The utilization of the microflora indigenous to and present in oil-bearing formations to selectively plug the more porous zones thereby increasing oil recovery during waterflooding. Annual report for the period, January 1, 1994--December 31, 1994
This project is a field demonstration of the ability of insitu indigenous microorganisms in the North Blowhorn Creek Oil Field to reduce the flow of injection water in the more permeable zones thereby diverting flow to other areas of the reservoir and thus increase the efficiency of the waterflooding operation. This effect is to be accomplished by adding inorganic nutrients in the form of Potassium nitrate and orthophosphate, to the injection water. In Phase I, which has been completed, the following results were obtained. Two new wells were drilled in the field and live cores were recovered. Analyses of the cores proved that viable microorganisms were present and since no sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) were found, the area in which the wells were drilled, probably had not been impacted by injection water, since SRB were prevalent in fluids from most wells in the field. Laboratory waterflooding tests using live cores demonstrated that the rate of flow Of simulated production water through the core increased with time when used alone while the rate of flow decreased when nitrate and phosphate salts were added to the simulated production water. Since there is only a small amount of pressure on the influent, the simulated production water was not forced to sweep other areas of the core. The field demonstration (Phase II) involves adding nutrients to four injector wells and monitoring the surrounding producers. The exact kind and amounts of nutrients to be employed and the schedule for their injection were formulated on the basis of information obtained in the laboratory waterflooding tests conducted using the live cores from the field. Results obtained in these tests will not only be compared to historical data for the wells but also to four injectors and their corresponding producers (control) which were chosen for their similarity to the four test patterns.
- Research Organization:
- Hughes Eastern Corp., Jackson, MS (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- FC22-94BC14962
- OSTI ID:
- 83020
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/BC/14962-7; ON: DE95000177
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: Aug 1995
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
The utilization of the microflora indigenous to and present in oil-bearing formations to selectively plug the more porous zones thereby increasing oil recovery during waterflooding. Annual report, January 1--December 31, 1995
The utilization of the microflora indigenous to and present in oil-bearing formations to selectively plug the more porous zones thereby increasing oil recovery during waterflooding. Technical progress report, January 1, 1997--December 31, 1997