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Title: Caustic waterflooding demonstration project, Ranger Zone, Long Beach Unit, Wilmington Field, California. Annual report, October 1976--June 1977

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:5052459

A caustic-enhanced waterflooding pilot test is being initiated in the Ranger Reservoir of the Long Beach Unit, Wilmington Field, California, by the Department of Oil Properties of the City of Long Beach and the Field Contractor, THUMS, Long Beach Company in association with ERDA. A unique combination of two alkaline flood processes will be attempted for the first time to increase recovery efficiency. A 95-acre area, consisting of 11 producers bracketed by two 4-well injection rows and two major faults, has been selected for the pilot. During the initial phase of the project--which will be preceded by a period of softened salt water preflush--softened fresh water containing 0.1% by weight NaOH will be injected to emulsify the reservoir crude and improve conformance by the ''emulsion entrapment'' process. This phase will be followed by injection of 0.1% by weight NaOH in softened water containing 1.0% by weight NaCl to ''entrain'' the emulsified oil, hence to improve displacement efficiency. Preliminary site preparation, facilities design and installation work are nearing completion. Further laboratory investigation of the two caustic processes using native-state cores is continuing. A preliminary small-scale injectivity test of two-months' duration using the planned test chemicals was started in early June, 1977, in one of the pilot area injectors.

Research Organization:
Long Beach City Dept. of Oil Properties, Calif. (USA); THUMS Long Beach Co., Calif. (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
EF-76-C-03-1396
OSTI ID:
5052459
Report Number(s):
SAN-1396-1
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English