Design and implementation of a miscible Water-Alternating-Gas flood at Prudhoe Bay

Conference · Sat Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1984 · Soc. Pet. Eng. AIME, Pap.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6171780

Rupp, K A; Christian, L D; Metz, B E; Nelson, W C; Styler, J W; Zimmerman, K A

An enriched, Water-Alternating-Gas (WAG), miscible flood was brought on stream in December 1982 in the Prudhoe Bay Field on Alaska's North Slope. This paper outlines details of the Project and traces its evolution from conceptual engineering through start-up to initial performance. The Project involves an area containing 442 million barrels original oil in place. The 3,650 acre Project Area includes sixty 80-acre spaced wells in eleven inverted nine-spot patterns. Facilities process the 40 to 45 MMscf/D of miscible injectant which is then injected alternately with water on a 3 month/6 month gas/water cycle in eleven injection wells. An extensive surveillance program includes one fiberglass cased observation well, a comprehensive cased hole logging program, and radioactive gas tracers. The project will consist of WAG injecting a slug of more than 10% total pore volume (TPV) miscible gas. The miscible gas will be injected at a rate of approximately 1% TPV per year, followed by water injection to displace miscible gas through the reservoir and tertiary oil to producing wells. The estimated incremental-to-waterflood recovery is 5.5% of the original oil in place or 24 million barrels of oil.

• Research Organization: ARCO Alaska Inc.
• OSTI ID: 6171780
• Report Number(s): CONF-8409104-
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Soc. Pet. Eng. AIME, Pap.; (United States) Journal Volume: SPE13272
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020300* -- Petroleum-- Drilling & Production
ARCTIC OCEAN
BAYS
BEAUFORT SEA
DISPLACEMENT FLUIDS
ENHANCED RECOVERY
FLUID INJECTION
FLUIDS
GAS INJECTION
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
MINERAL RESOURCES
MISCIBLE-PHASE DISPLACEMENT
OIL FIELDS
OIL WELLS
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
PRODUCTION
PRUDHOE BAY
RECOVERY
RESOURCES
SEAS
SURFACE WATERS
WATERFLOODING
WELLS