bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Natural Gas Policy Act: Past And Future
Authors: Cooper Benjamin S.
Published: December 2007

Cooper, Benjamin S., Professional Staff Member Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Professional Staff Member Committee on Energy and Natural Resources U. S. Senate

Introduction

Over the past year, a healthy cottage industry has come into existence for the purpose of analyzing the prospects for enactment by the 98th Congress of significant prospects for enactment by the 98th Congress of significant amendments to the existing body of law affecting the natural gas industry. No legislation of this sort was considered on the floor of either House during the 97th Congress. The Administration of President Ronald Reagan accorded a higher priority to other matters, and the members of Congress priority to other matters, and the members of Congress responsible for natural gas policy did not consider the natural gas situation in 1981–1982 to be in sufficient disorder to require them force the issue on their own.
Sand Fracturing With Liquid Carbon Dioxide
Authors: Lillies Allen T. , King Steven R.
Published: December 2007

The quest for cleaner fracturing fluids has led to the development of sand fracturing using liquid carbon dioxide (CO2) as the proppant carrier fluid. CO2 is handled at the surface as a liquid at approximately 200 psi and −30°F. Special blending equipment has been developed to inject proppant directly into the liquid CO2 at these surface conditions. The sand laden liquid CO2 is then pumped by conventional equipment. At stabilized reservoir temperature and pressure, the liquid CO2 vaporizes in a gas well or vaporizes and is partially dissolved in the reservoir oil in an oil well. The greatest potential of liquid CO2 fracturing is the elimination of most of the formation damage normally associated with fracturing fluids and the very rapid clean up and evaluation of the well following the stimulation.
Analysis Of Fracture Treatment Pressure Fall-Off Data
Authors: Newendorp Paul D. , Menzie Donald E.
Published: December 2007

This paper discusses the results of a study that was made to determine if surface pressure fall-off data existing after a fracture treatment could be correlated to reservoir flow capacity. The theoretical aspects of pressure dissipation away from the fracture during and after the treatment are considered, and a method is proposed to calculate reservoir flow capacity from these data. This method is an adaptation of the procedure used for estimating reservoir injective capacity in water infection wells. Field data from five fracture treatments are presented, and calculated flow capacities are compared with existing knowledge of reservoir flow capacity in the particular fields. It was concluded that analysis of fracture treatment pressure fall-off data may be useful in determining reservoir flow capacity. Analysis of these data may also be helpful in evaluating the results of fracture treatments.

P. 1^
A Review of Sajaa Field Development, Sharjah, UAE
Authors: Blinten J. S. , Wahid I. A.
Published: December 2007

Sajaa Field was discovered in December, 1980 on Amoco's 100% working interest concession in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. The Sajaa Field is significant as it is both Sharjah's largest producing field and Sharjah's first gas-condensate development. This paper will review the geologic and reservoir data gathered to date and outline the field's Phase One development. The thrusted, lower Cretaceous trend on which the Sajaa Field lies has become an important play as shown by the recent Margham Field discovery in Dubai and the substantial exploration activity in the area. The development cost per barrel for gas-condensate reservoirs is high compared to onshore Middle East oil projects and a firm development plan is required. In order for Amoco to have completed it's Sajaa Phase One development in 18 months, extensive planning and close cooperation with the government of Sharjah were necessary.

The Sajaa Field is a retrograde gas-condensate reservoir found in the thrusted Lower Cretaceous Thamama limestone of east central Sharjah. It is part of the frontal thrust sheet of the Oman Mountains and was moved to its current relative structural position in Late Cretaceous time. The Thamama overlies a massive section of carbonates thought to be Jurassic to Permian in age. The upper Jurassic carbonates have been found containing both rich gas and water depending on its structural position and are considered to be part of the Sajaa Reservoir. Deeper in the Jurassic, a dry gas has been encountered. Development has been centered around the upper Jurassic and Thamama, since the Lower Jurassic dry gas is sour (5% H2S, 14% CO2, 80% CH4) with a high-water to gas ratio (150 BBL/MMSCF, 844 M3 /MMSCM).

The Thamama in Sajaa Field is a massive section of open marine shelf limestones. The average thickness of the Thamama is 2764 ft. (842 m) and is fairly uniform across the field. The limestone section is described as consisting mostly of tight wackestone to packstone with occasional thin shale beds; however, within the limestone substantial pay is found in correlatable intervals in the higher structural positions of the field. Net Thamama pay varies from 90 to 760 feet (27 to 231 m). The porosity found in the Thamama is predominately intercrystalline and a large fracture system is suspected. Several hypotheses of the diagentic history of the Thamama have been proposed, but a completely satisfactory explanation has yet to be determined. The results of the diagentic study will be of major interest for the field's future development.
Cyclic Steam Injection In The Quiriquire Field Of Venezuela
Authors: Payne R.W. , Zambrano Gabaniel
Published: December 2007

Publication Rights Reserved

For the past four years the Creole Petroleum Corporation has been actively testing the use of steam as a production stimulant in the Quiriquire Field of Eastern Venezuela. The method being tested is the so-called "huff-and-puff" method where steam is injected into the formation and the well later returned to production. This method of stimulation has been used for eight wells in the Quiriquire field. In the most successful case a well produced 60 percent more oil over a 490-day period following start of steam injection than would have been obtained had the well been produced in its normal fashion. Steam was injected for 44 days to achieve this increase in production rate. A second cycle of stimulated production was not as favorable as the first for this well.

The quantity of heat injected and the initial selection of wells for steam injection is important. in one case, a well did not produce as much oil following steaming as expected under cold conditions. Creole is planning a more extensive program of well stimulation in the Quiriquire field for application of this process.

Introduction

For the past four years, the Creole Petroleum Corporation has been actively testing the use of steam as a production stimulant in the Quiriquire Field.

The production decline has caused an aggressive program of well stimulation to be initiated. The production has declined from a maximum of 80,000 BOPD in 1951 to a minimum of 33,000 BOPD. All conventional methods of individual well stimulation have been used as well as some methods that have been developed locally. In addition to these methods, it was decided in 1959 to try heat.

The Creole Petroleum Corporation initiated the injection of steam in the Quiriquire field to observe the effect on individual well production rates.

The Quiriquire reservoir does not possess all the optimum qualities for any method of thermal stimulation. The formation is heterogeneous, the oil originally in place was considerably below 1000 barrels per acre-ft., the sands are lenticular and the producing section contains a high percentage of interlaminated shales. The one factor in favor of thermal methods is the relatively high viscosity of the oil.
Distribution And Production Of Oil And Water In Tensleep-Minnelusa Reservoirs
Authors: Aufricht W.R.
Published: December 2007

Publication Rights Reserved

This paper was prepared for the Rocky Mountain Regional Meeting to be held in Montana, June 10–11, 1965, and is considered the property of the Society of Petroleum Engineers. Permission to copy is restricted to an abstract of not more than 300 words. Illustrations may not be copied. The abstract should contain conspicuous acknowledgment of where and by whom the paper is presented. Publication elsewhere after publication in the JOURNAL OF PETROLEUM TECHNOLOGY or the SOCIETY OF PETROLEUM ENGINEERS JOURNAL is usually granted upon request to the Editor of the appropriate journal provided agreement to give proper credit is made.

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.

A discussion of the oil and water contents and the producing water cut behavior of Tensleep-Minnelusa reservoirs is given. Interpretations of rock and fluid data, logs and well performance are illustrated.

Interpretation of the basic data indicates the presence in some reservoirs of oil-water transition zones several hundred feet in thickness. The characteristics of these zones are such that they may have interstitial water saturations as low as 20 per cent of pore space and still produce with extremely high water cuts. These characteristics cause evaluation of productivity of both logs and core analyses to be extremely difficult - particularly in exploration wells where the basic data on the reservoir fluids may not be available.

Oil in place values approaching 1000 barrels per acre foot are indicated in zones which may produce at water cuts in excess of 95 per cent. Such productive intervals warrant investigation as secondary recovery prospects using thermal or other advanced techniques.

Introduction

The Pennsylvanian Age sands, particularly the Tensleep-Minnelusa members, are prolific oil producers in many areas of Wyoming and Montana. Much of this production is low gravity oil and is frequently accompanied by high water cuts. Evaluation of such reservoirs, particularly in exploration drilling has proved to be extremely difficult. Intervals which appear from core analyses and log information to be oil productive have frequently been found to produce at uneconomically high water cuts - either upon initial completion or shortly thereafter. A study of certain measured rock and fluid property information and logs has been made in an attempt to explain this performance and to arrive at better means of evaluation of the productive characteristics of this formation.
World Offshore Petroleum Resources
Authors: Weeks Lewis G.
Published: December 2007

Energy resources available to man today comprise two major classes. They are those of inorganic nature and the forms of energy that are of organic origin. Among the inorganic energy sources are those of atomic and of solar derivation. Included also is tidal energy, and the energy of geothermal (internal heat of the earth) nature. The inorganic sources of energy are unlimited as far as man's use of them is concerned. Part of the first named sources may be derivable from outer space.

The organic energy resources of our earth include the so-called "fossilfuels." Most familiar to us are the various types of coal, and the liquid, gaseous and solid petroleums. They also include substances of petroleum or petroleum-like nature, such as can be derived from oil sands, from bituminous accumulations, and from bituminous shales and limestones.

Energy of organic source has come to us from the geologic past. Through the agency of photosynthesis, the sun's heat energy was preserved originally in the (fantastically) huge volumes of plant and animal matter in the seas, and thence in the sediments. And it was similarly incorporated in the coal, most of which accumulated on the lands. The organic sources of energy, though they are vast beyond any precise estimation, are in reality relatively limited as far as man's very long future needs are concerned.

The writer's assignment is limited to an assessment of the extent of the world's offshore hydrocarbon resources, as is indicated by the title of this paper.
Waste Water Recycling in Steamflood Operations
Authors: Burton Robert
Published: December 2007

A pilot waste water recycling project was conducted at Conoco's Cat Canyon Field, Santa Barbara County, California. The project developed a process to treat the field's high silica produced water for reuse in steam generation.

The treatment of produced water was found to be more complex than conventional fresh water treatment techniques currently employed in the field. Oil, solids, and iron were each removed from the process stream before softening the water. Softening was then conducted in a two-stage process consisting of strong acid primary softeners followed by a weak acid polisher. Continuous operation of this pilot recycling plant virtually eliminated scale deposition inside a test steam generator.
Characterization of Crude Oils by Alkane Value as an Aid in the Selection of a Micellar System for a Surfactant Flood
Authors: Pushpala S. M. , Michnick M. J.
Published: December 2007

The phase behavior of microemulsion systems, consisting of a petroleum sulfonate as surfactant, 2-propanol as co-surfactant, brine, and pure alkanes or crude oils, was studied in order to develop a procedure for the characterization of a crude oil. The brine-alcohol titration method was used to obtain the lower phase boundary for the microemulsion of interest for enhanced oil recovery. From the slope of the phase boundary an EACN value was determined for the crude oil using the relationship between slope and carbon number developed by Shah et al.1 In the direct titration of the crude oil the colored constituents of the oil make it difficult to detect the presence of a second phase. However, this problem can be overcome by dilution of the crude oil with a pure alkane hydrocarbon or by using distillate fractions of the oil.
The Formulation of High-Activity and High-Viscosity Surfactant Slugs Containing Medium Molecular Weight Alcohols
Authors: Chiu Ying-Chech
Published: December 2007

Activity of most aqueous surfactant slugs for teertiary oil recovery is built up by electrolyte. This paper presents oil recovery data using an alternative method for amking an aqueous surfactant solution active. Chemical slugs with high recovery activity and high viscosity are obtained by adding alcohols of C6-C12 to petroleum sulfonate solutions. The high viscosity developed in the slug renders the addition of polymer unnecessary and improves the displacement of oil significantly. Little emulsion is produced during the core experiments.

Sandpack experiments performed under electrolyte-free conditions confirm that the activity of the solution comes from proper adjustment of the alcohol concentration. To build up activity in a sulfonate-alcohol system, there is a minimum requirement of the sulfonate concentration and a minimum requirement of the total alcohol and sulfonate in the solution. These minimum concentration requirements can be explained by the formation of large surfactant aggregates in the active regions.

The use of these medium molecular weight alcohols makes it possible to convert some petroleum sulfonates to active slugs when the addition of electrolyte is ineffective. As a result, some surfactants previously considered inapplicable in tertiary oil recovery may become usable.
Improved Water-Soluble Polymers for Enhanced Recovery of Oil
Authors: Martin F. D. , Hatch M. J. , Shepitka J. S. , Ward J. S.
Published: December 2007

Two principal types of polymers have been used extensively for enhanced recovery of crude oil: partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide (HPAM) and xanthan gum (XG). Because of its lower cost, HPAM is being used in a majority of the field projects when water-soluble polymers are applied. However, HPAM does lose viscosity in brines, particularly when divalent ions are present, and is susceptible to mechanical degradation under high shear conditions. Although many different polymer structures were evaluated in our laboratory tests, the main focus consisted of modifying the structure of HPAM and observing the effects on brine and shear stability. Testing of these analogs provided a systematic correlation of polymer structure with polymer performance so that improved compounds could be developed.

Two modified acrylamide polymers were synthesized that show improved performance when compared to HPAM. The main improvement with these modified materials is the higher viscosities generated in salty waters.

This paper presents highlights of the laboratory program and conclusions from the polymer synthesis work. Results obtained with the improved polymers are summarized and compared to commercially available products.
Precipitation/Redissolution Phenomena in Sulfonate/AICI3 Solutions
Authors: Celik M. S. , Ananthapadmanabhan K. P. , Somasundaran P.
Published: December 2007

The interaction surfactants with multivalent ions such as Ca2+, Mg2+ and Al3+ can lead to their precipitation and consequently to surfactant loss in micellar flooding systems. Investigation of the precipitation behavior of CaCl2, MgCl2/ Na-dodecylbenzenesulfonate and Na-dodecylsulfonate systems showed that the precipitation of multivalent ions occurred in certain surfactant concentration regions and the precipitate redissolved upon increasing the surfactant concentration. In this paper, the precipitation behavior of AlCl3 - Na-dodecylben-zenesulfonate/Na-dodecylsulfonate systems and their pH dependence are discussed.

AlCl3 - sylfonate systems similar to CaCl2 systems exhibited precipitation/redissolution behavior and the redissolution was found to be caused by micellar solubilization. Most interestingly, the sulfonate precipitation behavior was markedly influenced by the system pH. Results indicate that the competition among sulfonate monomers, micelles and hydroxyl ions for Al species control the system behavior. A quantitative model taking into account the hydrolysis behavior of Al has been developed for the pH dependence of precipitation/ redissolution.
Trends In Industrial Research
Authors: Holmer E.C.
Published: December 2007

Publication Rights Reserved

This paper was prepared for the 40th Annual Fall Meeting of the of the Society of Petroleum Engineers of AIME, to be held in Denver, Colo., Oct. 3–6, 1965. Permission to copy is restricted to an abstract of not more than 300 words. Illustrations may not be copied. The abstract should contain conspicuous acknowledgment of where and by whom the paper is presented. Publication elsewhere after publication in the JOURNAL OF PETROLEUM TECHNOLOGY or the SOCIETY OF PETROLEUM ENGINEERS JOURNAL is usually granted upon request to the Editor of the appropriate journal, provided agreement to give proper credit is made.

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.

Although industry performs a large majority of total United States R and D, more than half its research is financed by the Federal Government. R and D growth in industries that participate heavily in Government research contracts has been much greater than R and D growth in industries that primarily pay for their own research. Rate of R and D expansion has recently decreased sharply. This has been accompanied by a growing integration of research with the business elements of the companies. Attempts are being made to measure the value of research, and more emphasis is being placed on increasing research productivity.

Petroleum industry R and D trends have been generally consistent with those followed by other industries that largely finance their own R and D programs. Insufficient data are available to determine petroleum exploration and production research growth trends. The outstanding technological trend in exploration research is the emphasis being placed on improvement of the seismic system, particularly by conversion to digital recording and data processing. In drilling and production research, the outstanding trend involves development of new offshore technology to permit operations in increasingly deep water. The major trend in reservoir and oil recovery research is development of economic heavy oil recovery processes.

Introduction

The last two and one-half decades have represented a period of outstanding technological development. This has been the period of miracle drugs, synthetic fibers, high speed computers, the transistor, lasers, color television, jet travel, the atomic and hydrogen bombs, space satellites, and many other developments.

This has been a period when research and development of concern to the Federal Government has changed from a modest activity conducted primarily by the Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Geological Survey, and the Naval Observatory to a massive effort critical to the defense of the Nation and the Free World.
Successful ELREC Logging for Casing Proximity in an Offshore Louisiana Blowout
Authors: West C. L. , Kuckes A. F. , Ritch H. J.
Published: December 2007

The newly developed ELREC logging method was successfully used to directionally drill a relief well for blowout control at West Cameron 65. It was determined that it can detect casing in a target well at least 200′ away and can give the direction to the target casing. Accurate distance between the relief and target wells was determined using ELREC data in conjunction with multi-shot surveys from both wells.
Selecting a Surface-Controlled Subsurface Safety Valve for Deep, Hot, High-Pressure, Sour Gas Offshore Completions
Authors: Nystrom Keith O. , Morris Douglas W.
Published: December 2007

From a safety aspect, a surface-controlled subsurface safety valve (SCSSV) is installed to perform but one function - that is, in an emergency, shut in the well to prevent a catastrophic blowout. As such, producers must be assured that the safety valve installed will: 1) close, remain locked in position, and seal off pressure in an emergency, and 2) maintain its mechanical reliability in the producing environment. To gain this assurance, Exxon Company U.S.A. conducted an extensive program to select and test a surface-controlled subsurface safety valve for a 15,000 psi working pressure (WP), hot, sour, corrosive gas completion in the Gulf of Mexico.
Field Results of Adding Surfactant to Cyclic Steam Wells
Authors: Adkins J. D.
Published: December 2007

A water soluble surfactant was added during the steam cycles of four low-gravity oil producers in Conoco Inc.'s Cat Canyon Field, Santa Barbara County, California. This enhanced oil recovery process was attempted to improve the response from "huff and puff" steaming of older wells that had only been previously stimulated with steam. Three of the four wells tested responded better than previous steam-only cycles. Improvements have been demonstrated by the higher peak production rates, generally greater cumulative produced volumes, decreased initial water production periods, and shorter investment payback periods.
Numerical Simulation of Power-Law Fluid Flow in a Vertically Fractured Reservoir
Authors: Murtha J. A. , Ertekin Turgay
Published: December 2007

A finite-difference numerical simulator was written to model the flow of a slightly compressible power law fluid in a vertically fractured cylindrical reservoir. This generalizes the analytical solutions for non-Newtonian fluids in radial systems and for Newtonian flow in fractured systems. Unlike most related models, this approach uses a polar coordinate grid representation.

In its most general form, the model simulates a polymer flood in a hydraulically fractured reservoir. Various special cases reduce to classical well-testing models for either injection or production with the usual assortment of boundary conditions. The model can be used to generate some type curves to analyze the pressure transient behavior of a hydraulically fractured polymer injection well.

The highly non-linear flow equation for power law fluid flow in a fractured system can be adequately treated by numerical simulation. Representation of the fracture in polar coordinates appears to be successful. The model was extensively tested by comparing several special cases to known analytical solutions. Close agreement is found in the special cases, such as non-Newtonian radial flow and Newtonian flow in fractured systems, for which analytical solutions have been published. The generalization yields dimensionless pressure versus time curves that appear to be the natural extensions of previous results.

Polymer flooding in hydraulically fractured reservoirs is a common enhanced oil recovery technique. The non-linearity of the resulting flow equations makes analytical solutions seem unlikely. The little-used polar coordinate grid, which allows logarithmic spacing for both the well and the fracture, offers a promising means of modeling and thereby predicting ultimate performance.
Applying the Principles of Project Financing to the Independent Oil and Gas Producer
Authors: Manchester C. M.
Published: December 2007

The key difference between a traditional lending approach and a project-oriented lending approach to financing independent oil and gas producers is the stage at which the lender is willing to enter the project. A project-oriented lender must have the technical expertise to assess enhanced reservoir risks associated with financing oil and gas production prior to the minimum six months production history normally required by traditional lenders. In return for taking greater than traditionally acceptable lending risks, a project-oriented lender should receive an equity risk type of reward in addition to the usual interest rate on funds provided to finance the project. Although such a lender is knowingly accepting greater than usual reservoir risks, a careful analysis of the sponsor/operator's financial condition, a proper structuring of the loan, and exercise of good judgment about management's technical and planning capabilities, can help reduce the overall risk to the lender. This paper presents an approach to project-oriented lending to U.S. independent oil and gas producers.
Natural Gas Outlook
Authors: Edwards Bryan C.
Published: December 2007

LEFT 1, RIGHT 1

I AM PLEASED TO TAKE PART IN THIS 58TH ANNUAL TECHNICAL MEETING OF THE SOCIETY OF PETROLEUM ENGINEERS. MY ASSIGNMENT THIS AFTERNOON IS TO PROVIDE SOME PERSPECTIVE ON THE FUTURE DIRECTIONS OF THE NATURAL GAS INDUSTRY, INCLUDING THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT FUTURE MAY HOLD FOR OUR INDUSTRY'S ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS.

IN ORDER TO GAIN SOME INSIGHTS INTO WHAT LIES AHEAD, I WILL BEGIN BY LOOKING AT THE STRUCTURE OF THE U.S. NATURAL GAS INDUSTRY, AND AT SOME OF THE PAST DEVELOPMENTS THAT CONTINUE TO SHAPE OUR BUSINESS. THESE DEVELOPMENTS INCLUDE THE EVOLUTION OF REGULATION, WHICH CERTAINLY HAS BEEN INFLUENTIAL IN SHAPING THE PRESENT STATUS OF OUR INDUSTRY AS WELL AS ITS FUTURE OUTLOOK.
The Outlook for the Oil Service Industry
Authors: Shannon E. L.
Published: December 2007

When I was asked to talk to you about the outlook for the oil service industry, it seemed a pretty straightforward assignment.

But it occurred to me rather quickly that while facts are facts, what really matters is the perception of those facts. At the negotiating table, as you know, whether the facts are bad or good often depends simply on where you are sitting.

From where you sit, assuming most of you are with the oil operators, the outlook for the oil service industry should be quite gratifying. For some years to come, you are assured of competent equipment of recent vintage, operated by highly efficient crews, at bargain prices.
Another Comeback for Uranium
Authors: Boyden T. A.
Published: December 2007

The uranium market has been unstable since private industry entered the nuclear power generating business in the early 1960s. Uranium supply has always exceeded demand throughout the Free World. In 1982, production was 106 million pounds U308 and accumulated inventory totaled over 400 million pounds; consumption was only 63 million pounds. Recent inventory selling, production cutbacks and producers buying from consumers, have led to decreasing prices and further market instability.

It now appears that the market is beginning to change to a more stable situation. Current forecasts indicate that Free World demand will double by 1996, led by Europe and the US. Annual production will average about 100 million pounds during the same period. A closer balance between supply and demand should allow market prices to improve between now and 1990.

The situation in the US is more complex. Consumption will increase to 35 million pounds through the 1990s while annual production is expected to decrease to about 12 million pounds, (down from a 1980 high of almost 44 million pounds) before higher prices allow a recovery to an annual production level of about 16 million pounds. The balance of US consumption will be met with imports and inventory drawdowns. Higher prices in the latter part of the decade will support a number of new solution mining projects, and allow the development of high-grade ore deposits by conventional methods. The US producer industry will survive, but will be secondary to those in Canada, South Africa and probably Australia.
Improving Fracturing Design Through the Use of an On-Site Computer System
Authors: Cooper G. D. , Nelson S. G. , Schopper M. D.
Published: December 2007

In 1979, methods were established for analyzing formation properties before a hydraulic stimulation (prefracturing test) and for interpreting fracturing pressure behavior during treatment (slope analysis). These methods were used as a basis in writing software for an on-site computer system. Since 1980, this system has been used for prefracturing test analyses (in the form of step rate, flow-back, and pressure decline tests) and for monitoring hydraulic fracturing treatments (in the form of real-time graphics of surface parameters and downhole pressures). This information was then applied to improving quality control and job design.
New Tools Improve the Economics of Coring
Authors: Filshtinsky Michael , Aumann J. T. , Quinn Joel
Published: December 2007

Recent studies indicate that the overall cost of coring is influenced more by higher rig costs, due to additional trip time and slower penetration rates, than by charges made by the coring companies for their tools and services (Fig. 1). Because of this, a major R&D effort was initiated to develop tools to reduce those costs. In this paper three new tools are reviewed with emphasis on design, operational requirements and limitations, and field results.
Pressure Coring—An Oilfield Tool
Authors: Hyland C. R.
Published: December 2007

Pressure coring is rapidly becoming an accepted reservoir engineering tool. As high cost projects and increasingly more stringent industry economics demand more accurate data for decision making, pressure coring has become a new tool in the reservoir engineers evaluation arsenal. Complimenting, not replacing, traditional evaluation methods, pressure coring has developed into a field proven and increasingly reliable tool.
Laboratory Measurement of Dielectric Constant Near 20 MHz
Authors: Mazzagatti R. P. , Dowling D. J. , Sims J. C. , Bussian A. E. , Simpson R. S.
Published: December 2007

A laboratory measurement system for determining the dielectric constant and resistivity of reservoir rocks is described. The system is composed of a computer–controlled RF analyzer and a capacitive sample holder, which operates in the frequency range from 2 MHz to 100 MHz. The sample is held at room temperature and pressure. Data is presented for carbonate rocks saturated with brine having resistivity ranging from near saturation to 5 Ωm.

The results presented provide a means for interpreting dielectric log data by determining water–filled porosity from the dielectric constant and resistivity, which are derived from the tool data. This interpretation scheme will require additional data to account for temperature effects and to match variations in water-filled porosity to specific formations.
Effects of Stress Sensitive Permeability and Fracture Fluid Leakoff on Transient Well Tests of Fractured Gas Wells
Authors: Brockenbrough J. R. , Culham W. E.
Published: December 2007

The influence of two mechanisms of permeability alteration and their effect on transient well test response are investigated. First, formation permeability reduction with increasing overburden stress in low permeability gas reservoirs is examined. It is found that analysis using conventional gas pseudo pressure can lead to substantial error in fracture length estimates. A permeability dependent pseudo pressure function is defined which improves parameter estimation in stress sensitive formations. Second, the effect of near-fracture liquid accumulation resulting from fracture fluid leak-off on transient well test response in a low permeability gas reservoir is investigated. It is shown that the effect of liquid accumulation resulting from leak-off is to create a skin around the fracture which reduces the permeability of the formation to gas. This skin can obscure well test interpretation on a log of pressure versus log of time graph but data can still be analyzed with the appropriate pressure versus power time graphs.
Effects of Invasion on the Compensated Neutron Log (CNL) in Gas and Liquid-Filled Formations
Authors: Ullo J. , Chiaramonte J.
Published: December 2007

It is well known that the large CNL sensitivity to the presence of gas in a rock formation is reduced by the existence of borehole fluid invasion. There is little precise knowledge about bow invasion influences the porosity indication of the CNL tool, and only limited information can be obtained experimentally. Using mathematical models of the CNL tool based on multidimensional radiation transport techniques, the tool response for many varied environmental conditions has been successfully modeled. These models have been used recently to predict tool responses when borehole fluid invasion is present. The results of this study are discussed in this paper.
Accelerated Field Facility Development for Hot Sour Gas
Authors: Kuntz L. K.
Published: December 2007

This paper presents the chronological plan by which a grass roots sweetening facility was constructed in a minimum amount of time. The facility design was based on production with 9% carbon dioxide and 40 ppm hydrogen sulfide. Flowing wellhead temperatures were predicted to be approximately 300°F with flowing well head pressures to 11,500 psi.

The production facility, with a current total nominal capacity of 100 MMcf/D, was installed as five separate parallel sweetening units. The units were put on-stream In phases in order to maintain a sweetening capacity schedule compatible with wells being put on production. The first units were available for service in three months. All five units were complete in nine months, and a permanent facility installation was commissioned three months later.

The process design, equipment procurement, and installation phases of the project were pursued concurrently. Three different sweetening systems were operated during the facility development. A conventional DEA (diethanolamine) system was used because of its simple operation. Conversions were made to a proprietary MDEA (methyldiethanolamine) system in order to increase capacity. A proprietary activated MDEA was tested and operated in order to determine sweetening system selection for future facility capacity and for other applications.

Included is a discussion of the project development procedure and key considerations that led to minimal development time. General comparisons are made concerning the performance of several sweetening systems.
Fitting Research Goals To Long Range Corporate Plans
Authors: Reeve Paul G.
Published: December 2007

Publication Rights Reserved

This paper was 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. Permission to copy is restricted to an abstract of not more than 30 words. Illustrations may not be copied. The abstract should contain conspicuous acknowledgment of where and by whom the paper is presented. Publication elsewhere after publication in the JOURNAL OF PETROLEUM TECHNOLOGY or the SOCIETY OF PETROLEUM ENGINEERS JOURNAL is usually granted upon requested to the Editor of the appropriate journal, provided agreement to give proper credit is made.

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

The preparation of long range corporate plans is an important management function which of necessity must start with top management. Once long range goals of the company have been established all parts of the organization can more effectively plan and execute their work. Research program plans have been used by most organizations for many years, but the product of the research effort cannot always be utilized if it does not fit into the needs of the company. To make the results of research of greater benefit, the Research Managers must fully understand and appreciate corporate objectives and prepare plans that contribute most to the attainment of the corporate plan. It is especially important that the applied research programs be aimed at the company's long range needs.

Introduction

The act of planning is one of the functions in which each of us engages. Our plans cover a wide scope and variety of interests, from purely personal matters to those relating to our business and professional activities. Although industrial managers have long made use of plans to guide their businesses it has been only in recent years that the corporate planning function has been given formal recognition and relied on as a means of helping companies to operate more efficiently. Managers as a group find it difficult to prepare written plans because by nature they are "doer's" and not planners. In many large corporations, corporate planning staffs have been established to coordinate and guide the planning activities. In other companies the planning function may not have been formalized to this degree but provisions have been made for all segments of the organization to participate in planning thereby enabling them to work in a unified manner toward company goals and objectives. Regardless of the provisions which are made within a given company to carry out the planning function, it must be clearly kept in mind that the responsibility for planning starts with top management and its effectiveness depends upon the attention which management at all levels gives to making plans for their specific functions.
Effect of Fracturing Fluid pH on Formation Permeability
Authors: Coulter A. W. , Frick E. K. , Samuelson M. L.
Published: December 2007

Recent studies show that only minimal formation permeability damage is induced by fracturing fluids with pH ranging from 4.7 to 11.5. The studies also indicate that optimum fluid pH range is seven to nine, where no appreciable damage occurs. It was felt these studies were merited because of the opposing views of the effect of treating fluid pH on the permeability of clay-bearing formations. Fluid pH is important in fracturing operations where it may vary from 4 to 10, depending on the system used. With crosslinked systems in particular, the pH greatly influences the stability of the fluid.

The studies reported in this paper undertook closer examination of midrange pH by both permeability measurements and examination with the scanning electron microscope (SEM). Laboratory studies were conducted with Berea sandstone as well as typical formation cores. Since both high and low pH treating fluids have been used successfully, the explanation presented here seems appropriate.
Dynamic Fluid Loss of Fracturing Fluids
Authors: Gulbis Janet
Published: December 2007

The relationship between rheology and fluid loss and the effects of shear history, temperature, cross-linker and fluid-loss additive on fluid loss of hydroxypropyl guar gels are discussed. Tests were performed under dynamic conditions using an apparatus which incorporates in-line mixing of crosslinked fluids, so that fluids whose fluid-loss properties are measured have rheological characteristics similar to those generated under field mixing conditions.
Brent Field 3-D Reservoir Simulation
Authors: Tollas J. M. , Sayers J. R.
Published: December 2007

The Brent Field, with two separate reservoirs being developed simultaneously by common facilities and with variable PVT fluid properties and rich condensate gas caps, presents many challenges to the reservoir engineer. This paper describes 3-D simulation studies of the whole field which have confirmed the basic plan for a pressure maintenance development by water injection.
Afterflow Measurement and Deconvolution in Well Test Analysis
Authors: Stewart George , Wittmann M. J. , Meunier Denis
Published: December 2007

The introduction of new production logging devices which simultaneously measure and record bottom-hole flow and pressure allows improved identification of reservoir parameters from well test analysis. In particular the detection of sandface flow resulting from the location of the logging tool just above the formation top means that the actual mechanics of wellbore storage phenomena can be excluded from consideration. In the case of pressure buildup or falloff tests the afterflow is directly measured and the amount of information available for interpretation at early time is essentially doubled in comparison to the situation where only pressure is recorded and flow is deduced from a simplified model based on a constant wellbore storage coefficient. The monitoring device continuously transmits the instantaneous pressure, p(t), and sandface flowrate, q(t), throughout the test and methods of well test analysis for a general, known rate schedule are considered. For the purposes of deconvolution the measured rate schedule, q(t), is replaced by a piecewise linear approximation comprising a series of pulses in which flow is a linear function of time. The convolution integral has an analytical solution for this case which shows that, for radial flow, a plot of p(t)/q(t) versus a modified logarithmic time function is a straight line of slope μ/(4πkh) with an intercept which is dependent on the skin factor. Simultaneous pressure and flow data taken during the afterflow period can therefore be analysed in terms of kh and S using a semilog plot in a manner analogous to the constant rate case; this gives much greater precision than type curve analysis of pressure data alone.

The deconvolution method is based on homogeneous, radial flow theory and its performance when applied to simultaneous, transient pressure and flow data from heterogeneous systems is considered. It is shown that in the case of drawdown in which the rate schedule is monatonic the variable-rate semilog plot based on homogeneous deconvolution exhibits the same characteristics as the constant-rate semilog plot. This is demonstrated for two types of heterogeneity - the single sealing fault and a dual porosity or layered system. Thus in the drawdown case, analysis methods based on constant-rate theory can be employed on the generalised variable-rate semilog plot to define heterogeneity parameters such as the distance to a fault. Buildup tests should be analysed using drawdown theory on the basis of the pressure difference pws - pwfex. The elimination of the influence of afterflow means that any deviation from the initial semilog straight line is better defined.
A Technique To Evaluate Deviated Wells With Standard Logging Tools
Authors: Escaron P. C.
Published: December 2007

A new technique to log highly deviated wells with standard logging tools has been developed. The logging tool is carried at the end of the drillpipe inside a protective sleeve. The logging cable is pumped to the head of the tool where mechanical and electrical connections are made with a special wet makeup connector. The logging tool is extended in the open hole by a rigid stinger and retrieved by the logging cable. Logging takes place during the retrieval. This paper describes the new technique and the special equipment required.
Application of Electromagnetic Propagation Logging in the Permian Basin of West Texas
Authors: Eck M. E. , Powell D. E.
Published: December 2007

A method has recently been developed for evaluating the Delaware Mountain group of west Texas by using electromagnetic propagation, photoelectric effect, and neutron-density measurements.

The Delaware Mountain group is a series of sand-shale sequences deposited in the Delaware basin of west Texas and southeastern New Mexico during the Guadalupian Age. For a variety of reasons, conventional interpretation methods based on resistivity measurements have not always been definitive in these formations for distinguishing between oil and water. An interpretation technique using electromagnetic propagation data, specifically porosity derived by comparing electromagnetic propagation measurements to porosity from neutron-density logs, has been used with considerable success in identifying traditional pay zones and locating new pay zones in the Bell Canyon and Cherry Canyon formations of the Delaware Mountain group.
Oil Content in Produced Brine on 10 Production Platforms
Authors: Jackson G. F. , Humes E. E.
Published: December 2007

Selected results of a survey of oil contents in brine discharges from 10 offshore Louisiana oil production platforms are presented. Tests identified significant differences in oil content, soluble oil, and efficiency of oil separation from brine at different platforms. Differences were also noted in the performance of gravity separators and flotation units.
Cogeneration Experience in Steam EOR Applications
Authors: Sigworth H. W. , Horman B. W. , Knowles C. W.
Published: December 2007

Three cogeneration plants, totaling 24 megawatts of electric power output and 750 million Btu/h of steam generation, have been placed in service in Chevron enhanced oil recovery operations in Kern County, California. Two of the plants, each with 10 MW of electricity generation capacity, use conventional gas turbines with supplementary-fired waste heat recovery steam generators. The third plant, with 4 MW of electricity generation, uses a steam topping turbine to extract power from steam as it expands from high steam generator output pressures down to lower steam injection well pressures.

The two gas turbine plants have proven to be reliable, flexible and economic. The topping turbine operation and economics are still being proven.
Maximize Revenue by Analyzing Crude Oil Treating Parameters
Authors: Heiman M. S. , Pellegrino V. L. , Pantermuehl L. A. , Crane T. L.
Published: December 2007

In the past the Chemshare Design 2000 program has been utilized to model gas processing plant streams. This paper describes how the Chemshare Design 2000 program may be used to maximize lease revenues by modeling a crude oil treating system and presents a technique of recombining an ASTM Distillation and a gas sample to arrive at the original composition of the inlet oil stream for use with the Chemshare Program. Next the treating facility operations are evaluated in order to maximize revenues which depending on the crude could mean an increase or decrease in the treating temperatures and pressures. For a lease producing 21,000 BOPD the losses can easily surpass $2.0 MM per year due to oil shrinkage and gravity differential.