‘Soap Cocktails’ Help U.S. Shale Boost Oil Production
U.S. shale innovation is not limited to drilling techniques and engineering breakthroughs. Producers are testing and already getting more oil out of existing wells in the shale formations with the use of advanced chemicals. The mixture of cocktails of various chemicals, the so-called surfactants, helps release oil from the tight and shale formations. And shale drillers, including supermajors and…
U.S. shale producers are employing advanced chemical mixtures, known as "soap cocktails," to extract more oil from existing wells in shale formations. These surfactant cocktails help release oil trapped in tight and shale formations, making it easier to flow toward the well. Chevron, for instance, has developed a proprietary chemical technology to address the issue that only about 10% of the oil trapped in shale formations is ever recovered using fracking alone.
The company is using these chemicals in over 600 wells, with the first tests conducted in the Permian Basin, its largest shale field and key upstream asset. Chevron has since expanded the use of its surfactant technology to the Bakken in the Rockies and Argentina. Other producers, such as Ovintiv and Diamondback Energy, are also testing surfactant cocktails to boost oil recovery in shale formations, with Ovintiv reporting a 9% improvement in oil productivity compared to non-surfactant-treated wells.
Diamondback's CEO revealed they invested $30 million in a pilot project testing 60 wells with surfactants, with positive results and more testing planned. This innovative approach to enhanced oil recovery could help U.S. shale production exceed expectations set by analysts just a year ago.
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