Skip to Main Content

Advertisement

Skip Nav Destination

Oil recovery operations traditionally have been subdivided into three stages: primary, secondary, and tertiary. Historically, these stages described the production from a reservoir in a chronological sense. Primary production, the initial production stage, resulted from the displacement energy naturally existing in a reservoir. Secondary recovery, the second stage of operations, usually was implemented after primary production declined. Traditional secondary recovery processes are waterflooding, pressure maintenance, and gas injection, although the term secondary recovery is now almost synonymous with waterflooding. Tertiary recovery, the third stage of production, was that obtained after waterflooding (or whatever secondary process was used). Tertiary processes used miscible gases, chemicals, and/or thermal energy to displace additional oil after the secondary recovery process became uneconomical.

You do not currently have access to this chapter.
Don't already have an account? Register
Close Modal

or Register

Close Modal
Close Modal