Excited about the launch of MicroCaRES, a Joint Industry Project of fluidXlab with eppok! The project is aimed at accelerating early decision-making for EOR and conformance in fractured and dual-porosity carbonate reservoirs.
Carbonates hold a large share of remaining oil, yet uncertainty around heterogeneity, fractures, and wettability often slows progress. MicroCaRES offers a more direct path forward by using carbonate-representative microfluidic chips operated under reservoir-like conditions to observe and quantify mechanisms such as sweep efficiency, capillary trapping, wettability change, chemical transport, and fracture–matrix exchange.
The objective is straightforward: faster learning, fewer dead-end studies, and clearer prioritisation of EOR and conformance concepts. The project will generate mechanism-based, comparative evidence to help operators rank technologies and focus effort where value is highest.
Through a consortium model, members shape scope and priorities while sharing high-quality datasets. We will benchmark conformance technologies upfront and assess EOR methods with reduced uncertainty.
MicroCaRES is open to carbonate operators seeking faster evaluations and lower pilot risk.
If you want to influence scope, workflows, and benchmarking priorities ahead of a Q3 2026 start, now is the time to contact Timur Zhainakov or Antoine THOMAS! We’d be glad to discuss how MicroCaRES could support your decision-making.
