INCREASING HEAVY OIL RESERVES IN THE WILMINGTON OIL FIELD THROUGH ADVANCED RESERVOIR CHARACTERIZATION AND THERMAL PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGIES
The project involves using advanced reservoir characterization and thermal production technologies to improve thermal recovery techniques and lower operating and capital costs in a slope and basin clastic (SBC) reservoir in the Wilmington field, Los Angeles Co., CA. Through June 2002, project work has been completed on the following activities: data preparation; basic reservoir engineering; developing a deterministic three dimensional (3-D) geologic model, a 3-D deterministic reservoir simulation model and a rock-log model; well drilling and completions; and surface facilities on the Fault Block II-A Tar Zone (Tar II-A). Work is continuing on research to understand the geochemistry and process regarding the sand consolidation well completion technique, final reservoir tracer work, operational work and research studies to prevent thermal-related formation compaction in the Tar II-A steamflood area, and operational work on the Tar V post-steamflood pilot and Tar II-A post-steamflood projects. During the Third Quarter 2002, the project team essentially completed implementing the accelerated oil recovery and reservoir cooling plan for the Tar II-A post-steamflood project developed in March 2002 and is proceeding with additional related work. The project team has completed developing laboratory research procedures to analyze the sand consolidation well completion technique and will initiate work in the fourth quarter. The Tar V pilot steamflood project terminated hot water injection and converted to post-steamflood cold water injection on April 19, 2002. Proposals have been approved to repair two sand consolidated horizontal wells that sanded up, Tar II-A well UP-955 and Tar V well J-205, with gravel-packed inner liner jobs to be performed next quarter. Other well work to be performed next quarter is to convert well L-337 to a Tar V water injector and to recomplete vertical well A-194 as a Tar V interior steamflood pattern producer. Plans have been approved to drill and complete well A-605 in Tar V in the first quarter 2003. Plans have been approved to update the Tar II-A 3-D deterministic reservoir simulation model and run sensitivity cases to evaluate the accelerated oil recovery and reservoir cooling plan. The Tar II-A post-steamflood operation started in February 1999 and steam chest fillup occurred in September-October 1999. The targeted reservoir pressures in the ''T'' and ''D'' sands are maintained at 90 {+-} 5% hydrostatic levels by controlling water injection and gross fluid production and through the bimonthly pressure monitoring program enacted at the start of the post-steamflood phase. Well work related to the Tar II-A accelerated oil recovery and reservoir cooling plan began in March 2002 with oil production increasing from 1009 BOPD in the first quarter to 1145 BOPD in the third quarter. Reservoir pressures have been increased during the quarter from 88% to 91% hydrostatic levels in the ''T'' sands and from 91% to 94% hydrostatic levels in the ''D'' sands. Well work during the quarter is described in the Reservoir Management section. The post-steamflood production performance in the Tar V pilot project has been below projections because of wellbore mechanical limitations and the loss of a horizontal producer a second time to sand inflow that are being addressed in the fourth quarter. As the fluid production temperatures exceeded 350 F, our self-imposed temperature limit, the pilot steamflood was converted to a hot waterflood project in June 2001 and converted to cold water injection on April 19, 2002.
- Research Organization:
- City of Long Beach (US)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- (US)
- DOE Contract Number:
- FC22-95BC14939
- OSTI ID:
- 813416
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: 8 Nov 2002
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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INCREASING HEAVY OIL RESERVES IN THE WILMINGTON OIL FIELD THROUGH ADVANCED RESERVOIR CHARACTERIZATION AND THERMAL PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGIES
INCREASING HEAVY OIL RESERVES IN THE WILMINGTON OIL FIELD THROUGH ADVANCED RESERVOIR CHARACTERIZATION AND THERMAL PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGIES