An application utilizing horizontal re-entries versus waterflooding for depleting a mid-life Niagaran Reef
Waterflooding has been the preferred secondary recovery technique for mid-life Michigan Niagaran reefs that were large enough to economically warrant it. Since these pinnacle reefs average 50-550 acres, the success in waterflooding such a limited space has been a hit or miss proposition depending on the pinpoint accuracy in locating injector and producer. This paper presents a case history for the Colfax 25 reef where five horizontal drainholes were positioned across the field in a pattern to access and drain all areas of the reservoir. This particular reef was chosen based on identified incremental reserves, areal extent and on past production history which displayed reservoir characteristics that were favorable for horizontal wells. The application was tremendously successful. Production in all wells doubled as gas oil ratios were significantly reduced. Start-up costs were slightly below those of a conventional water flood and operating costs were substantially lower than would be incurred for a waterflood.
- OSTI ID:
- 468169
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-961003-; TRN: 96:006578-0063
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 71. annual technical conference and exhibition of the Society of Petroleum Engineers, Denver, CO (United States), 6-9 Oct 1996; Other Information: PBD: 1996; Related Information: Is Part Of 1996 SPE annual technical conference and exhibition: Reservoir engineering; PB: 833 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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