Conventional Technology

Marathon leverages its technical capabilities in reservoir characterization, drilling and completions, enhanced oil recovery (EOR) and heavy oil/in situ-recovery to capture additional resources from current assets, including unconventional oil and gas reservoirs.

The key to optimizing production and resource development is quick and accurate description of reservoirs. Marathon's expertise in reservoir characterization begins with seismic imaging, but emphasizes integration of all geoscience, petrophysical and engineering data into fully integrated solutions. The benefits of such an approach are higher success rates in discovery, drilling and production activities.

Integrated solutions are especially critical in solving challenges associated with more complex unconventional and heavy oil [in-situ] reservoirs. The Company has extensive experience in evaluating and operating carbon dioxide (CO2) injection projects, the most widely used EOR method in the world. CO2 injection reduces reservoir forces that trap oil in place, making it easier for oil to flow. Additional benefits include improved oil quality and reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.

Marathon is working to develop numerous technologies to improve the efficiency of its Canadian oil sands opportunities, including novel bitumen extraction technologies that could fundamentally change the economic and environmental footprint of (heavy to very heavy) oil sands development around the world, non-catalytic standalone field upgrading of heavy oils, production of pipelineable syncrude and conversion of refinery residues into distillates. Commercialization of above oil sands research projects will ensure proper allocation of resources to corporate assets under AOSP and heavy oil/in-situ assets in Canada.