Abstract
Many trough reservoirs in the Western San Joaquin Valley, California, remain undeveloped because reserve bases are relatively small and occur in areas where thermal recovery activities have been low. Reservoir models with different configurations and reserve bases were used to compare the economic potential of these reservoirs and to develop guidelines for selecting reservoirs that can be economically exploited. The models were also used for determining the optimum steamflood strategies for the selected reservoirs.
The study showed that, for a trough reservoir to be an economical prospect, it should contain a minimum oil-in-place of 300 MSTB per pattern length along the trough between the synclinal axis and the gas-oil contact. Optimum steamflood strategy for such reservoirs includes: (1) placing the injector away from the synclinal axis and gas-oil contact, (2) having a row of producers updip from the injector and another near the synclinal axis, (3) starting the steamflood with an intermediate rate and high quality of steam, and (4) shutting-in steam injection after 5.5 years of continuous injection at a constant rate. This strategy can result in a annual rate of return of 20%.