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Title: The use of cogeneration for enhanced oil recovery in California's San Joaquin Valley

Conference · · Am. Soc. Mech. Eng., (Pap.); (United States)
OSTI ID:5503928

Steamflooding is the most common method of Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) for heavy crude oil production in California's San Joaquin Valley. Continued increases in both fuel costs and utility electric rates have made it economically attractive to produce oil field steam and electric power simultaneously by cogeneration. Gas turbine generator sets coupled with waste heat steam generators are proving to be the most efficient and reliable approach to this application. In order to reduce production costs in their Bakersfield area operations, Chevron USA Inc. has installed two natural gas fueled gas turbine cogeneration plants, each producing 10 MW of electric power and 216,000 lb/hr (97,978 kg/hr) of high pressure steam for injection into reservoirs. The plants were commissioned in August 1982 and have shown an availability of over 95 percent with an LHV net heat rate of 4880 Btu/kW-hr (5149 kJ/kW-hr) where turbine fuel consumption is credited with fuel saved. This paper describes the objectives, design considerations, and field experience in the implementation of this project. The economic analysis of cogeneration for EOR details the attractive payback for the project and the potential for other EOR cogeneration applications in the San Joaquin Valley.

Research Organization:
Solar Turbines Incorporated, San Diego, California
OSTI ID:
5503928
Report Number(s):
CONF-850351-
Journal Information:
Am. Soc. Mech. Eng., (Pap.); (United States), Vol. 85-GT-24; Conference: 30. international gas turbine conference and exhibit, Houston, TX, USA, 18 Mar 1985
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English