Sekundärgewinnung

Sekundärgewinnung refers to methods used to increase the recovery of crude oil or natural gas from a reservoir after primary recovery has been exhausted. Primary recovery typically utilizes the natural pressure within the reservoir to push hydrocarbons to the wellbore. Once this pressure declines significantly, secondary recovery techniques are employed to maintain or re-establish reservoir pressure.

The most common secondary recovery method is waterflooding. In this process, water is injected into the reservoir through designated injection wells. This injected water sweeps the oil or gas towards the production wells, displacing it and increasing the overall recovery factor. Other injection fluids, such as natural gas, can also be used, although waterflooding is generally more prevalent due to cost and availability.

The effectiveness of secondary recovery depends on various factors, including the reservoir's rock properties, the viscosity of the oil, and the injection strategy. While secondary recovery methods significantly improve oil recovery compared to primary methods alone, they are often followed by tertiary recovery, also known as enhanced oil recovery (EOR), which utilizes more advanced techniques to extract even more hydrocarbons.