Jurassic Smackover Development And Pressure Maintenance Bryans Mill Field, Texas
Authors: Brickner J.W. 
Published: December 2007

This paper was to be presented at the 40th Annual Fall Meeting of the Society of Petroleum Engineers of AIME, to be held in Denver, Colorado, October 3–6, 1965, and is considered to an abstract of not more than 300 words, with no illustrations, unless the paper is specifically released to the press by the Editor of the Journal of Petroleum Technology or the Executive Secretary. Such abstract elsewhere after publication in the Journal of Petroleum Technology or Society of Petroleum Engineers Journal is granted on request, providing proper credit is given that publication and the original presentation of the paper.

Discussion of this paper is invited. Three copies of any discussion should be sent to the Society of Petroleum Engineers office. Such discussion may be presented at the above meeting and, with the paper, may be considered for publication in one of the two SPE magazines.

The utilization of the technical know-how of reservoir engineering and production geology were combined in the development and pressure maintenance of the Smackover reservoir of the Bryans Mill field in northeast Texas. The reservoir contains a sour gas with high liquid content averaging 203 bbl of condensate per MMcf of gas; and under reservoir conditions, extreme retrograde condensation will occur if the reservoir pressure is allowed to fall below the dew point. In order to relieve this possible situation, a rather unique pressure maintenance and cycling program of contemporaneous gas and water injection is being initiated. Sweetened residue gas will be used for cycling. However, in order to maintain the reservoir pressure, salt water will be injected behind the residue gas bank. This water injection will result in increased ultimate recovery due to the improved sweep efficiency of the water. The estimated ultimate recovery of liquids from the field under primary producing means is 40,184,000 bbl. Under the proposed cycling and pressure maintenance program the ultimate recovery is estimated at 69,804,000 bbl, or an increase of 29,650,000 bbl of recoverable liquids.

Introduction

The purpose of the following discussion is to acquaint you with the results that have been obtained through the cooperation and utilization of the technical know-how of reservoir engineering and production geology and to present a rather unique pressure maintenance program designed for the Smackover reservoir in the Bryans Mill field, Cass County, Tex. The Smackover formation of the Jurassic system is presently the objective of intense exploration activity all the way from South Texas to Mississippi. Daring the past few years the productive potential of this formation in East Texas has been realized in such fields as New Hope, West Yantis and most recently in the Bryans trill field.

The Bryans Mill field was discovered in Feb., 1960, by Shell et al. Allsup No. 1. To date, 29 wells have been drilled in the immediate vicinity of the field resulting in 7 dry holes and 22 producers. The average well is completed for a calculated open flow potential of 25 MMcf of wet sour gas per day plus 203 bbl of condensate per Mcf.