1.
n. [Heavy Oil, Enhanced Oil Recovery]
A method of
thermal recovery in which hot water is injected into a
reservoir through specially distributed injection wells. Hot waterflooding reduces the
viscosity of the
crude oil, allowing it to move more easily toward
production wells.
Hot waterflooding, also known as hot water injection, is typically less effective than a
steam-injection process because water has lower heat content than steam. Nevertheless, it is preferable under certain conditions such as
formation sensitivity to
fresh water.