System to inject steam and produce oil from the same wellbore through downhole valve switching

Technical Report · Wed Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1992

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/7068046· OSTI ID:7068046

Various Downhole Equipment systems have been designed for typical applications in three California Oilfields,based on well data gathered from three different Operating Companies. The first system, applicable to a 2,000 ft deep reservoir (Monarch) a highly underpressured, unconsolidated sand of 200 ft net pay, located in the Midway-Sunset field, is based on the use of a new well. The second well configuration considered was the re-entry into an existing well equipped with a 7 inches casing and penetrating into two separate sandstone reservoirs, at normal pressures in the North Antelope Hills field. Only the bottom layer is presently in production through a gravel-packed 5.5 inch linear, while the upper zone is behind the cemented casing. The third case studied was the re-entry into an existing well equipped with an 8 5/8 inch casing, presently unperforated, into a thin under-pressured sand reservoir (Weber) in the Midway-Sunset field. All three California fields contain Heavy Oils of different but relatively high viscosities. A new class of potential applications of our new technology has also been considered: the recovery of Light Oil (> 20 API) by steam injection in under-pressured Carbonate reservoirs which lay at depths beyond the economic limit for conventional steam injection technology. The possibility of including this application in a Field Test proposal to the DOE, under the Class II Oil Program, is now under review by various Operators. A drilling contractor experienced in drilling multiple horizontal wells in Carbonate reservoirs and a team of reservoir engineers experienced in the recovery of Light Oil by steam in fractured reservoirs have expressed their interest in participating in such a joint Field Project. Laboratory tests on specific prototypes of Downhole Sealing Elements are underway.

• Research Organization: S-Cal Research Corp., San Rafael, CA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: FG01-92CE15553
• OSTI ID: 7068046
• Report Number(s): DOE/CE/15553-T1; ON: DE93000914
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020300* -- Petroleum-- Drilling & Production
CARBONATE ROCKS
CONTROL EQUIPMENT
CONTROL SYSTEMS
DOCUMENT TYPES
ENERGY SOURCES
ENHANCED RECOVERY
EQUIPMENT
FLOW REGULATORS
FLUID INJECTION
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
OIL WELLS
PETROLEUM
PROGRESS REPORT
ROCKS
SANDSTONES
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
STEAM INJECTION
VALVES
VISCOSITY
WELL CASINGS
WELLS