1. n. [Well Completions, Enhanced Oil Recovery]

A method of secondary recovery in which water is injected into the reservoir formation to displace residual oil. The water from injection wells physically sweeps the displaced oil to adjacent production wells. Potential problems associated with waterflood techniques include inefficient recovery due to variable permeability, or similar conditions affecting fluid transport within the reservoir, and early water breakthrough that may cause production and surface processing problems.

See related terms: hot waterflooding,  injection well,  low-salinity waterflooding,  residual oil,  secondary recovery