Abstract
The Kern River Field is one of the oldest continuous producing oil fields in North America. The field was originally discovered in 1899 and today comprises more than 10,000 active producing wells. The API gravity of oil in this field ranges between 11-13 degrees, and the operator employs thermal enhanced oil recovery methods in the form of continuous and cyclic steam (CS) injection. Rod pumping systems are the most common method of artificial lift utilized in this field. The most prevalent subsurface failure event realized by the operator is a sanded/seized (S/S) pump. More than fifty percent of all subsurface failures are associated with sand production. This paper will outline the use of resin injected during a cyclic steaming event (CS), down the casing annulus or tubing, in order to consolidate sand grains in the formation and reduce the potential for the influx of sand while a well is on production. In 2013 a project team was formed to pilot this sand control method at the Kern River Field. Candidates for this treatment were selected based on the frequency of sanded/seized events and reported wellbore integrity. Through this pilot, the project team was able to extend meantime between failure (MTBF) and achieve incremental oil production. The use of resin injected during a cyclic steaming event (CS) can improve well reliability and enhance well economics of marginal oil producers by providing an alternative to more expensive remedial options.
