Linerle, 25 km from the Norne Field in the Norwegian Sea, contains an estimated 33.7 MMcm of relatively high viscosity oil, and it will be offered in forthcoming APA license rounds.

The Norne area already hosts extensive production infrastructure, potentially offering a pathway for nearby discoveries such as Linerle to be developed through tieback solutions if commercial recovery rates can be improved.

Studies have shown that conventional recovery methods might only deliver a recovery rate of 17%.  Linerle might benefit from use of more advanced chemical EOR techniques.

Linerle seen as EOR test candidate

“Linerle is a realistic opportunity to test whether chemical EOR can generate value offshore,” said Ove Bjørn Wilson, senior reservoir engineer at the NOD, adding that this approach has been applied successfully on various UK offshore fields.

The Slagugle Field in the Norwegian Sea and Frigg, close to the Hugin Field in the North Sea, are also seen as suitable candidates.

While the respective operators are working on drainage strategies, the NOD is investigating whether enhanced recovery might be feasible using advanced injection methods. 

CO₂ injection offers dual benefit

Another possibility is the use of CO₂ injection to improve recovery, as has been proven offshore Brazil. Once production finishes, the fields can also serve as permanent CO₂ storage sites. 

Low-salinity water injection and chemical EOR also have delivered promising results, the NOD stated, but gas injection using either CO₂ or hydrocarbon gas could offer the greatest potential. 

CO₂ injection for EOR purposes could provide the twin benefits of improved oil recovery and storing large volumes of CO₂ in the subsurface.

Unlocking stranded NCS resources

Previous estimates suggested the potential for boosting recovery from the NCS using advanced techniques could be in the range 350 MMcmoe to 700 MMcmoe, similar to overall production from the giant Johan Sverdrup Field in the North Sea.

Later this year, the NOD will stage a seminar on opportunities identified for Linerle. 

The Norwegian Offshore Directorate is exhibitng at booth 8100 at the Offshore Northern Seas (ONS) event this week in Stavanger, Norway, where members of the team will be continuing the EOG recovery conversation during a technical session on field development solutions.