Acquisition, classification, and evaluation of engineering and geologic information and characteristics of West Virginia petroleum reservoirs amenable to enhanced oil recovery technology, particularly carbon dioxide injection. Final report

Technical Report · Sun Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 1979

OSTI ID:6088907

Pease, R W

Based on available reservoir information, CO/sub 2/ displacement seems to be the enhanced oil recovery technique most suitable for most West Virginia oil reservoirs. Seventeen reservoirs have been identified as potential candidates for the CO/sub 2/ displacement process: three Berea, six Big Injun, five Gordon, one Gordon Stray, one Fifth, and one Squaw--Weir sand reservoir. The total volume of oil remaining in these 17 reservoirs is estimated to be more than one billion barrels. The fields are all within a relatively small geographic area and constitute a significant target for enhanced oil recovery technology. There are, however, many difficulties in working with expensive fluids in old fields containing many abandoned wells. Injectivity of liquid CO/sub 2/ in West Virginia oil reservoirs has been demonstrated to be higher than that for water or natural gas. In connection with raising pressures prior to CO/sub 2/ injection, waterflooding has been shown to be effective in two reservoirs previously considered impossible to flood. In the single CO/sub 2/ displacement process completed in West Virginia, the Granny's Creek project, efficiency of recovery was not high: less than one barrel of additional oil per 20 MSCF of CO/sub 2/ injected. The injected liquid was found far outside the project area, however, indicating a need for effective confinement. The CO/sub 2/ process has been demonstrated as effective in displacing oil from a previously waterflooded portion of the reservoir. The three ongoing or projected CO/sub 2/ projects in the state have many common features, which should simplify the complete analysis when they are completed.

• Research Organization: Gruy Federal, Inc., Houston, TX (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: ET-78-C-05-5602
• OSTI ID: 6088907
• Report Number(s): DOE/MC/05602-6
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
OIL WELLS
CARBON DIOXIDE INJECTION
CLASSIFICATION
ENHANCED RECOVERY
EVALUATION
OIL FIELDS
PETROLEUM
WELL STIMULATION
WEST VIRGINIA
CENTRAL REGION
ENERGY SOURCES
FLUID INJECTION
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
MISCIBLE-PHASE DISPLACEMENT
NORTH AMERICA
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
RESOURCES
USA
WELLS
020300* - Petroleum- Drilling & Production