The Titan Process: In simple terms, what is it?
The process is simply feeding natural microbes that live in the reservoir a special group of nutrients in an exact sequence and volume, basically a cocktail of food. This process makes the microbes multiply and then shrink. When the microbes shrink, their skin surface characteristics change so that their skin surface develops an oleophilic [oil–loving] characteristic in place of a hydrophilic [water–loving] one. Changing the microbes’ skin allows the reservoir microbes to act in a desired and predictable way.
What is the source of the microbes?
A biofilm of anaerobic bacteria (microbes) that live without oxygen, cover the entire matrix (rock formation surface) of most oil reservoirs. This fact had been overlooked by the oil industry for many years. This huge source of energy is what the Titan Process stimulates. The Titan Process transforms the targeted microbe’s surface (skin) to become an oil-loving surface. The microbes release from the biofilm to seek and attach to oil droplets which cause the oil droplets to dislodge and release from the rock matrix surface to the production flow.
How does the Titan Process create an emulsion?
The targeted microbes that have consumed the Titan nutrients proceed into a cycle of nutrient deprivation after the nutrient is consumed. The deprivation cycle marks the onset of the Titan Process effect. As the microbes are stimulated by the Titan Process and the become “oil-loving”, they attach to the oil droplet causing the oil to break down into much smaller droplet size. A portion of these small microbes attach to oil droplets causing a greatly expanded and irregular surface contour which allows for the creation of a cohesion effect with water molecules. As this newly “attached” oil, water and microbe combination moves through the high-permeability areas of the reservoir, the more rapid movement agitates the combination and an emulsion is formed, blocking thief zones and increasing oil recovery.
What will it cost?
Depending on the characteristics of the oil field, the cost per incremental barrel should range from $2 to $5, initially. Water cuts will decrease, therefore lowering lifting costs as gross fluid decreases. As oil production comes up, the average cost per net barrel will decrease significantly. Since the Titan Process has a cumulative effect and continues to work in the reservoir, the incremental cost per barrel should continually decrease year after year. It is expected that the production decline will be halted or reduced and the incremental production, over the base case, will continue to increase e.g. incremental production in year three will be greater than incremental production in year two.
What is re-profiling?
The gentle emulsion we create with the Titan Process produces a slightly thicker (more viscous) fluid than the water and oil as discrete fluid phases. The water drive deep within the reservoir now becomes more viscous than the oil and water alone and a partial, temporary block is created in the present water pathway. The blockage causes the waterflood to push off into new directions. The result is that oil, which was previously inaccessible to the driving fluids, is now contacted and mobilized. The blocking of the reservoir thief zones and subsequent water diversion is called re-profiling. Unlike traditional polymer re-profiling, the Titan Process re-profiling occurs with natural substances, repeatedly within the thief zones, from a single application. This re-profiling allows unswept areas of the reservoir to be contacted by the water flow.
Can it cause near well bore blocking?
The Titan Process has the unique ability to create an emulsion wherever the fluid velocity is great enough. This can be either near the well bore or much further removed from the injection point. Whether near-wellbore, very distant, or at intermediate-distances from the injection point, the effect is the same—the microbe-created-emulsion causes the waterflood to be diverted to currently unswept portions of the reservoir. However, unlike previous efforts to encourage biologic enhancement of oil recovery, the Titan Process and its stimulation of particular microbes has the ability to influence production both near and far from the wellbore—whether in an injection well or a producing well.
Is there any change in oil quality?
No. With the Titan Process, the oil quality does not change.
Up to what temperature is the Titan Process effective?
The microbes that the Titan Process uses are already in the reservoir. They live in whatever temperature the reservoir has currently. Extensive tests show that biological life exists in reservoirs up to 264°F (120°C). The present theoretical limit is about 330°F (150°C). Fifteen years ago, it was thought that the theoretical limit was 154°F (70°C). In the final analysis, the effectiveness depends on the specific microbes which are actually present in the reservoir at reservoir conditions. This must be determined by laboratory analysis by the Titan technical team. As a general comment, higher temperatures can cause a reduction in the microbe populations.
Under what pressure does the Titan Process work?
As mentioned with temperature, the Titan process uses microbes already in the reservoir, where they endure the current reservoir pressure. Tests on reservoir microbes have been carried out at 400 atmospheres (5876 pounds per square inch).
What about salt? Will the Titan Process still work in a saline reservoir?
Salt can be a problem to some degree in the same way that very high temperature can be a problem. We have found very high salt concentrations tend to decrease the populations of microbes, but this can only be determined by laboratory analysis. With the Titan Process, salt tends not to be a major problem as long as salt concentrations are less than 7% (70,000 ppm). A very large portion of oil reservoirs meet this criteria. The microbe body does the work, not the chemical. Unlike previous attempts to get biology to enhance oil recovery, we do not rely on producing chemical surfactants (soapy-like substance) in our process. With the Titan Process we use the microbes’ skin surface to couple water with the oil and so improve oil recovery. The process works the same within normal ranges of salinity.
How many more microbes do I get in my reservoir with the Titan Process?
The Titan Process creates a huge number of microbes. The microbes’ body size increases marginally when fed the Titan Nutrient. The microbes then rapidly multiply in number while the food supply lasts. Their bodies then shrink. During shrinking, their surface is transformed into an oily skin. This is referred to as a “hydrophobic” [disliking water] surface or “oleophilic” [oil-loving].
Do the microbes all cling together to form a big glob?
No. The nature of their skin keeps them apart.
Can the Titan Process change the microscopic water oil interface within the pore spaces?
Yes. You may remember seeing drops of water fall onto a powdery surface. The water is completely surrounded by the powder particles, which form a complete coating on the drop. The Titan microbes coat the oil drop in a similar manner. The surface of the microbes is what couples the formation water and the oil. Because the oil is coated with the microbes, it is the microbe surface, which increases the surface area and allows for increased water contact and traction.
What about causing sulfate reducing problems? Will the process create a sour well?
This is unlikely to happen. The Titan nutrients are aimed at specific beneficial microbes not sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB). Because our friendly microbes alter the habitat to suit themselves and not the SRBs, the SRBs are then suppressed. The result is that the well goes “sweet”. With large reservoirs vast volumes of hydrogen sulfide have already been built up in the formation, so a time delay to see the reduction in souring is expected.
Will the biocides used to clear the well bore area prevent the Titan Process from working?
Near wellbore biocide treatment will not have any significant effect on the treatment. Large scale or continuous biocide treatments would need to be evaluated and the effect would be dependent on the type and concentration of the biocide. The process has been used effectively with biocides present.
Can things go wrong and access to the oil be lost?
No. This is impossible as the emulsion is the only blocking agent and that is only temporary. The microbe cannot act as a block because after the Titan nutrient is cut off, food deprivation occurs and the microbes become so small that they can not block anything. After the process has cycled through its phenomenon, the reservoir returns to its original condition. The Titan nutrient can be designed to cause the Titan effect to be sustained for many years or only several months.
When should the Titan Process be applied to a field?
The earlier the Titan Process is applied to a field the greater the potential to prevent production declines. This applies to wells in primary production or those into which water is injected (waterflooding). However, if primary production is treated by injecting into a producer, the effect tends to be more localized and temporary—yet effective. Treating secondary water injection is the most effective way to impact the microbe populations far into the reservoir. The Titan Process is not a process just for oil reservoirs nearing the end of their economic life. The earlier the Titan Process is applied the better, as it will reduce water breakthrough and improve the health of the reservoir.
Can the Titan Process be used on both waterflood and natural water drive reservoirs?
Yes, as long as we can cause the microbes in the reservoir to be contacted by the nutrient mixture, the effect will be positive. Waterflood operations are the easiest method to introduce the nutrients to the reservoir. The Titan Process is simply added into the injection water stream. To do this, no capital equipment is needed and the Titan Process gets to work right away. Depending on the strength of the natural water drive, it may be possible to introduce the nutrients through a “watered-out” producer, but additional (or new) pumping equipment may be required. Natural water drives have not been tested sufficiently to make a definitive statement, but there is certainly promise for a successful treatment.
Can a single producing well be treated?
Yes, a single well stimulation method can be applied. This requires that the well be shut-in for about a week after the Titan nutrients are injected into the formation. A single pump and tank is all that is required for the injection. Most wells in the United States are suitable for injection immediately. Most reservoirs will be suitable for the Titan Process. After the injection is completed, approximately seven days is needed for the well to be ready to produce. If longer periods are available the Titan effect is magnified.
What permeability must a well have to be capable of using the Titan Process?
Anything over 50 millidarcies can be treated, but the higher the permeability the better. Most effective results are seen with broad permeability variation (both horizontal and vertical). Secondary permeability such as fracture systems can be treated even when native permeability is very low.
What API gravity is more responsive to the Titan Process?
We know the process is successful with the API gravity above the low twenties. Not enough work has been done in the field with lower API gravity oils. Lower gravity crudes have been seen to have fewer communities of microbes available, possibly due to geologic heating of the oil. This can make the process less effective, but as before, only laboratory analysis can determine if the appropriate microbes are present in sufficient numbers.
Does the Titan procedure produce gas?
No. Gas is not a product of the Titan Process.
What increase in production should Titan provide?
This depends on how much residual oil is left in a reservoir, how effectively reservoir engineers can inject the Titan nutrient and the reasons for the original decline in production. Remember, Titan is a thief zone blocking process and an oil release process. Titan treated reservoirs have shown sustained increases of production between 18% – 100%.
What happens to the total production fluids? Will this increase with the Titan Process?
The water cut will usually decrease as a result of increased oil production and redistribution of injected water to unswept portions of the reservoir. Eventually water cuts will tend to increase again, but this can be delayed for quite some time with the Titan Process. There are many nearer-term benefits such as reduced water cut and reduced overall volume of fluid — along with increased net oil production. Increased oil production is the ultimate aim of the Titan Process.
