"Based on available data from fields in GNPOC blocks 1, 2 and 4, our screening assessment demonstrates a large potential for increased oil production and recovery compared to current plans," the embassy quoted Norwegian Petroleum Directorate principal reservoir engineer Reidar Kristensen as saying.
"However, further detailed studies are required to reduce risks related to more advanced oil recovery methods and reduce uncertainties in production and cost estimates."
Kristensen's comments followed results of the first phase of a joint project between Sudan's ministry's of oil and energy and minerals and the Norwegian Oil for Development initiative on IOR from oil fields in Sudan.
The Norwegian team is headed by the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate and includes Norwegian consultants from Bridge Consult, Inoil, Odin Petroleum and Petrolink.
The project was agreed in June under a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in the petroleum sector between Sudan and Norway, and the technical assessment started in August.
Oil was first discovered in Sudan in the 1980s by Chevron and since then the fields have been developed in a traditional onshore manner by drilling a number of production wells equipped with powerful pumps, the embassy said, adding few water injection wells have been drilled for pressure maintenance and displacement of oil for reservoir management.
This resulted in high initial oil production that has rapidly declined, so that Sudan's oil recovery factor is estimated at around 23% compared with a world average of 30% and Norway's 46%.
The embassy said that because the Sudanese fields studied have good reservoir properties with oil, using advanced recovery methods, such as the injection of water with chemicals or the injection of gas, should result in much more oil being recovered.
The more advanced technology would also help reduce the very high water production, currently in the range 70-95%, the embassy added.
The project is now expected to continue later in the year with more detailed assessments of the most promising recovery methods for the field structures with the highest IOR potential.
Sudan holds oil reserves of around 6 billion barrels and currently produces around 480,000 b/d, which oil minister Lual Deng has targeted expanding to 1 million b/d by 2103.
