmental impact. Equipping nearly 6,500 wells with artificial lift systems resulted in measurable reductions in power consumption and downtime of sucker rod pumps. Consequently, the number of well interventions decreased by 25% in Austria, reducing associated HSSE risks accordingly. OMV has investigated new nano-related technologies in the field of advanced coatings to extend material resistance, in the field of chemicals to inhibit paraffin deposits to optimize the production process, and in the field of adsorption systems to prevent soil and water contamination. OMV continues its cooperation with third-party research institutes on these technologies and is in the process of setting up programs together with other operators.
OMV works on extending the lifetime of operational facilities by mitigating abrasion and corrosion. To this end, cross-linked polyethylene pipes are inserted in tubing with a special polymer lining that was developed by OMV and patented in 16 countries. In addition, OMV has performed pilot tests on polymer flowlines under various operating conditions, which will allow us to cut costs and increase the efficiency of flowline replacement.
Sustainability Strategy 2025 target
Increase the recovery factor in the CEE region in selected fields by 5–15 percentage points by 2025 through innovative Enhanced Oil Recovery methods
Status 2019
- 100 kboe additional production in pilot project in Austria in 2019
- We started a pilot EOR project in Romania, with the initial increase in the recovery rate and in production expected in 2020.
Action plan to achieve the target
- Finalize the pilot EOR project in Romania; further mature the full field implementation project in two Matzen field reservoirs