Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) in the Spanish Energy Sector

Advancing Efficiency: Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) in the Spanish Energy Sector

In 2026, Spain’s energy landscape is characterized by a sophisticated dual focus: accelerating a clean energy transition while maximizing the efficiency of its remaining domestic hydrocarbon assets. While Spain is not a global oil giant, Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) plays a vital strategic role in the country’s "mature field" management, ensuring that domestic resources are utilized with maximum efficiency and minimal environmental impact.

I. The Context: Mature Fields and Energy Security

Spain’s domestic oil production primarily comes from mature offshore and onshore fields, such as the Casablanca platform in the Mediterranean. As these fields reach the end of their natural life, EOR becomes the primary tool to:

• Sustain Production: Offsetting the natural 5%–10% annual decline of mature wells.

• Economic Viability: Ensuring that existing infrastructure remains profitable even at lower volumes.

• Technological Leadership: Leveraging Spanish engineering firms (such as Repsol) to develop EOR solutions that can be exported to their global operations in the Americas and North Africa.

II. Leading EOR Technologies in Spain (2026)

Spanish operators and research institutions focus on high-efficiency, low-footprint EOR methods tailored to the specific limestone and sandstone geologies of the region.

1. Chemical EOR (CEOR)

Spain has become a hub for research into "tailored" chemicals.

• Polymer Flooding: Injecting specialized water-soluble polymers to increase the viscosity of the injected water. This creates a "piston effect" that pushes trapped oil toward production wells more effectively than standard water.

• Surfactants: Using biodegradable chemicals to reduce the surface tension between oil and rock, allowing tiny droplets of oil to break free from the reservoir pores.

2. $CO_2$-EOR and Decarbonization

Aligning with the Spanish Climate Change and Energy Transition Law, 2026 sees a stronger link between EOR and Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS).

• In certain onshore pilot projects, captured industrial $CO_2$ is injected into depleted reservoirs. This not only boosts oil recovery (by swelling the oil and making it flow faster) but also provides a pathway for permanent carbon sequestration.

III. The Strategic Role of Repsol

As Spain’s flagship energy company, Repsol is a global leader in EOR innovation. In 2026, their focus is on "Digital EOR":

• Autonomous Monitoring: Using AI-driven sensors on platforms to adjust chemical injection rates in real-time.

• Molecular Modeling: Designing EOR "cocktails" at the molecular level to ensure they work perfectly in high-salinity Mediterranean environments.

IV. EOR in the 2026 Regulatory Landscape

The implementation of EOR in Spain is strictly governed by European Union environmental standards and the Spanish Recovery, Transformation, and Resilience Plan.

V. Summary: A Leaner, Greener Approach

In 2026, Enhanced Oil Recovery in Spain is about optimization rather than expansion. It is a bridge technology that allows Spain to maintain its energy security and technical expertise while transitioning toward a 100% renewable future by 2050. By making extraction "leaner" and integrating carbon capture, Spain is setting a benchmark for how mature oil-producing nations can wind down their assets responsibly.

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