Surfactant EOR · HTHS carbonates

Does retained surfactant fit the screening budget?

Check whether the SAMPLE retention passes the retention-cost gate, then move retention, price and sweep to see where the gate fails.

Explore retention costs

Retention cost C_ret · USD/inc. bbl: —
RF_inc · % OOIP: —
Total UTC · USD/inc. bbl: —
Gate margin B_max − C_ret: —

SAMPLE DATAThe SAMPLE records reach the same screening conclusions as the manuscript with different values; the measured records are not published here. This page is a general screening tool that runs on SAMPLE inputs. Computed in the browser from the SAMPLE inputs in Section 2.

Read the screening method

This page screens a surfactant flood in a high-temperature, high-salinity carbonate on one question: does the cost of the surfactant left on the rock fit the budget a field project can carry? Laboratory recovery R_lab is scaled to field incremental recovery RF_inc through the maturity ratio and the volumetric sweep. The retained surfactant mass is then priced per incremental barrel as the retention cost C_ret, tested against the retention budget B_max, and carried into the unit technical cost stack against the screening oil price. Every input is a SAMPLE value, and the 0.11 mg·g⁻¹ target retention is a SAMPLE screening target. At the scenario specified in Section 2 the transform returns RF_inc = — and a retention cost C_ret = —, which — the B_max = — screening ceiling, against a total unit technical cost of — and a net margin of —.

Manuscript prepared; pending review. Interactive materials and supporting files are not currently offered for public access.

Scenario record

Prepared by	Imad A. Adel
Subject	Surfactant EOR · HTHS carbonates
Basis	SAMPLE inputs · general screening tool
Scenario status	BASE CASE

Summary of results — current scenarioSAMPLE DATA

base case

Retention cost C_ret: —
Gate margin: —
RF_inc: —
Retained mass M_loss: —; lb per inc. bbl
Total UTC: —
Net margin: —

How to useEvery figure and readout recomputes from the scenario parameters.

What this is. This page is a general screening tool that runs on SAMPLE inputs. The page opens on a SAMPLE base case — Γ = 0.155 mg/g-rock, P_s = 1.60 USD/lb, E_v = 0.55, R_lab = 84.0 % of S_orw — and the status field reads BASE CASE until an input changes.
Parameters. Every input lives in Section 2. Retention Γ, surfactant price P_s and sweep efficiency E_v carry sliders at the top of that section; the recovery basis, the economic frame and the four base unit-technical-cost rows are entered numerically.
Live model. Sections 7 to 10 recompute from Section 2 on every edit: the recovery transform, the retention-cost gate, the unit technical cost stack, and the two C_ret maps.
Figures are interactive. Hover for exact values and drag to zoom; use Reset axes in the figure toolbar, or double-click the plot; the camera icon downloads a PNG.
Export and reset. Export scenario downloads a text file of all inputs and computed outputs at full precision. Reset base case restores the SAMPLE base case.
Where things are. Screening method, governing equations and SAMPLE calibration anchors in Section 1, parameters in Section 2, screening outputs in Sections 7 to 10, assumptions and limitations in Section 11.

Basis and screening method

The screening turns a laboratory displacement result into a field-scale test of what the retained surfactant costs. Stage A scales recovery to an OOIP basis; Stage B prices the surfactant left on the rock per incremental barrel; Stage C holds that price against a budget and carries it into the unit technical cost stack. Every input on this page is a SAMPLE value.

Prepared by Imad A. Adel

Stage A — Volumetric upscalingSAMPLE DATA

Laboratory tertiary recovery is reported as a fraction of S_orw. Field screening requires incremental recovery on an OOIP basis, so R_lab is scaled by the maturity ratio S_orw/S_oi and the volumetric sweep efficiency E_v, and capped at the technical limit RF_tech.

Stage B — Retention pricingSAMPLE DATA

C_ret prices the surfactant mass retained on rock after the post-flush material balance, per incremental barrel. It excludes mobile surfactant in the produced stream, polymer and alkali costs, water handling, and facilities.

Stage C — Gate and cost stackSAMPLE DATA

The retention budget B_max gates field translation, and the inversion of the retention-cost relation returns the maximum allowable retention Γ_max for a given budget. C_ret then enters the unit technical cost stack against the screening oil price. At the current scenario C_ret = — and Γ_max at B_max is —.

Governing equations — screening relationsSAMPLE DATA

SAMPLE calibration anchors (not editable). K = 12.5 is the lumped constant in C_ret = K · Γ · P_s / E_v. Γ_r,max = 0.165 mg/g-rock, C_ret,base = 5.64 USD per incremental bbl, P_s,base = 1.60 USD/lb, RF_inc,base = 22.2 % OOIP and M_loss = 3.52 lb per incremental bbl are the SAMPLE calibration anchors of the two Γ_max forms. Each is computed from K and the SAMPLE base case, not entered. Displayed values carry one decimal (Γ_max three); the scenario export carries full precision.

Scenario parameters

The specification below opens at a SAMPLE base case. Every field is editable, and Sections 7 to 10 recompute from these values. Retention Γ, surfactant price P_s and volumetric sweep E_v are the screening variables and carry sliders; the remaining fields are entered numerically. Temperature, salinity and permeability are not model inputs; they act only through the values entered for recovery, retention and sweep.

Prepared by Imad A. Adel

Scenario specificationSAMPLE DATA

How to useEdit any field; the scenario monitor and Sections 7 to 10 recompute.

Move a primary slider or type a value in the tables; a slider and its table field hold the same value.
Read the scenario monitor; it repeats the overview summary for the current inputs.
Export scenario writes every input and output at full precision; Reset base case restores the SAMPLE base case.

Screening variables — primary

Dynamic retention Γ

0.10SAMPLE target 0.110.28

Surfactant price P_s

0.75markers 1.25 · 1.60 · 2.002.50

Sweep efficiency E_v

0.40polymer-assisted sweep assumption0.80

Scenario monitorbase case

2.1 · Screening variables

Parameter	Value (editable)	Unit
Dynamic retention Γ		mg/g-rock
Surfactant price P_s		USD/lb
Sweep efficiency E_v		fraction

2.2 · Recovery basis

Parameter	Value (editable)	Unit
Lab recovery R_lab (SAMPLE)		% of S_orw
Maturity ratio S_orw/S_oi		fraction
Technical limit RF_tech		% OOIP

2.3 · Economic frame

Parameter	Value (editable)	Unit
Retention budget B_max		USD/inc. bbl
Preferred budget B_perf		USD/inc. bbl
Screening oil price		USD/bbl

2.4 · Unit technical cost — base rows

Cost element	Value (editable)	Unit
Facilities CAPEX		USD/inc. bbl
OPEX		USD/inc. bbl
Polymer, alkali, & cosolvent		USD/inc. bbl
Effective surfactant		USD/inc. bbl

Retained mass M_loss = K · Γ / E_v = — lb per incremental bbl · C_ret = — USD per incremental bbl · RF_inc = — % OOIP · base rows sum — USD per incremental bbl. The four base rows above are SAMPLE screening assumptions; the retention row is computed, never entered.

Recovery transform · live

Recovery transform

Field screening requires incremental recovery on an OOIP basis. S_orw/S_oi is the maturity ratio linking remaining oil after waterflooding to initial oil saturation, and E_v is the field volumetric sweep efficiency, treated as a conditional input dependent on polymer-assisted sweep rather than a laboratory result. At R_lab = — % of S_orw, S_orw/S_oi = — and E_v = —, the transform returns RF_inc = — % OOIP against a volumetric ceiling of — % OOIP even at R_lab = 100 %. Near that limit RF_inc is sensitive to E_v: at the SAMPLE S_orw/S_oi = 0.48 and R_lab = 84.0 %, RF_inc falls from 22.2 % OOIP at E_v = 0.55 to 16.1 % OOIP at E_v = 0.40.

Prepared by Imad A. Adel

Fig. 6SAMPLE DATA

How to useMove Γ, P_s or E_v; the figure, the readouts and the other panes recompute.

Set retention Γ, surfactant price P_s and sweep efficiency E_v with the sliders. They open at the SAMPLE base case and hold the same values as Scenario parameters.
Read the current scenario at the open marker and in the readouts below the figure.
Change the recovery basis, the budgets, the oil price and the base cost rows in Scenario parameters.

Hover for values; drag to zoom; use Reset axes in the figure toolbar, or double-click the plot.

Dynamic retention Γ

Surfactant price P_s

Sweep efficiency E_v

What it shows Fig. 6 — Incremental recovery factor over the sweep–recovery plane. RF_inc = min(R_lab · S_orw/S_oi · E_v, RF_tech) in % OOIP, contoured over E_v = 0.40–0.80 and R_lab = 50–100 % of S_orw on a 120 × 100 grid; the flat upper region is the volumetric ceiling RF_tech. The dashed curve is the isoline at the current RF_inc, the grey star is the SAMPLE base case at (0.55, 84.0), and the open marker is the current scenario. Recomputes from Section 2.

Retention-cost gate · live

Retention-cost gate

A retention budget B in USD per incremental bbl sets the economic limit for retention-controlled screening. The SAMPLE base case uses B_max = 6 USD per incremental bbl as the upper-limit gate on the retention penalty and B_perf = 4 USD per incremental bbl as the preferred early screen. Inverting the retention-cost relation converts the budget into a maximum allowable retention Γ_max. At the current scenario Γ_max = — at B_max, against an operating retention of —.

Prepared by Imad A. Adel

Fig. 7SAMPLE DATA

How to useMove Γ, P_s or E_v; the figure, the readouts and the other panes recompute.

Set retention Γ, surfactant price P_s and sweep efficiency E_v with the sliders. They open at the SAMPLE base case and hold the same values as Scenario parameters.
Read the current scenario at the open marker and in the readouts below the figure.
Change the recovery basis, the budgets, the oil price and the base cost rows in Scenario parameters.

Hover for values; drag to zoom; use Reset axes in the figure toolbar, or double-click the plot.

Dynamic retention Γ

Surfactant price P_s

Sweep efficiency E_v

What it shows Fig. 7 — Maximum allowable retention satisfying the retention-cost budget. (a) Γ_max (mg/g-rock) contoured over surfactant price P_s = 0.75–2.50 USD/lb and budget B = 2–8 USD per incremental bbl at fixed RF_inc,base = 22.2 % OOIP; the diverging scale is centred on Γ_r,max = 0.165 mg/g-rock, the dashed line is that isoline, the dash-dot horizontal is the current B_max, the dotted verticals are the price markers 1.25, 1.60 and 2.00 USD/lb, and the grey star is the SAMPLE base case at (1.60, 5.64), its retention cost at the base price. (b) Γ_max against RF_inc in % OOIP for B = current B_max (solid), B_perf (dashed) and 8 USD per incremental bbl (long dash-dot); the blue fill is the region satisfying B_max, the grey band lies beyond the technical limit RF_tech, and the open marker is the current scenario. The contours and curves use the anchored Γ_max form (0.1755 mg/g-rock at the SAMPLE base case and B_max), while the meta line above the figure shows the readout form (0.165 mg/g-rock); Section 11 states the difference. Recomputes from Section 2.

Gate verdict

At Γ = — and P_s = —, the retention cost is C_ret = — against B_max = —. —

Unit technical cost · live

Unit technical cost

Retention Γ drives C_ret linearly, so retention is the primary optimisation parameter for widening screening margin and lowering unit technical cost. The stack below decomposes the per-incremental-bbl cost into facilities CAPEX, OPEX, non-surfactant chemical spend, effective surfactant, and the retained-mass penalty carried in C_ret. Lowering retention to the SAMPLE target Γ = 0.11 mg·g⁻¹ at base price and sweep reduces C_ret to 4.00 USD/bbl, freeing 1.64 USD/bbl inside the retention budget. At the current scenario the total unit technical cost is — against a screening oil price of —, leaving a net margin of —.

Prepared by Imad A. Adel

Fig. 8SAMPLE DATA

How to useMove Γ, P_s or E_v; the figure, the readouts and the other panes recompute.

Set retention Γ, surfactant price P_s and sweep efficiency E_v with the sliders. They open at the SAMPLE base case and hold the same values as Scenario parameters.
Read the current scenario at the open marker and in the readouts below the figure.
Change the recovery basis, the budgets, the oil price and the base cost rows in Scenario parameters.

Hover for values; drag to zoom; use Reset axes in the figure toolbar, or double-click the plot.

Dynamic retention Γ

Surfactant price P_s

Sweep efficiency E_v

What it shows Fig. 8 — Unit technical cost stack at the screening oil price, USD per incremental bbl. The four blue bars are the base cost rows entered in Section 2, stacked; the red bar is the computed retention cost C_ret; the ink bar is the total unit technical cost and the closing bar is the net margin against the dashed oil-price line. Bar labels carry one decimal. Recomputes from Section 2.

Retention-cost maps · live

Retention-cost maps

The retention-cost screening links two coupled parameters: Γ sets C_ret at fixed P_s, while E_v sets RF_inc and shifts the iso-cost contours. The maps below evaluate C_ret = K · Γ · P_s / E_v in the sweep–retention and price–retention planes, with the B_max and B_perf iso-cost boundaries drawn on both. The SAMPLE base case lies 0.36 USD per incremental bbl inside the B_max boundary: at base price and sweep, a retention increase of 0.010 mg/g-rock closes the gate. Strategies that reduce Γ widen the margin without requiring higher E_v.

Prepared by Imad A. Adel

Fig. 9SAMPLE DATA

How to useMove Γ, P_s or E_v; the figure, the readouts and the other panes recompute.

Set retention Γ, surfactant price P_s and sweep efficiency E_v with the sliders. They open at the SAMPLE base case and hold the same values as Scenario parameters.
Read the current scenario at the open marker and in the readouts below the figure.
Change the recovery basis, the budgets, the oil price and the base cost rows in Scenario parameters.

Hover for values; drag to zoom; use Reset axes in the figure toolbar, or double-click the plot.

Dynamic retention Γ

Surfactant price P_s

Sweep efficiency E_v

What it shows Fig. 9 — Retention-cost maps, C_ret in USD per incremental bbl. (a) C_ret over sweep efficiency E_v = 0.45–0.75 and retention Γ = 0.10–0.275 mg/g-rock at the current surfactant price. (b) C_ret over P_s = 0.75–2.50 USD/lb and the same retention range at the current sweep efficiency; dotted verticals are the price markers. The diverging scale is centred on the current B_max, blue below the gate and red above it; the solid line is the B_max iso-cost boundary and the dashed line is B_perf. The grey star is the SAMPLE base case at Γ = 0.155 mg/g-rock, the red star is the 0.11 mg/g-rock SAMPLE retention target, and the open marker is the current scenario. Recomputes from Section 2.

Assumptions and limitations

Prepared by Imad A. Adel

Assumptions and limitations

How this was computed

Every number on this page is computed in the browser from the SAMPLE inputs in Section 2. Incremental recovery is the laboratory recovery scaled by the maturity ratio and the sweep efficiency and capped at the technical limit. The retention cost is C_ret = K · Γ · P_s / E_v with the SAMPLE constant K = 12.5; the gate compares it with the budget B_max, and inverting it gives the maximum allowable retention at a budget. The unit technical cost adds C_ret to the four SAMPLE base cost rows and is read against the screening oil price.

The calibration anchors printed in Section 1 are computed from K and the SAMPLE base case. The page carries no experimental record; every default is a SAMPLE value, and any value a reader enters replaces it.

Screening under the stated assumptions. C_ret prices retained surfactant mass only; it is not a project NPV model.