Successful Thermal Recovery of Heavy Oil From an Ultra Tight Reservoir Renews Development of the 100-Year-Old Orcutt Oil Field

Abstract

This paper discusses a pilot project for exploiting the shallow oil-saturated diatomite located on the Careaga Lease in the Orcutt Oil Field, Santa Barbara County, California. The project is one of two successful new operations underway in the Central Coast of California that show oil production by cyclic steam stimulation of oil-saturated diatomite is possible. This method of oil production has been a success in the San Joaquin Valley since around 1996. It is now extended to a similar accumulation located over 100 miles away. This case study chronicles the encouraging production response from a similar virtually unexploited zone known for over 100 years. Under full development, expected production could exceed historical peak levels from a resource many considered too shallow and too tight to exploit. Modern techniques are considered vital to making the Orcutt diatomite productive and successful. The Orcutt oil field is located south of the town of Santa Maria, in Santa Barbara County, California. Discovered in 1901, it was first called the "Santa Maria Field" until the larger Santa Maria Valley oil field was discovered in the mid- 1930's. The name was changed to the Orcutt oil field. Cumulative oil production is in excess of 181 million barrels. Daily oil production is at a 25-year high. It is the largest onshore producing field in Santa Barbara County.