Research & Development

Oil and Gas Upstream
Business Activities

TRC’s Laboratory

Research & Development

Oil and Gas Upstream
Business Activities

Examples of JOGMEC’s R&D Activities

JOGMEC’s Technology and Research Center (TRC) is an advanced laboratory facility, specializing in three areas: reservoir
engineering; geophysics; and geochemistry. Competent skills
and precise measurement capabilities are not the only essential components of successful laboratory work, but also teamdynamics between the team of research technicians and engi-neers/geoscientists. At TRC, team members collaborate withengineers and scientists in the experimental design and evaluation of research projects, such as the CO 2 -EOR project andshale gas development project. In addition, the team at TRC
conducts basic research programs to extend the laboratory’s
capabilities and depth of knowledge.

X-ray CT ScannerEngineering
Core and Fluid Analysis for• EOR Evaluation Study• Reservoir Characterization
and Formation Evaluation

CO 2 -EOR
JOGMEC has conducted R&D in Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR)
technologies, including thermal, chemical and gas EOR, formore than 30 years. CO 2 -EOR, highly acclaimed by oil- andgas-producing countries, is one of JOGMEC’s top priorities.
With a wide range of experience, ranging from basic studies tofi eld applications for maximizing recovery, JOGMEC is confi dent in its EOR portfolio. JOGMEC is also working on tacklingthe challenge of recovering CO 2 from plant exhaust gas. Using
advanced Japanese technology, a stable supply of CO 2 gas
can be captured from oil refi neries, power plants and other facilities to be used in EOR operations. This process subsequently reduces process CO 2 emissions to the atmosphere.
Vietnam Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam) and JOGMEC conducted a feasibility study for the offshore field application ofC O 2 - E O R . A s a re s u l t o f t h i s s t u d y, J O G M E C c a r r i e d o u t asmall scale pilot test and confi rmed incrementally improved oil
production using CO 2 .
Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) and JOGMEC havebeen conducting a CO 2 -EOR study in Lower Zakum oil field,offshore Abu Dhabi, since 2009. JOGMEC drew up a conceptu-Triaxial Compression
Testing ApparatusUnderstanding of the mechanisms
Numerical Simulations

Laboratory Study

Matching with the experimental results

Sedimentological and Organic
Analysis for• Evaluation of Source RockPotential• Mineralogy bySurface Analysis

Concept of oil recovery in flooding tests
Secondary recovery
Tertiary recoveryUp
Low salinity
High salinity

Recovery factor• Acoustic Wave Velocity• Geomechanical Properties

Geology &Geochemistry

Recovery factor

Measurement of Rock Physics for

Scheme of CO 2 -EOR

Low Salinity Water Flooding (LSWF)
Low Salinity Water Flooding (LSWF), which injects brine with alower salt content, is one of the emerging EOR technologies.
This technology has recently attracted attention due to its re-Geophysics

al plan for a CO 2 -EOR pilot test and conducted a preliminary
survey of cross-well monitoring using seismic and electromagnetic technologies for evaluating the proposed pilot test.

Low salinity
High salinity

PVIPVIPVT Apparatus

Up

duced environmental impact and lower cost compared to other EOR technologies (e.g. chemical fl ooding, etc.).
The potential benefi ts of LSWF were fi rst proposed in the early
1960s and became more commonly researched in the 1990s.
While many positive results have been reported, the mechanisms that contribute to oil recovery by this method are still
under further investigation.
JOGMEC currently focuses on determining LSWF’s potential
for practical implementation and evaluating its applicability for
deployment, through both laboratory experiments and numerical simulations.
In 2015, JOGMEC started a joint study on LSWF with Vietnam
Petroleum Institute (VPI). In this study, JOGMEC and VPI arejointly evaluating the applicability of LSWF to a particular oilfi eld of interest, in Vietnam.

Scheme of the LSWF Study

Methane Hydrate
An Example of Laboratory Testing (Biomarker Analysis)
Analysis of biomarkers contained in crude oil andsedimentary rocks is an effective method for oil exploration. Biomarker analysis is a powerful toolthat can determine the source of found organic
matter, its maturity, depositional environment, biodegradation, age and dating, and the oil:oil andoil:source rock correlations. As well, a gas chromatography-mass spectrometer (GC/MS) or GC/MS/
MS has also been used to analyze lipid biomarkers. Recently, the developments in GC combustion
isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC/C/IR/MS),c o m p re h e n s i v e t w o - d i m e n s i o n a l G C ( G C x G C ) ,and liquid chromatography MS (LC/MS), have all
facilitated the identification and quantification ofbiomarkers.

GC/MS/MS

GC/MS/MS

LC/qTOFMS

GCxGC/qMS

GC/C/IR/MS

Methane hydrate, found below the deep-ocean floor off thecoast of Japan, has the potential to meet the nation’s natural
gas needs. JOGMEC is closely involved in the planning and investigation necessary to make this resource available for practical use, as a next-generation source of clean energy.
Since 2001, we have been researching and developing technologies for methane hydrate production as a member of the“Research Consortium for Methane Hydrate Resources in Japan (MH21)”, organized under industry-academia-gover nment cooperation. In 2008, the team achieved the world’s fi rst
onshore production test using the “depressurization method”,
successfully obtaining meaningful results.
In 2013, we completed an offshore production test of methane
hydrate, fi rst in the world, off the coasts of the Atsumi and Shima Peninsula in Japan and produced approx. 120,000 m 3 (approx. 20,000 m 3 /day) of gas during a 6-day testing period.
As a global pioneering project, we are determined to promote
the development of technologies continuously by planning thenext offshore production test and proceeding with enhancement of the technology platform for future commercial production, using these test results.

Offshore Production Test in 2013

Research & Development

Shale Oil and Gas

Pore structure of a shale sample, obtained by sequential 2D cross-sectionobservation using an electron microscope (left: 3D visualization of shale,
right: red and blue represent organic matter and pores, respectively)

Reservoir Monitoring
Time-lapse seismic monitoring is well-known as an important
technology for understanding temporal changes in an oil andgas reservoir, particularly for implementation of optimum Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR). However, time-lapse monitoring
can be difficult to perform when reservoir rock is stiff, which
limits the physical property changes caused during EOR, resulting in only subtle time-lapse seismic response JOGMEC
has demonstrated a stationary permanent seismic source,called the Accurately Controlled and Routinely Operated Signal System (ACROSS), which enables the observation of small
underground changes. In 2014, JOGMEC signed an agreement with the Petroleum Technology Research Center (PTRC)
to deploy ACROSS at the Aquistore CCS (Carbon Capture andStorage) site in Saskatchewan, Canada, in order to image thecurrent distribution of injected CO2. At the Aquistore site,
CO2 has been injected into an aquifer at a depth of 3,200m
and more than 100,000 cumulative tonnes of CO2 was injected between April 2015 and January 2017. Analysis of timelapse seismic data from ACROSS revealed excellent repeatabil-

Geomechanics
Geomechanics play an important role in field development.
U n d e r s t a n d i n g s t re s s s t a t e a n d w e l l b o re s t a b i l i t y h e l p t omitigate risks such as severe mud loss and stuck pipe

Numerical simulation to model
wellbore deformation

Optimum mud weight by wellbore
trajectory under certain stress conditions

Oil and Gas Upstream
Business Activities

JOGMEC has several ways of approaching how we establish
optimal development strategies for shale oil and gas projects.
Our method includes evaluating reservoir properties based on
wireline log data, core, and cuttings analyses. For example,using nano- and micro-scale observation tools (μXCT, FIB/SEM, NMR) for pore-scale characterization and modeling. Thiscan provide further understanding about the hydrocarbon storage capacity and potential transportation mechanisms withinshale oil and gas reservoirs. In addition, JOGMEC performs microseismic data analysis to optimize well completion. This includes the hydraulic fracturing job and seismic-based reservoir characterization, which integrates geophysical,geomechanical, geochemical, and geological data into a detailed 3D model to help identify “sweet spots” in the reservoir.
As of 2017, three joint research projects with Japanese E&P
companies are underway in North America, with the goal of optimization in shale oil and gas.
In 2014, Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) and JOGMEC
signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) for bilateral technical cooperation on unconventional oil and gas technology.

i t y, w h i c h i s o n e o f t h e m o s t i m p o r t a n t r e q u i r e m e n t s f o r
reservoir monitoring.This demonstration test at the Aquistoresite plays an important role in advancing reservoir monitoring,
via ACROSS, for applications in oil-producing countries, suchas those in the Middle East.

Technology for Deepwater Development
Today, approximately 30% of all oil and gas is produced fromo ff s h o re f i e l d s . I n p a r t i c u l a r, l a r g e o i l f i e l d h a v e b e e n discovered and developed in offshore fi elds in Brazil, the Gulf of
Mexico and West Africa. Furthermore, offshore fi elds found in
extreme environments are now becoming targets for developing new fields,
including at water depths greater than
2,500m, locations farther from shore,and in harsh climatic conditions.
JOGMEC is focused on studying technologies that can support Japanese
oil and gas companies’ explorationand production activities in targetedd e e p - w a t e r a n d h a r s h - e n v i ro n m e n tfi elds. One example is JOGMEC’s col-laborative research with the National Maritime Research Institute (NMRI) on modelling and evaluating the safety and operability of floating production systems, using model tests andnumerical simulation.

Model Experiment of FPSO System

Numerical Simulation of FPSO System

Crude Oil Sludge Reduction Technology
Crude oil sludge accumulates on the bottom of crude oil tanks,
which decreases storage capacity and causes corrosion of thebottom plate when co-existing with water. Using conventional
technology, such as Crude Oil Washing (COW), all the crude oilsludge is cleaned out of the tank during inspection and disposedof as industrial waste. Two issues with this method are enormous costs for disposing industrial waste and the loss of valuable hydrocarbon in the crude oil sludge. In 2016, JOGMEC andCosmo Oil Co., Ltd. / Abu Dhabi Oil Co., Ltd. started a collaboration on technology development to reduce the volume of industrial waste, reduce costs by over 50%, and recover saleable oilfrom crude oil sludge.
Conceptual Process

JAPAN-GTL
Accurately Controlled and Routinely Operated Signal System (ACROSS)

during drilling. Sand production is one of the potential issues in sandstone reservoirs during production phase andan optimized completion program requires geomechanicalu n d e r s t a n d i n g o f t h e s a n d s t o n e d e f o r m a t i o n b e h a v i o r.
Changes in reservoir pressure due to hydrocarbon production influence stress state in the subsurface which can leadto subsidence and movement a t f aults. These risk can beassessed by numerical simulation based on results obtained by laboratory rock mechanical examination and fieldtesting.
For many decades, JOGMEC has conducted collaborative
research with operating companies to solve technical chall e n g e s re l a t e d t o g e o m e c h a n i c s . I n s h a l e s e c t i o n s , w e l l bore instability is a major problem often faced by operatingcompanies. The root cause of wellbore instability varies ona case-by-case basis, so JOGMEC initiates investigation
by reviewing past drilling da ta. Labora tor y examina tion is
an important part of the study. We operate our own laboratory, which allows us to obtain mechanical and mineralogical/chemical characteristics of the rock formation. Basedon these results, numerical simulation is conducted to optimize mud weight and casing profile, minimizing instability
issues and reducing project downtime.

GTL stands for Gas-To-Liquids. It is a technology that effi ciently and permanently converts feedstock gases(*), resourcesthat are potentially available worldwide, into petroleum products such as clean naphtha, kerosene (jet fuel), and gas oil (diesel). These products contain no sulfur or aroma when produced
using the three chemical processes in sequence: Syngas Production, Fischer-Tropsch (FT) Synthesis and Upgrading.
The JAPAN-GTL Process is a ground-breaking technologythat for the first time allows for the direct input of feedstockgas containing CO 2 . This technology was developed under theJAPAN-GTL Demonstration Test Project from 2006 to 2011,as a joint collaboration between JOGMEC and six leading Japanese companies. The collaboration work included: the design, construction and operation of a GTL Demonstration
Plant with a capacity of 500BPD (80kL).
In October 2012, those members organized the JAPAN-GTLConsortium to facilitate the promotion of GTL to gas-producing countries, and are currently pursuing ways in which commercial application of the technology can be utilized in the gas
producing countries.
(*) Can be conventional natural gas, associated gas, flaring gas,
shale gas, coal bed methane (CBM), etc., or any combination of.
General Process (Auto Thermal Reforming)JAPAN-GTL Process

Scheme of JAPAN-GTL

Comparing Traditional GTL Manufacturing Processes to JAPAN-GTL Method