Improving Oil Recovery in the Naturally Fractured, Tight, Dirty Sandstone of the Townsend Newcastle Sand Unit - Weston County, Wyoming

Abstract

PUBLICATION RIGHTS RESERVED PUBLICATION RIGHTS RESERVED THIS PAPER IS TO BE PRESENTED AT THE INTERNATIONAL TECHNICAL MEETING JOINTLY HOSTED BY THE PETROLEUM SOCIETY OF CIM AND THE SOCIETY OF PETROLEUM ENGINEERS IN CALGARY, JUNE 10 TO 13, 1990. DISCUSSION OF THIS PAPER IS INVITED. SUCH DISCUSSION MAY BE PRESENTED AT THE MEETING AND WILL BE CONSIDERED FOR PUBLICATION IN CIM AND SPE JOURNALS IF FILED IN WRITING WITH THE TECHNICAL PROGRAM CHAIRMAN PRIOR TO THE CONCLUSION OF THE MEETING. Abstract This paper summarizes the waterflood performance of the Townsend Newcastle Sand Unit performance of the Townsend Newcastle Sand Unit (TNSU). Production is from the Muddy Newcastle sandstone located in the Powder River Basin of northeastern Wyoming. The field was discovered in June, 1960 and was depleted under solution gas drive to recover 13.0% of the original oil-in-place (OOIP) of 2.8 million STBO. Waterflooding the TNSU faced three obstacles; first, the reservoir is naturally fractured: second, the reservoir contains clays which can swell and migrate to reduce injection rates; and third, the matrix rock is heterogeneous and low in permeability (40 md average). A process approach was taken to overcome these adverse waterflooding conditions. First, the injection wells were pretreated with potassium hydroxide to permanently stabilize the clays. Then, cationic and anionic polyacrylamides and aluminum citrate crosslinker were injected to reduce flow through the factures as well as through any high permeability channel in the matrix rock. This was permeability channel in the matrix rock. This was followed by a blend of phosphates and anionic polymer to maximize imbibition. polymer to maximize imbibition. The flood began in May, 1986. Oil production went from 3 BOPD prior to injection to a peak flood rate of 343 BOPD in November, 1988. Ultimate recovery is now projected to be 29.8% OOIP, Without the use of this process technology it is doubtful the field could have been economically flooded. FIELD HISTORY AND PRIMARY The Townsend Newcastle Sand Unit is located in the northeastern part of Wyoming. The field is situated on the eastern edge of the Powder River Basin as seen in Figure 1. Discovered in June, 1960, the initial producing rate was 150 BOPD. The peak primary producing rate of 273 BOPD occurred in peak primary producing rate of 273 BOPD occurred in 1970 after in-fill wells were drilled. Under solution gas drive recovery was 367,000 STBO or 13.0%: OOIP. Water injection began in May, 1986. There are currently 8 injection wells and 12 producing wells. producing wells. GEOLOGIC AND RESERVOIR DATA The Newcastle formation is a lower cretaceous sandstone found on the eastern aide of the Powder River Basin. In the central and western regions of the Basin the sale formation is known as the Muddy sandstone. The Unit is part of a southwest to northeast local productive trend. The reservoir is the result of stratigraphic trapping caused by permeability Variations in the channel at the time of deposition. P. 82-1 P. 82-1

Selection of Proper EOR Method for Efficient Matrix Recovery in Naturally Fractured Reservoirs

“…All these studies are limited with laboratory scale tests. Only field case reported is the injection of polymer solution to maximize the recovery in Powder River Basin in Wyoming 45 .…”