Eureka Oil / Olav Ellingsen2002
Olav Ellingsen, Eureka Oil ASA, Norway
The following discussion explains and illustrates the technology of introducing alternating current, plus vibration created by a downhole "hammer" to increase the mobility of crude within the reservoir surrounding the wellbore. Following the technical description of the process, results of field tests in Brazil, Texas and heavy oil in Venezuela are presented.
The industry has, for decades, put a tremendous effort into developing means to improve production and recovery rate from land- and offshore-based oil reservoirs due to the simple fact that most of the oil is left in the reservoir when the field is abandoned. As oil is the world's most important commodity, any contribution in harvesting more of this valuable resource is welcome. To this end, Eureka Oil ASA, a Norwegian company, is dedicated to developing an EOR technology invented by engineer Olav Ellingsen in 1986.
How It Works
The technology, named the Eureka Enhanced Oil Recovery Principle (EEOR) is an EOR method specially designed for land-based oil fields. The principle is based on electrical and sonic stimulation of the oil-bearing strata to increase the oil flow. This is accomplished by introducing special vibrations into the strata, which are as identical as possible to the natural rock matrix frequency, and/or fluids.
The vibrations give rise to several effects in the fluids and remaining gases in the strata. They decrease the cohesive and adhesive bonding, as well as a substantial part of the capillary forces, thereby allowing hydrocarbons to flow more easily within the formation.
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Olav Ellingsen, founder and managing director of Eureka Oil ASA, Floro, Norway, graduated from the Stavanger Technical Institute in 1966 as a mechanical engineer with specialities in thermodynamics and tool construction. He has an extensive background in equipment construction, including employment with Norsk Hydro; Per Hetland Maskinfabrikk; Hatten & Jota AS; co-founder of Sogn og Fjordane Industrial Federation; co-founder and director of Industrikontakt, Ing. O. Ellingsen & Co.; founder / director of Norpigg AS; founder / director of Thermtech AS; founder of Metalica AS; founder of Ellycrack AS; and founder / director of Eureka Oil ASA. Mr. Ellingsen has received numerous awards for his inventions, and is listed in Who's Who in the World. He participates in five company boards, and has conducted numerous lectures on business management, inventing and patenting.