Design and implementation of world's first Arctic offshore waterflood, Endicott Field, Alaska

Conference · Fri Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1991 · AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (United States)

OSTI ID:5874598

Adamson, G; Heilman, H; Metzger, R

The Endicott field is the world's first Arctic offshore producing oil field. Early reservoir studies indicated that optimum recovery would require start-up of waterflooding within the first two years of production. This paper describes the engineering and geological work done to implement and optimize the waterflood project in this field. The reservoir at Endicott field is contained within the Mississippian Kekiktuk Formation. These multistory fluvial sandstones are characterized by a wide variation in rock properties. Thick areally extensive shales combined with sealing intra-reservoir faults serve to subdivide the field into seven distinct reservoir management subzones. Simulation studies were used extensively in the design and implementation of this waterflood project. These studies showed that waterflooding would more than double the recovery and that there were significant benefits for returning the field to original pressure. Simulation models optimized both the number and placement of production and injection wells. Waterflood facilities were included in the initial production facility sealift. This enabled a pilot program to be implemented within five months after production start to shake down facilities, determine well injectivity, and obtain early waterflood performance data.

• OSTI ID: 5874598
• Report Number(s): CONF-910403--
• Conference Information: Journal Name: AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (United States) Journal Volume: 75:3
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020300* -- Petroleum-- Drilling & Production
ALASKA
ARCTIC OCEAN
CARBONIFEROUS PERIOD
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
DESIGN
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
ENGINEERING
ENHANCED RECOVERY
FLUID INJECTION
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOLOGIC FORMATIONS
MINERAL RESOURCES
NORTH AMERICA
OFFSHORE SITES
OIL FIELDS
OIL WELLS
PALEOZOIC ERA
PERFORMANCE
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
RECOVERY
RESERVOIR ENGINEERING
RESOURCES
SEAS
SIMULATION
STIMULATION
SURFACE WATERS
USA
WATERFLOODING
WELL STIMULATION
WELLS