Improved oil recovery by alkaline flooding in the Huntington Beach Field. Final report

Technical Report · Fri Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1982

OSTI ID:6922271

Campbell, T C

A pilot test of an alkaline flooding process for improved oil recovery is being conducted by Aminoil USA in the Lower Main Zone of the Huntington Beach Field. This field was developed in 1940 with primary production continuing through 1969. At that time, a pilot waterflood was initiated in Fault Blocks 22/23 using a 5-spot pattern with four injection wells. Approximately two pore volumes of water had been injected into this area prior to initiation of the alkaline flooding pilot. A softened water preflush was started in June, 1978 in the same pattern used for the waterflood pilot following redrilling of two injection wells and workover of several production wells in the pilot area. The softening plant was designed for an injection rate of 10,000 B/D. Soft water preflush injection continued through March 1980. A series of organic, inorganic and radioactive tracers were injected in October 1979 to monitor fluid movement in the pilot area. In March 1980, alkaline injection at a concentration of 0.2% by weight of sodium orthosilicate solution was begun. The concentration of alkali was increased to 1.0% by weight in October 1980 and has been continued at this level to the present time. Alkaline injection will be continued through 1984. A short postflush with softened water will be injected prior to continued injection with field produced water to the economic limit of the pilot area. Preflush breakthrough has occurred in three of the production wells, as measured by reductions in salinity and water hardness. The tracers have not been detected at any significant levels, except for tritium. Oil production has followed a typical waterflood decline over the period of pilot operation. There has been no significant response to the alkaline injection, but there has been an indication of decreases in the water/oil ratio in the central producer in the inverted 5-spot pattern area. 18 figures, 5 tables.

• Research Organization: Aminoil USA, Inc., Huntington Beach, CA
• DOE Contract Number: AC03-77ET12053
• OSTI ID: 6922271
• Report Number(s): DOE/ET/12053-26; ON: DE83001192
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020300* -- Petroleum-- Drilling & Production
CALIFORNIA
CAUSTIC FLOODING
DATA
DEMONSTRATION PROGRAMS
DRILL CORES
ENERGY SOURCES
ENHANCED RECOVERY
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FEDERAL REGION IX
FLUID INJECTION
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
INFORMATION
NORTH AMERICA
NUMERICAL DATA
OIL SATURATION
OIL WELLS
PERMEABILITY
PETROLEUM
POROSITY
RECOVERY
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
RESERVOIR ROCK
SATURATION
STIMULATION
USA
WATERFLOODING
WELL STIMULATION
WELLS