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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Multi-pattern low-tension demonstration flood Big Muddy field: (Technical progress report), January through March 1987

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:6605299
The Big Muddy Low-Tension Flood is a commercial size demonstration project consisting of nine 10-acre injection patterns in the heart of the Big Muddy oil field located about 15 miles east of Casper, Wyoming. Project objectives relate to surfactant flooding in the low permeability, high fracture density, fresh water reservoirs typical of many fields in eastern Colorado and Wyoming. Design technology is based in part on a pilot test conducted previously at an adjacent site. Water injection continued through the first quarter of 1987. In January the injection pump for the water disposal system failed, which necessitated the injection of all produced water into the Project for several days. Injection was then reduced into the Project after the permit requirements for surface disposal were met, although the overall Project injection rate was still increased from 1100 BPD (December 1986) to approximately 1900 BPD (March 1987). The remaining produced water was discharged to the surface (roughly 400 BPD) without exceeding the oil carry-over permit limitations. The oil sales for January, February and March averaged 77 BOPD, 89 BOPD, and 75 BOPD, respectively. Approximately 200 barrels of bad oil were successfully treated and sold as merchantable oil in February; this was oil kept as a pad in the skim tank. An additional 120 BO, the remainder of the pad, were treated and sold in March. The cumulative project sales were 284,250 BO as of March 31, 1987. 4 figs., 4 tabs.
Research Organization:
Conoco, Inc., Casper, WY (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
AC03-78SF01424
OSTI ID:
6605299
Report Number(s):
DOE/SF/01424-T11; ON: DE87008693
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English