Steamflooding projects boost California's crude oil production

Journal Article · Fri Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1982 · J. Pet. Technol.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6248906

During the summer and fall of 1981, the first time in more than a decade, US crude oil production in the lower 48 was higher than production in the preceding year. California is leading this resurgence. The state's oil production in October 1981 averaged 1,076,000 bpd, compared with 991,000 bpd in October 1980. Some of the increase comes from production in several offshore fields whose development had been delayed; some is due to greater output from the US Government's petroleum reserve at Elk Hills. However, a big portion of the state's increased production results from large steamdrive projects in heavy-oil fields of the San Joaquin Valley that were set in motion by decontrol of heavy-oil proces in mid-1979. California holds vast reserves of viscous, low-gravity oil in relatively shallow reservoirs. The methods used to produce heavy oil are discussed.

• OSTI ID: 6248906
• Journal Information: J. Pet. Technol.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Pet. Technol.; (United States) Vol. 34:1; ISSN JPTJA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020300* -- Petroleum-- Drilling & Production
CALIFORNIA
DEREGULATION
ENERGY SOURCES
FEDERAL REGION IX
FLUID INJECTION
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
NORTH AMERICA
OFFSHORE SITES
OIL WELLS
ONSHORE SITES
PETROLEUM
PRICES
PRODUCTION
STEAM INJECTION
STIMULATION
TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT
USA
VISCOSITY
WELL STIMULATION
WELLS