Steam slug process

Journal Article · Fri Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1968 · Prod. Mon.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5517627

El-Saleh, M M; Farouq Ali, S M

Steamflooding, or continuous injection of steam for oil recovery, has been shown to be technically feasible by numerous field tests. However, this process is not likely to be economical except under favorable conditions, e.g., small well spacings, adjacent formations of low thermal conductivity, etc. The high cost of continuous injection of steam and the inefficiency due to increasing loss of heat can be offset by injection of only a limited quantity, or ''slug'' of steam, followed by cold water injection. Whether this type of process would retain most of the desirable effects of steamflooding depends upon the particular rock-fluid system involved. The cold water injected, after the steam injection is terminated, serves to recover some of the heat lost to the adjacent formations during the steam injection phase, and also drives the oil bank formed previously. Results are given of an experimental investigation of the steam slug process. The magnitudes of oil recoveries are discussed, together with the temperature distribution in the formation.

• Research Organization: Continental Oil Co; Pennsylvania State Univ
• OSTI ID: 5517627
• Journal Information: Prod. Mon.; (United States), Journal Name: Prod. Mon.; (United States) Vol. 32:11; ISSN PROMA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020300* -- Petroleum-- Drilling & Production
ECONOMICS
ENERGY SOURCES
ENERGY TRANSFER
ENHANCED RECOVERY
FEASIBILITY STUDIES
FLUID INJECTION
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
HEAT TRANSFER
OIL WELLS
PETROLEUM
RECOVERY
STEAM INJECTION
STIMULATION
TEMPERATURE DISTRIBUTION
THERMAL RECOVERY
WELL SPACING
WELL STIMULATION
WELLS