Title: Technical note: An estimate of the effects of associated gas on the EROEI for an oil well

Authors: J.C. Jones

Addresses: School of Engineering, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB24 3UE, UK

Abstract: Previous work by the present author, cited herein, has provided estimates of the EROEI for crude oil as a function of well depth. Clearly, a factor in EROEI is well pressure due to associated gas and it is when such gas is depleted that a beam pump becomes necessary. This has been widely known since the early days of the industry and features in the |Law of Capture|. Accordingly, in this article simple calculations to predict the effect on the EROEI of crude oil of associated gas are performed and the conclusion reached that such effects are fairly small. A framework for further calculations of the same sort is given so that interested readers can apply the ideas to particular wells. [Received: December 18, 2009; Accepted: May 10, 2010]

Keywords: crude oil; associated gas; well pressure; energy return on energy invested; EROEI; oil wells.

DOI: 10.1504/IJOGCT.2010.035377

International Journal of Oil, Gas and Coal Technology, 2010 Vol.3 No.3, pp.293 - 295

Published online: 26 Sep 2010 *

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