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Borregos surfactant pilot test

Conference · · Soc. Pet. Eng. AIME, Pap.; (United States)
OSTI ID:5924544

A pilot test of petroleum sulfonate flooding was conducted during the mid-1960s in the Borregos field, Kleberg County, Texas. The pilot pattern consisted of a 1.25-acre, normal 5-spot. A pretest reservoir description program showed that the sand selected for testing, a thin Frio zone, was rather heterogeneous, both areally and vertically. A pilot waterflood was conducted prior to the tertiary test to reduce oil saturations to waterflood residual. This waterflood provided additional reservoir description information. The test consisted of injecting a 47% PV bank of 2.3% active petroleum sulfonate solution followed by drive water. Diagnostic studies included tracer surveys and postflood pressure coring. Oil recovery was limited by extreme fractionation of the surfactant and by poor sweep efficiency. Maximum average equivalent weight of produced surfactant was less than 300 as compared with a value of 380 for the injected material. It is estimated that surfactant bank fluids contacted 60% of the pattern volume. Test results indicated that significant quantities of residual oil were mobilized in regions of the reservoir contacted by an unfractionated petroleum sulfonate solution.

Research Organization:
Esso Production Res Co; Humble Oil and Refining Co
OSTI ID:
5924544
Report Number(s):
CONF-7210140-
Journal Information:
Soc. Pet. Eng. AIME, Pap.; (United States), Journal Name: Soc. Pet. Eng. AIME, Pap.; (United States) Vol. SPE-4084; ISSN SEAPA
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English