Repsol YPF

Upstream (Exploration and Production of Hydrocarbons) and the Gas Chain

The technology activities carried out in E&P are aimed at adding value to business processes, through projects ranging from technological surveillance to specialised technological support, although specific developments are also tackled, if, after comprehensive and appropriate analysis, they are considered to be of interest.

In the field of Exploration, the activities are directed towards the evaluation and acquisition of new or emerging technologies and tools to be used in the search for hydrocarbons (remote sensors, specialised geochemistry, innovative geophysical methods, modification of conventional technologies...).

In Technologies related to Reservoirs, permanent specialised technological support is carried out in various disciplines. Some examples of activities that are worth highlighting are as follows: the application of geochemical techniques to the assigning of layer production in multi-layer oil fields, thermodynamic support for the evaluation of the consistency of PVT studies, characterisation of fluids to be used in reservoir simulations or formation damage studies.

In the wide field of secondary recovery by water injection, specialised support is also provided on matters such as the selection of the quality of the water to be injected and the prediction of loss of injectivity, with special attention being paid to studies on the origin of reservoir "souring" through H2S generation and the evaluation and application of solutions.

The technologies related to enhanced recovery (EOR) are one of the focus points of our activities, given the age of some of the oil fields. The activities range from the application of screening methodologies for the selection of the most appropriate procedure for a specific reservoir, to the designing and supervision of laboratory tests that reproduce the selected process in a simple form, including simulation, in order for it to be subsequently escalated to a pilot field test.  In this last phase, the design of the monitoring system is key in order to be able to evaluate its success.

In the area of Technologies applied to Surface Installations, it is worth highlighting the following activities: the selection and evaluation of materials for the installations, technologies for the prevention of and protection from corrosion, assistance in the analysis of flaws in the equipment and installations and inspection techniques based on risk management.

Studies are also carried out for the optimization of surface processes, including the selection of instrumentation and control systems, energy optimization and the simulation of complex systems in installations of different types.

In the field of Environmental Technologies,  specialised technological support is provided for technologies relating to the origin, treatment and disposal of effluents and waste, applying both conventional and emerging methods, such as isotopic techniques, the use of satellite and radar images to identify liabilities, the use of biofilters and bioreactors and innovative bioremediation methodologies.

In the field of climate change, the activities are directed towards providing specialised support in producing inventories, estimating and measuring emissions, identifying sources of greenhouse gases and analysing reduction opportunities by means of processes to capture, transport, store or reuse CO2.

The technologies relating to the production and upgrading of heavy crude oil are another of our priority focus points. Existing knowledge is directed towards providing technological support in projects for the development of reserves of this type of crude oil, from its production to its transformation into end products of greater value, through conventional upgrading technologies and/or by evaluating the viability and impact of emerging upgrading technologies. 

Lastly, in the field of the Primary Natural Gas Chain, technological support is provided for the industrial processes situated upstream of product distribution that enable gas reserves to increase in value, such as Liquefaction or the GTL (gas-to-liquid) process. In particular, the support in the evaluation and selection of liquefaction technologies should be highlighted, as should the studies on processes for optimization of these technologies and the line of activity aimed at giving Repsol YPF access to GTL technology.