W at e r I n j e c t i o n &

PRraopiddu c
Riegds W
aat
n de rW Re el ilnTj ee c
cthinoonl o
atg yR a v v a Cairn India

Produced Water Reinjection

Water Injection &

at Ravva
 2 3
Ravva field started production in March • To sweep or displace the oil from started in 1997 and currently, there distributed to individual injection wells.
W at e r I n j e c t i o n &
P r o d u c e d W at e r R e i n j e c t i o n at R a v v a

1993 and in the year 1997 water injection
started to maintain the reservoir pressure
above saturation pressure to maximize
the recovery. The field was estimated to
produce 101 million barrels at the time of
signing of PSC. However, Cairn along with
its JV partners has successfully crossed
the 200 million barrels of oil production
milestone from the Ravva block. The field
produced for nine years with a plateau
rate of 50,000 bopd and is currently
producing around 36,000 bopd from 20
oil wells and 8 water injection wells.
Laboratory Work
Water injection is a method where water
will be injected into the reservoir to
achieve:
• Pressure support of the reservoir recovery of more oil.
(also known as voidage psig (90 bar g) and transported via pipe
replacement), and
P r o d u c e d W at e r R e i n j e c t i o n at R a v v a
W at e r I n j e c t i o n &
the reservoir, and push it towards are eight water injection wells. Using The chemical treatment of the injection
an oil production well. electrical submersible pumps water is water consists of number of chemicals
pumped from a depth of around 40 m such as primary biocide (hypochlorite),
In general, oil reservoirs produce ~8 to and fed to the water surge tank through corrosion inhibitor, scale inhibitor, oxygen
12% on depletion. By water injection, a fibre-glass reinforced plastic pipeline. scavenger and secondary biocides used
the recovery can be improved (known alternatively to prevent specific bacteria
as the recovery factor) and helps to The surge tank is gas blanketed causing corrosion of steel pipelines and
maintain the production rate of the field using natural gas to prevent oxygen piping works known as sulfur reducing
over a longer period of time. contamination in the injection water. The bacteria.
water from the surge tank is fed in to
The source of injection water is from coarse filters to filter particles of 80 micron The advantages of water injection are as
the six bore wells which is saline in and above. The fine filters are designed follows:
nature similar to sea water. The system to remove 98% of all particulates above • Maintain the reservoir pressure
comprises a surge tank, coarse and fine 5 microns. The total handling capacity of • Improved reservoir sweep
filters, associated chemical injection the filtration system at Ravva terminal is • Reduced treatment costs while
facilities and corrosion monitoring 120,000 barrels of water per day (bwpd). comparing other secondary
devices. The system is critical as its The water from the fine filters flows into recovery methods
performance directly relates to the the suction of the injection pumps, which
increases the pressure to about 1305 Water production is a major environmental,
as well as an economic issue for the oil and
Water injection into the Ravva field lines to the offshore platforms and further gas producers.

Ravva Terminal 12” Oil 11380 m

8” Gas 12510
m 0m
il 6
04 RB
8” O
6” G
as
841
0m
12”
WI
780m 0m
850
I 5 55
0m as 5
6” W 4” G

12” 02 m RG
Oil s 18
14
856
0m m 6” Ga
8” ”W 80
Ga 41
s I I
62 10 W m RF
95 63 14 8” 90
m 5
m ”O 42
il s
10 Ga
48
0 4”
m
6”
Ga
s 3
m

0 50 m
10 25 s 57 RE
010

6” Ga
m

”W RH m
930
m
010

0m il 5
de 16

I 558 8” O
10 10 ” WI
de 16

73 ”O 10
6 il
20” Cru

m
10
20” Cru

43
0
m
RD
4” Gas 5150 m

8” WI 5000 m
Cairn India Limited

Cairn India Limited

OIL

WATER INJECTION
SPM RA GAS & GAS LIFT LINE
RC

Schematic Diagram of Ravva Offshore Facilities

 4 5
W at e r I n j e c t i o n &
P r o d u c e d W at e r R e i n j e c t i o n at R a v v a
produced water reinjection
Most oil and gas reservoirs have natural
water layer called formation water
beneath the hydrocarbon layer. Also, to
achieve maximum oil recovery, water is
usually injected into the reservoir, which
may be associated with hydrocarbons
in the production. Thus, the liquid
that comes out of the reservoir is not
just hydrocarbons, but is frequently
accompanied by water. The liquid
production is in the form of a mixture of
free water, an oil/water emulsion and oil.
Furthermore, as an oil field matures the
amount of produced water increases.
This is because after some time, the
formation water comes out due to the
water injection process. The water-oil
ratio varies from reservoir to reservoir.
It also varies with time for a particular
reservoir. Worldwide 75% of the
production is water, but varies widely; in
some cases this percentage may increase
to as high as 98%.
Cairn introduced Produced Water Re-
injection (PWRI) at Ravva in 2008 which
is first in India.
As part of evaluating the feasibility of
setting up the project, various tests
were conducted to understand the
compatibility of the existing source of
water at various ratios and stages of the
field life cycle. Also, it was ensured that
the design be feasible for the treatment
facility to be compatible with the
reservoir requirements for the complete
lifecycle of the field.
Cairn India Limited
Based on the available data and test
samples, a high level study led to the
design of facilities, which had the
following objectives:
• To include reservoir behaviour,
facilities modelling for scaling and 60000
to understand
the effects on permeability due
to oil presence and salt formation
• Study the effects of change in 20000
temperature
• Determine specification for
produced water for re-injection
• Identify and mitigate associated
risks like injectivity decline, scaling, Year
souring, corrosion issues, etc.
• Carry out basic engineering and
provide specifications and make
qualified cost estimates to examine
various processes which are
economically viable for treating chemicals, treatment fluids,
produced water in consideration of
the lifecycle of the field
The PWRI also has environmental
significance like helping to reduce
pollutants like oil and helping to reduce
consumption of ground water by
recycling the produced water for water
injection purpose. Usually, the fluids that
are produced from the reservoir are
brought to the surface and separated
into an oil stream, a gas stream and a
water stream.
The main components of the water
stream that is separated are:
• Water
• Suspended oil
• Dissolved oil
• Suspended solids (scale, corrosion to form a separate oil layer, which can
products, sand, etc.)
• Dissolved solids
• Dissolved gases (CO2, H2S, O2)
• Bacteriological matter
P r o d u c e d W at e r R e i n j e c t i o n at R a v v a
W at e r I n j e c t i o n &
Water Handling Study
100000
80000
Total Produced Water
BWPD
40000 Total Injection Water
Make Up Bore Well Water
PW in excess of ETP capacity
0
Feb-04
Feb-05
Feb-06
Feb-07
Feb-08
Feb-09
Feb-10
Feb-11
Feb-12
Feb-13
Feb-14
Feb-15
Feb-16
Feb-17
Feb-18
Feb-19
-20000
Water handling Study
• Added materials (treating Tank, the produced water then flows
into two parallel Induced Gas Flotation
acids, etc.) (IGF) units, each handling up to 50% of
the design flow. Each IGF is designed
In Ravva, the produced water to be for 100% of design flow and thus can
reinjected originates from the free water be used as a standalone unit. The IGF
knockout drum and crude oil three phase vessels operate using a flotation process
separators. The water from all these whereby fine gas bubbles are introduced
sources is degassed in the Produced in the stream of oily water. These bubbles
Water Degasser vessel and then routed will lift the oil globules together along
to the Produced Water Surge tank for with any suspended particles towards
initial oil-water separation. Separated the liquid surface forming ’froth’ on the
water from the Crude Oil Wash Tank is water surface which is removed on a
pumped to the Surge Tank. The pump continuous basis, overflowing the weir
used here is called progressive cavity into the oil water reject compartment.
pump which will not disturb further oil This process combined with a controlled
and water separation. . The Produced residence time system in each cell of the
Water Heat
Surge Tube
Tank is provided with vessel creates a very efficient secondary
internals allowing gas and slugs of oil polishing stage in the produced water
to separate. Sufficient residence time is treatment system.
C Tyco Thermal Controls
w LLC
provided to allow oil droplets to coalesce a
The water from the IGF units is pumped
t
be drained to Recovered Oil Sump. The into the mixing tank using lowre shear
Cairn India Limited
water flows out from the Surge Tank via positive cavity screw pumps. The level
a hydraulic loop, which would maintain a in the IGF’s is maintained at its normal
minimum level in the tank. From the Surge operating level by a level control loop
 6 7
W at e r I n j e c t i o n &
P r o d u c e d W at e r R e i n j e c t i o n at R a v v a
Schematic Diagram of Produced Water Reinjection
modulating the transfer pump speed
using a variable frequency drive
(VFD).
The produced water will be co-
mingled with the bore well water in
the Mixing Tank and then fed to the
Produced Water Dual Media Fine
Filter package. The existing Water
Feed Pumps will provide sufficient
head to overcome the pressure drop
through the produced water dual
Cairn India Limited
media fine filter and also ensure the
required NPSH at the suction of
the Water Injection Pumps located
Produced Water storage tank at Ravva Onshore Terminal downstream of the fine filters.
P r o d u c e d W at e r R e i n j e c t i o n at R a v v a
W at e r I n j e c t i o n &
The injection pump discharge pressure
is controlled by a split range pressure
controller deriving signals from two
pressure transmitters – one on each
side of the pressure control valve in
the injection line. All atmospheric
tanks are fuel gas blanketed to prevent
air precipitating the dissolved iron and
corrosion
By installing the said system, Cairn
India has been able to protect the
Cairn India Limited
environment by re-injecting the
produced water and also meeting its
water injection needs to increase the
recovery of hydrocarbons.
R a pi d Ri g s a n d W e l l T e c h n o l o g y

CAIRN INDIA LIMITED

Cairn India is one of the largest independent oil and gas exploration and production
companies in India. It is headquartered in Gurgaon near Delhi and has material
exploration and production positions in 10 blocks in India and one in Sri Lanka.
Cairn produces oil and gas from three blocks in India: Ravva in Andhra Pradesh,
CB-OS/2 in the Cambay Basin in Gujarat and RJ-ON-90/1 in Rajasthan where it
works in partnership with ONGC. In 2007, Cairn India was listed on the National
and Bombay Stock Exchanges.

Cairn has been operating in India for 15 years and has played an active role in
developing the oil and gas resources in the country. The Mangala field, discovered
in January 2004 near Barmer, Rajasthan and dedicated to the nation in August
2009 by the Prime Minister, the Hon’ble Dr. Manmohan Singh, is the largest
onshore oil discovery in India in more than 20 years. The Mangala, Bhagyam and
Aishwariya fields have recoverable oil reserves and resources of approximately 1
billion barrels.

In total there have been 25 discoveries on the Rajasthan block and the company
is focused on exploiting the full potential.

Cairn India will account for more than 20 percent of India’s domestic crude
oil production when the Rajasthan fields reach the current approved plateau
production rate of 175,000 barrels of oil per day in 2011.

Health, safety and the environment are integral to Cairn India’s business
management and the company is committed to working with all stakeholders to
deliver material growth.
Cairn India Limited.

www.cairnindia.com