Since the early 1960's, steamflooding has been completed in 1,600 five-spot 2-1/2 acre (10,000 m2) pattern zones in the Kern River Field. The data from 61 completed projects (averaging 25.8 patterns per project) and 91 cored postflood zones has been used to develop a correlation to predict oil recovery for a given gross sand thickness, oil viscosity, and initial oil saturation.

This correlation to predict oil recovery is based on the injection and operating strategies in past use, and changes that have been made in those strategies may result in higher recoveries. In several Projects, average pattern size 4.0 acres (16,000 m2) and 50 feet (15 m) thickness, initial injection rates of 500 BWPD (3.3 m3/hr) were sustained past steam breakthrough. These initial past steam breakthrough. These initial injection rates may have been too high and perhaps should have been reduced at steam perhaps should have been reduced at steam breakthrough.

Keywords:
oil recovery, core well, initial oil saturation, viscosity, oil viscosity, bakersfield, thermal method, oil saturation, upstream oil & gas, sagd
Subjects:
Reservoir Characterization, Improved and Enhanced Recovery, Reservoir Simulation, Formation Evaluation & Management, Thermal methods
Copyright 1991, Society of Petroleum Engineers
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