PAPER
NUMBER SPE
SOCIETYOF PETROLEUMENGINEERSOF AIME
,
1240
6300 North CentralExpressway
Eallas6, Texas
TH113I;S A PREPRINT--- SUBJECTTO CORRECTION
SECONDARY
RECOVERY
By
OF NATURAL
GAS
t
D. L. Stlnscn,MemberAIME, The U. of Wyoming$Laraml&?Wjyo.
PublicationRightsRegerved
This paper %s to be presenteda% the 40th Annual Fall Meetfngof the Societyof PetroleumEngi-
neers of AIME: to be held in Denver>Colo.,Oct. 3- 6, 19659 and is consiileretchle propertyof the
Permissionto publishis hereby re~trictectio an abstractof not
Societyof PetroleumEngineers.
more than 3<9 words,with no illustrationsualessthe paper is specifics.1.rleyleasedto the press
by-the Editor bf the Journalof PetroleumTechnologyor the ExecutiveSecretary. Such abstract
Publication
should contai~Corispicuouascknowleiigmenotf where and by whom the paper is presen~ed.
el~ewhereafter publicationin the Journalof PetroleumTechnologyor the Societyof Petroleum
EngineersJournalis grantedon reques%,proviaingproper creditis given,that publicationand the
originalpresentationof the paper,
Three copiesof any discussionshouldbe sent to the
Discussionof this paper is invited.
Societyof PetroleumEngineersoffice. Such discussionmaybe presentedat the abovemeeting and,
wfth the paperJmay be consiaereafor publ~cationin one of the two 5PE magazines.
levelsfor naturalgas moving in interstate
commerce.
ABSTRACT
Duringrecentyears>the increasein con-
The productionof naturalgas from a re-
servoiris inherentlymore efficientthan the
productionof oil from a reservoir. In,vol-
umetricreservoirs>at moderate&epthsWith hig
formationpermeabilities>recoveriesof 90 per
tract pricesof natural.gas and in its value
to ‘theoil operatorjhave providedthe incen-
tive to hnproverese?woirrecovery”.otfhis
material. Secondaryrecoveryof naturalgas
will be limitedto those parts of the world
where its value is severaltimes the value of
some otherhigh-pressuregas. High-pressme
gase,$suitablefor the recoveryof naturalgas
includeairp nitrogenjcarbonaioxidejexhaust
gasesjma some low-valuenaturalgases. The
applicationof curren%miscibledisplacement
techniquescan resultin the recoveryof one-
half of the naturalgas normallyremainingin a
reservoirat abandonment.
i
cent of the gas originallyin place are common.
‘In’manyother cases?high recoveriesare
not attained. In reservoirs.withlow perme:
abilities>the producingratesmay fall below
the economiclimit while largeportionsof the
origin~ gas are still in the reservoir. The
minimumeconomicgas,productionrate is raised
by the.productionof-llquids’orby any other
cli~ficultiewshich tend to increaseoperating
probkmw and expenses. In reservoirswith
strongwater drivesmd unequqlwater invasionr
large ~ounts of gas may be”lostin the residua
gas satura%$onor by prematurewateringout of
the Qrbducingwells.,In sum Cases):tlie-re-
coveryof the gas originallyin place may be as
INTRODUCTION
Duringthe many yearswhen naturalgas was
proiiucedas a by-productof oil production>its
val~iewas large”l“yignored.
In rn5,ncyasesX“ge
voltiesof na~pralgas wereXlared with no
‘effortbeing made to conservethis valuable
material. ‘tilya sli@k.tijyovementwas-’re.-
al~kzefwlhen mwy of the first sales contracts
were wiittenfor ridiculouslyLow prices.
..
low as 50 per cent.-
...
In the past, such high lossesof na’turai
gas were not.as importantbecauseof the low
Sales’prices,.As ti”tih,aontyher re$ouuce,the””
Un+il recenfit~large volumesof nk.uxklgas
———
.-
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_
amountof gas which maybe economicallyre--
wqre sold for less thm the cost of compression
tv the ga~es@ess,yres. Suqhcontkc%s coni-
pietelyignoredthe intrinsicvalue ok this.._.
coveredis“afuncti’oohf”its ,v&lue.
.Ii”recent~
years>with increaei;ggas prices.forintrastat
sales,and particularlyf.or use in connection
h@-q@lity
fuel.,Thispoor situationwas’mad
worse when these distress~riceswere reco@Kize with secondaryoil recoveryoperations,the ‘.
b>”a federalregulato
ryboclyas properprice
secondaryrecoveryof natural”gaehas become
..
lleferenc+at en~of..paper.
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