Over the hurdle
Jonathan Rogers, Martin Shumway and Dr Amir Mahmoudkhani, Locus Bio-Energy Solutions, USA, review the progress that naturally sourced biosurfactants have made in maximising oil recovery in shale wells – for greater profits and a smaller carbon footprint.
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lobal demand for energy is expected to keep growing – and oil and gas will remain a vital part of the energy mix for decades to come. Even the most conservative clean energy transition scenarios predict that US oil and gas liquids production will need to increase from the 12.24 million bpd average produced in 2019 to 13.3 million bpd by 2030.1,2 Production from shale wells typically declines by 50%+ in the first year. As a result, meeting increased
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demand requires E&P companies to increase production in cost-effective and sustainable ways to both compensate for these steep decline rates and produce additional crude to meet requirements. Adding to the challenge, producers must address evolving ESG requirements and transition to net zero energy production, even as falling operating costs make it cheaper to produce new barrels of oil. According to Rystad Energy, the average breakeven price for tight oil
