Thermal EOR requires special design for gravel packs

Journal Article · Mon Nov 17 04:00:00 EST 1986 · Oil Gas J.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6961801

Weirich, J B; Zaleski, T E

Successful gravel-packed completions in thermal recovery wells depend upon proper design and selection of downhole equipment. Equipment designed for normal geothermal environments will generally lack the strength necessary to maintain satisfactory performance throughout the life of the well. Due to increased energy demand, domestic energy shortages, and the increasing cost and risk of exploring for new reserves, enchanced oil recovery (EOR) methods have been developed, pilot tested, and applied in many areas. Methods of which allow operators to take advantage of existing wells and surface equipment are particularly economically attractive. With the unstable price of oil in today's market, few EOR projects will economically justify the re-drilling of wells and replacement of surface facilities to increase production. The most popular EOR method employed for the production of heavy crudes is thermal recovery. Productivity is increased by improving oil mobility and transmissibility in the reservoir. Improvement of ultimate recovery and displacement efficiency is also gained through crude oil expansion and more favorable mobility ratios with injected fluids. Thermal recovery processes involve four major methods: hot waterflooding, cyclic steam injection, steam drive, and in situ combustion. The most basic of these is hot water-flooding which is also the least effective of the thermal recovery processes, because the technique merely involves the injection of hot water and can be adapted to a waterflood project with few surface equipment changes.

• Research Organization: Baker Sand Control, Houston, TX
• OSTI ID: 6961801
• Journal Information: Oil Gas J.; (United States), Journal Name: Oil Gas J.; (United States) Vol. 84:46; ISSN OIGJA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020300* -- Petroleum-- Drilling & Production
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COMBUSTION
DOCUMENT TYPES
ENERGY SHORTAGES
ENERGY SOURCES
ENHANCED RECOVERY
EQUIPMENT
EXPLORATION
FIELD PRODUCTION EQUIPMENT
FLUID INJECTION
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
HOT WATER
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
IN-SITU COMBUSTION
IN-SITU PROCESSING
OIL WELLS
OXIDATION
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PACKINGS
PETROLEUM
PRICES
PROCESSING
PRODUCTION
RECOVERY
REVIEWS
SHORTAGES
STEAM INJECTION
STIMULATION
SWEEP EFFICIENCY
THERMAL RECOVERY
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
WATER
WATERFLOODING
WELL COMPLETION
WELL STIMULATION
WELLS