Enhanced Oil Recovery 
  (EOR) Strategy
 
          Contents
          1. Foreword                                                                                                    3
           
          2.  Executive summary                                                                                          4
           
          3.  Strategy context                                                                                           5
          3.1 Where are we now and what’s the opportunity?                                                               5
          3.2 EOR opportunities (un-risked incremental oil potential)                                                    5
          3.3 EOR opportunities (risked)                                                                                 6
          3.4 Industry context – impact of oil price and activity levels                                                 6
           
          4.  EOR ambition and implementation                                                                            7
          4.1 OGA EOR ambition                                                                                           7
          4.2 Implementation programme                                                                                   7
           
          5.  Implementation and accountabilities                                                                        8
          5.1 Eight-step programme                                                                                       8
          Programme 1: Existing EOR projects                                                                             8
          Programme 2: MER for future EOR projects                                                                       8
          Programme 3: Workgroups and industry partnerships                                                              8
          Programme 4: Technology development and deployment                                                             8
          Programme 5: Creating value – improving economics                                                              9
          Programme 6: Advance next EOR and support CO  storage                                                          9
                                                 2
          Programme 7: Knowledge management                                                                              9
          Programme 8: Communication and stakeholder plans                                                               9
           
          6.  Communication and dialogue                                                                                12
          6.1 Communication plan                                                                                        12
          6.2 Risks to achieving the strategy                                                                           12
           
          7. Conclusion                                                                                                 13
              
          8. Acknowledgements                                                                                           14
                                                                                                             1. Foreword | EOR Strategy      3
                                                                               1. Foreword
                                                                               The OGA has been set up to influence, promote and 
                                                                               regulate the UK oil and gas industry and has been 
                                                                               provided with a range of new powers to enable it 
                                                                               to do so. The development of a series of strategies 
                                                                               represents a key step in setting the strategic 
                                                                               direction of how the OGA and industry will work to 
                                                                               maximise economic recovery (MER) from the United 
                                                                               Kingdom Continental Shelf (UKCS) and was one of 
                                                                               the core recommendations of the Wood Maximising 
                                                                               Recovery Review.
                                                                               The MER UK Strategy underpins our work and 
                                                                               came into force in March 2016. It describes how 
                                                                               MER UK should operate in practice, setting out 
                                                                               a legally binding central obligation to take the 
                                                                               steps necessary to secure the maximum value of 
                                                                               economically recoverable hydrocarbons.
                                                                               It also sets out a range of supporting obligations 
                                                                               as well as the required actions and behaviours of 
                                                                               collaboration and cost reduction. In support of the 
                                                                               MER UK Strategy the OGA is, in collaboration with 
                                                                               industry and the MER UK Boards, developing this 
                                                                               series of strategies.
                                                                               The purpose of these strategies is to drive the 
                                                                               direction of a new way of working across the oil and 
                                                                               gas lifecycle. The strategies will also be followed 
                                                                               by accompanying delivery programmes, providing 
                                                                               further direction and detail on the implementation of 
                                                                               each strategy. 
     4     2. Executive summary | EOR Strategy
           2. Executive summary
           Successful Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) can               The current status and future potential of EOR in the 
           play a huge role in maximising economic recovery         UKCS is described in Section 3. The OGA’s ambition 
           from the UKCS. EOR can significantly increase the        of supporting the delivery of up to 250 mmboe 
           volume of recovery, extend field life (by as much        through EOR, described in Section 4, includes:
           as 10 years), support job provision in the supply        •   Working with operators and supply chain to 
           chain, help stimulate field redevelopments and defer        support existing polymer EOR projects and 
           decommissioning activities.                                 ensuring readiness for future projects
           However, offshore EOR is currently largely unattractive  •   Demonstrating a proven offshore operation of low 
           economically due to being both capital intensive and        salinity EOR by 2021 and encouraging evaluations 
           requiring higher operating costs than conventional          for all new projects
           water flood.
           The importance of encouraging industry uptake of         •   Advancing the next tranche of EOR technologies 
           EOR was outlined in the Wood Maximising Recovery            and developing a framework for their economic 
           Review and subsequently EOR is an integral theme of         implementation.
           the MER UK Asset Stewardship Board.                      Section 5 describes the eight-step programme – 
           As stated in its Corporate Plan, the OGA has             endorsed by the MER UK Asset Stewardship Board 
           committed to delivering a strategy to facilitate         – which will help aid the delivery of EOR projects, 
           sanctioning, by 2021, of projects designed to deliver    while Section 6 provides an overview of stakeholder 
           up to 250 million barrels of oil equivalent (mmboe) of   engagement with regard to EOR.
           additional reserves. This will be implementing polymer 
           and low salinity water flood techniques as well as other 
           EOR opportunities.
           The aim of this strategy is to help deliver EOR projects 
           in the UKCS and this strategy supports both the MER 
           UK Strategy and the OGA Corporate Plan.