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Gas injection with radioactive tracer to determine reservoir continuity, East Coalinga field, California

Conference · · Soc. Pet. Eng. AIME, Pap.; (United States)
OSTI ID:5071643
The Temblor Zone II reservoir consists of intervals of movable oil associated with intervals of high gas saturation or desaturated intervals. Natural gas injection into these desaturated intervals, using tritium and krypton as radioactive tracers has served to determine reservoir continuity. In these example cases, the desaturated intervals contained nearly all carbon dioxide gas. The injection tests also have furnished data concerning the nature and distribution of desaturated intervals in an unconsolidated sand reservoir with permeabilities of 300 to 500 md and porosity of 26% having 21/sup 0/ API gravity oil with a viscosity of 25 cp at reservoir temperature. It can be concluded from these tests that (1) the injection of radioactive gas into reservoirs having oil desaturation can be used to map continuity, (2) gas-oil interfaces found in some gravity drainage reservoirs deviate from the horizontal, and (3) the gas overlying the movable oil will likely influence supplemental recovery projects by acting as a thief zone for injected water.
Research Organization:
Shell Oil Co.
OSTI ID:
5071643
Report Number(s):
CONF-721167-
Conference Information:
Journal Name: Soc. Pet. Eng. AIME, Pap.; (United States) Journal Volume: SPE-4184
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English