A Field Test of Nitrogen WAG Injectivity

Greenwalt, Wayne A.; Vela, Saul; Christian, L.D.; Shirer, J.A.

doi:10.2118/8816-pa

Cited by 16 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 2 publications

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“…A 40070 reduction was observed following injection of nitrogen. 6 However, th_e injectivity to gas was considerably higher than the initial water injectivity, such that the total average injection rate during the WAG cycles was not reduced significantly below the waterflood injection rate. Further studies of actual field injection-well capability showed that sufficient excess water injectivity is available to offset water injectivity reductions and that additional injection capacity is available at low cost by installing larger tubing strings in some injection wells.…”

Section: Field Testsmentioning

confidence: 96%

Planning a Tertiary Oil-Recovery Project for Jay/LEC Fields Unit

Christian

Shirer

Kimbel

et al. 1981

Journal of Petroleum Technology

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Summary A major tertiary oil-recovery project is planned for the Jay/Little Escambia Creek (LEC) fields to recover an additional 47 MMbbl of oil. Ultimate recovery from the deep carbonate reservoir is expected to reach 393 MMbbl, or 54% of the 728 MMbbl oil originally in place (OOIP). Introduction The Jay/LEC fields, discovered in 1970, produce oil from a carbonate reservoir in the Florida panhandle and south Alabama. The fields were unitized in 1974, and waterflood operations have been underway for 7 years. This sour-oil field has been recognized for some time as an ideal miscible displacement candidate because (1) the crude is miscible with nitrogen, methane, and CO, at reservoir conditions and (2) about 382 MMbbf of oil are expected to remain following waterflood operations. Continuous tertiary recovery studies began in late 1977, and the working interest owners approved the project in June 1980, after 8 man-years of technical evaluation. Reservoir questions receiving special attention included injectivity of water following gas injection in a water-alternating-gas (WAG) operation and remobilization of residual oil trapped in the reservoir following water injection. A field injectivity test showed reduction in water injectivity would occur, and laboratory tests showed essentially all waterflood residual oil in place will be recovered from reservoir rock contacted by miscible gas. Additional study showed that decreased water injectivity following gas injection would be offset by excess injection capacity and some injection string changeouts. Recovery and performance estimates and WAG ratios were based on results obtained with two- and-three-dimensional reservoir simulation of representative sections of the reservoir. A modified version of Exxon's General Purpose Simulator (GPSIM) was used. Detailed reservoir description gave confidence in simulation studies and was an important factor in the decision to forego a pilot test. Nitrogen was selected as the principal injection gas rather than methane because of economics and rather than CO2 because of availability and economics. It will be injected alternately with water at rates of 67 MMcf/D until about 20% hydrocarbon pore volumes (HCPV) have been injected. A period of about 15 years of gas and water injection will be followed by injection with water until depletion. Ultimate oil recovery should be increased some 47 MMbbl, or 6.5% of the 728 MMbbl of OOIP. Ultimate recovery now is expected to reach 393 MMbbl of oil. Nitrogen will be purchased from a supplier with subsequent compression to 7,600 psig and distribution by the unit to existing injection wells. Facilities include injection compression, a field-wide distribution system, and a nitrogen rejection unit. Electric motors will be used as prime movers. Total investment is estimated at about $80 million. Nitrogen injection is targeted to begin in Dec. 1981. Reservoir and Fluid Properties Oil accumulation at Jay/LEC is in the Smackover carbonate and Norphlet sand formations. Oil occurs mostly in the dolomitized portions of the Smackover carbonate. JPT P. 1535

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Section: Field Testsmentioning

confidence: 96%

Planning a Tertiary Oil-Recovery Project for Jay/LEC Fields Unit

Christian

Shirer

Kimbel

et al. 1981

Journal of Petroleum Technology

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“…Injectivity loss is one of the frequently reported problems in water-alternating-CO 2 (WAG) flooding. [6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16] We conducted experimental investigations on injectivity loss using four cores during the past three months: the first two cores were Berea cores, the third core was a naturally fractured carbonate reservoir core, and the fourth core was a sandstone reservoir core. The purposes of the experiments were to duplicate situations of injectivity loss in WAG flooding and identify factors affecting the injectivity loss.…”

Section: Preliminary Investigations On Injectivity Loss In Wag Floodingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Improved Efficiency of Miscible C02 Floods and Enhanced Prospects for C02 Flooding Heterogeneous Reservoirs

Guo¹,

Schechter²,

Tsau³

et al. 1997

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“…A 40% reduction in water injectivity index was obselVed. 4 The decrease is attributed to reduced relative permeability to water resulting from a relatively high tmpped N 2 gas satumtion. Further study at the time concluded that the percentage loss in total field injectivity would be substantially less than the loss in well injectivity indices because (1) some wells have excess injection capacity over desired mtes and (2) actual injection mtes into many of the deep wells are controlled primarily by friction pressure losses in the long, 3.5-in [8.9-cm]-diameter tubing strings.…”

Section: Tertiary Performancementioning

confidence: 99%

Performance of Jay/LEC Fields Unit Under Mature Waterflood and Early Tertiary Operations

Langston

Shirer

1985

Journal of Petroleum Technology

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Secondary oil recovery for the Jay/Little Escambia Creek (LEC) Fields Unit will exceed initial estimates by 27 X 10 6 bbl [4.3 x 10 6 m 3 ] because of innovative reservoir management based on a comprehensive surveillance program and detailed reservoir description data. Infill drill wells have accounted for 76 X 10 6 bbl [12 X 10 6 m 3] of oil production. The mature waterflood was phased into a tertiary recovery project in 1981, and early performance is generally consistent with the planning study, which predicted that 47 X 10 6 bbl [7.5 X 10 6 m 3 ] of tertiary oil will be recovered.

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A Field Test of Nitrogen WAG Injectivity

Cited by 16 publications

References 2 publications

Planning a Tertiary Oil-Recovery Project for Jay/LEC Fields Unit

Planning a Tertiary Oil-Recovery Project for Jay/LEC Fields Unit

Improved Efficiency of Miscible C02 Floods and Enhanced Prospects for C02 Flooding Heterogeneous Reservoirs

Performance of Jay/LEC Fields Unit Under Mature Waterflood and Early Tertiary Operations

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