Comprehensive Review of Alkaline–Surfactant–Polymer (ASP)-Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR)

Alkaline–surfactant–polymer (ASP) flooding has developed into the important economical and effective technical method which has been verified that ASP flooding can enhance recovery ratio 10% compared to polymer drive, compares the water drive enhancement recovery ratio above 20%. Especially for upgrading old oil–gas field with high water-cut stage, the advantages of ASP flooding synergetic effect are more clearly compared with the previous solutions such as water driving, polymer, and surfactant flooding. There are over 83 × 108 tons of the reserves for ASP flooding which can be produced by injecting ASP solutions; there are over 14 × 108 tons of the reserves only for Daqing oil field that can be produced by injecting ASP solutions. ASP flooding is a research hot spot, difficult points and the leading edge of exploration and development of oil–gas field with great potential and broad prospects. This paper has introduced new developments, explained features and displacement mechanism of ASP-enhanced oil recovery (EOR), and analyzed the urgent key technical hurdles of ASP (EOR). Comprehensive compared challenges and corresponding solutions of ASP flooding (EOR) among domestic and foreign oil-gas field, we discussed the industrialization promotion prospects of ASP flooding (EOR).