Lukoil recoups investment in technology to reduce oil viscosity by injecting CO2 into reservoir, offers it to Tatneft

KAZAN. Aug 26 (Interfax) - Russian Innovative Fuel and Energy Company (RITEK), part of the Lukoil group , has recouped investment in technology for the cyclic injection of carbon dioxide into wells to extract and produce high-viscosity oil.

"The technology is called Haff & Paff. [We have achieved] 115,000 tonnes of additional production. In principle, we have attained profitability in the technology today. Therefore, we have already started collaboration, first with PJSC Tatneft ," a RITEK representative told Tatarstan head Rustam Minnikhanov at the TatOilExpo exhibition in Kazan.

The company processed two wells using the technology for the first time this year in Tatarstan. Over 40 test treatments were carried out in the Samara Region prior to this.

Haff & Paff technology involves pumping about 1,500-2,000 tonnes of 300-degree steam into a well using a domestic steam-generating mobile unit. The RITEK representative said that oil viscosity reduces over 5-fold to 6-fold when applying the technology.