bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Kettleman Hills Middle Dome Unit Plan
Authors: Jensen Joseph 
Published: June 2014

When the legal holders of Government permits in the Middle dome of KettlemanHills entered into an agreement on May 27, 1929, to suspend all drillingactivities on five permits, covering portions of the Kettleman Hills Middledome, until Jan. 1, 1931, and the owners of fee lands contiguous theretoassured Secretary Ray Lyman Wilbur, of the Department of the Interior, thatthey too would respect a drilling suspension for a period of a little more than19 months, none of these interested parties realized that this was the firststep in a chain of events that would culminate, more than four years later, inthe formation of the Middle Dome Corporation for the development of the Middledome area in a unit plan that would be the first unit plan to be approved bythe California Regional Producers Committee and recommended to the President asa satisfactory unit plan, under Section 7 of Article III of the Oil Code, approved Aug. 17, 1933. Neither did they realize that more than two milliondollars would be spent before oil or gas would be successfully and continuouslyproduced from wells drilled on that Middle dome area. On Oct. 1, 1933, underthe terms of the Middle Dome Agreement, the Middle Dome Corporation assumescontrol of activities and is responsible for the division of all productsproduced from the Middle dome area to members of the Middle DomeCorporation.
This Middle dome plan is the second successful unit plan developed inCalifornia in the past three years, the first being the Kettleman North DomeAssociation,! formed under the agreement of Jan. 31, 1931, for the unifiedoperation and development of more than 12,000 acres of land on the North domeof the Kettleman Hills. All other unit plans discussed in the past four yearsin the state have not yet been completed, for one reason or another, but underSection 7 of Article III of the new Oil Code numerous plans of development, some of which may be unit plans, will be forthcoming within the next fewmonths.
Influence of Well Diameter upon the Pressure Gradient and Rate of Flow of Oil through the Reservoir Rock in the Vicinity of a High-pressure Flowing Well
Authors: Uren L.C. , Domerco J. , Mejia J. 
Published: June 2014

That the diameter of a well through the oil-producing formation has animportant influence on its rate of production is a principle accepted by manypetroleum technologists. Knowledge of this principle extends back at least tothe time when Slichter and King confirmed it in a study of the dynamics of flowof water through porous strata into wells. More recently, the senior author andhis associates have produced qualitative experimental data confirming theprinciple as applied to drainage of expanding oil and gas mixtures, andsuggesting that wells of large diameter, or wells having cavities about themwithin the reservoir rock, enjoy a material advantage in competition with wellsof ordinary diameter. Apparently, however, no one has produced experimentaldata designed to indicate quantitatively the advantages that wells of largediameter possess in comparison with wells of normal diameter producing undercomparable conditions. This paper reviews some preliminary experimental resultsof this kind, together with some conclusions and speculations based thereon, which further emphasize the importance of well diameter as a factor indetermining the efficiency of oil recovery.

Theoretical Aspects of Radial Flow of Fluids into Wells
It is well understood that in a reservoir rock of uniform thickness andpermeability oil and gas flow toward the wells along radial lines. Thecross-section of the reservoir rock through which the fluids must move becomesever smaller as the wall of the well is approached.
Some Economic Aspects of Gas-solubility Investigations
Authors: Morris Alexander B. 
Published: June 2014

Studies such as the investigations into the solubility of gases in crude oilunder various conditions, which have been carried on during the past three orfour years, are very interesting from an academic point of view, but thisconsideration alone is hardly sufficient to warrant the large contributionsfrom the industry necessary to maintain them. Some definite benefit to theindustry as a whole should be forthcoming. The purpose of this paper is todirect the attention of company engineers, and company executives, to some ofthe ways in which the information gained from these studies can be madedirectly profitable.
This work has two principal economic aspects. One affects the investmentbudget, and through it the financial requirements of the companies. The otheraffects operations, and through this course is reflected in current earnings.It will be shown that, as a direct result of the investigations into gassolubility, undertaken in the recent past by various investigators, it is nowpossible:To determine more accurately the amount of reservoir oil originallypresent.To obtain closer control on operating conditions, to effect more economicalrecovery.To predict earlier and more dependably when and how much surface liftingequipment will be needed.To reduce, or entirely avoid the very large investment in gasoline recoveryequipment now frequently found necessary.To control the gravity of the pipe-line oil so as to secure the greatestpossible revenue from the products of the well.To effect the recovery of a large amount of gasoline now wasted while thepracticability of a gasoline recovery system is being decided.To plan operations, by comparison with the history of old propertiesoperated without this new information, so as to avoid the mistakes of ignorancemade in the past.
These points will be discussed in the following pages, though not necessarilyin the order stated.
Fundamental Operating Pressures in Oil-gas Reservoirs
Authors: Stephenson Eugene A. 
Published: June 2014

In November, 1932, Dr. Lacey, of the California Institute of Technology, presented before the American Petroleum Institute some of the results of hisresearch under Project 371? The investigations described dealt particularlywith changes in the physical properties of petroleum that result from thesolution of natural gas therein.
The solubility of Santa Fe Springs dry gas, containing 87 per cent methane, 8per cent ethane and 5 per cent propane, had been determined in various crudesat 100? F., and 2000 lb. pressure per square inch as shown in.Table 1 and Fig.1 herewith. Originally the computations were made in terms of cubic feet perbarrel, but for a more uniform basis of comparison the results are also shownas cubic feet of gas per cubic foot of oil.
Variations in Reservoir Pressure in the East Texas Field
Authors: Schilthuis Ralph J. , Hurst William 
Published: June 2014

The nature of the forces that are important in producing the oil in the EastTexas field and the manner in which these forces are affected by the rate ofproduction have always been problems of outstanding interest. These questionsare of great interest to the industry as a whole on account of the economicimportance of the East Texas field and to the engineers in particular onaccount of the unique character and behavior of the field. Subsurface pressuredata throughout the field have been collected systematically, so that a quitecomplete history of the reservoir pressures has been kept as the field has beendeveloped and produced.
Subsurface samples of the oil and gas have been taken and these have beenexamined to obtain data on the physical properties of the reservoir fluidsunder the actual conditions of temperature and pressure. All of these data havebeen valuable because they have afforded the basis for a careful study of the means by which the oilis produced. It is the purpose of this discussion first to point out several ofthe important facts revealed by the data mentioned and then to describe studiesthat have been made concerning the interpretation of these facts.

Reservoir Pressure Data and Properties of Oil
The reservoir pressure data on the East Texas field have shown conclusivelythat the pressures are readily affected by changes in the rate at which thefield is produced. This can well be seen in Fig. 1, where the average reservoirpressures obtained from time to time are plotted with the daily productionrates and the cumulative production of the field. It is noted that the averagereservoir pressure has declined irregularly, depending upon the rate ofproduction, from the estimated original value of 1625 lb. per sq. in. to thevalue of 1228 lb. per sq. in. observed for Aug. 11, 1934. The decline inpressure has been more rapid at the higher rates of production than at thelower rates. In contrast, the average reservoir pressure has increased, onseveral occasions, upon reduction of the withdrawal rate from a high value to alower value.
Active Oil and Reservoir Energy
Authors: Schilthuis Ralph J. 
Published: June 2014

In 1929, Coleman, Wilde, and Moore undertook an investigation of thetheoretical decline in reservoir pressure as related to the production of oiland gas. The most important part of this work was presented in an equationdefining the relationship between the reservoir pressure, the quantities of oiland gas produced the oil and gas content of the reservoir, and the propertiesof the reservoir fluids. With this equation, it appeared that, with sufficientdata, it would be possible to calculate the oil content of the reservoir andpredict quantitatively the effect of gas-oil ratio on the decline of reservoirpressure. Needless to say, such an expression would be highly important inevaluating fields and in arriving at a choice of production methods to beused.
Unfortunately, at the time these investigators published their work, there werenot sufficient data available to permit application of the equation. Thetechnique of measuring reservoir pressures had not been developed, gasmeasurements were uncommon, oil and water production records were in most casesinadequate, and little was known of the properties of the complex hydrocarbonmixtures making up the oil and gas in the reservoirs. For these reasons, littleadditional work of a similar nature could be done. However, during the pastfour years many data have been systematically accumulated on reservoirpressures and the properties of oil and gas, and it is now possible to usethese data in furthering the studies on the behavior of oil and gasreservoirs.
It is the purpose here: first, to present the derivation of a modified form ofthe equation given by Coleman, Wilde and Moore, which will permit thecalculation of what later will be defined as the "active oil" contentof a reservoir; second, to derive formulas for calculating the reservoir-energychanges that occur during the course of production, and finally, to discuss thelimitations and application of the equations developed.
Experiments on the Vertical Flow of Gas-liquid Mixtures in Glass Pipes
Authors: Gosline J.E. 
Published: June 2014

In any theory of a hydrodynamic nature dealing with the vertical flow ofgas-liquid mixtures in pipes, the two factors that present the greatestdifficulty are the relative motion between the phases and the energy lossresulting from turbulence work. The former has generally been referred to inthe literature as "slippage" and the latter as "friction." Athird factor of importance is the nature of admixture between liquid and gasfor both the relative motion between the phases as well as the turbulence workare functions of the type of mixture.
Although much work of a general nature has been performed on the vertical flowproblem, there have been very few attempts made to study experimentally thefactors involved in the phenomenon individually. Of these, perhaps the mostnotable is the work of Moore and Wilde on slippage.
Some writers on the subject have assumed that over a wide range of operatingconditions the controlling type of mixture is one in which gas bubbles ofuniform size are distributed throughout the liquid, and that the data obtainedfrom experiments on the motion of single bubbles through various liquids may beused in evaluating the slippage. Versluys has further assumed anothercontrolling type of mixture in which the liquid occurs as a dispersed phasewithin the gas and applies data on the fall of drops of water in air tocalculating the relative velocity.
It was for the purpose of studying the applicability of data on single bubblemotion to the slippage factor and to further observe the nature of mixturesthat a research program was conducted at the University of California during1932 and 1933.
Structure of Clay Gels
Authors: Lewis W.K. , Thompson W.I. 
Published: June 2014

The authors presented an article last year on colloidal properties of claysuspensions in which they attempted to sustain the position that the behaviorof clay suspensions is due primarily to the mechanical interference of theplaty particles, the nature and extent of the interference being profoundlyinfluenced by the character of the surfaces of the particles, which in turn isdetermined primarily by the nature and amount of adsorbed foreign materialsheld on the surface of the particles by forces which are predominantly chemicalin type. The following discussion is a continuation of that article to extendthese same interpretative points of view to the behavior of clay gels. Insightinto the mechanism of gelation is certainly of outstanding importance in thehandling of drilling muds.
In the former article it was suggested that the thin, flat plates thatconstitute the ultimate clay particles may build up aggregates by theoverlapping of the ultimate plates face to face much longer and perhaps alsomuch wider than the ultimate plates themselves, but not appreciably thicker.Exhaustive microscopic examinations of characteristic clays show no tendencyfor the larger particles, clearly visible under the microscope, to orientthemselves in this way. It is true that the gelation of the clays is dueprimarily to the smallest particles, unresolvable other than by theultramicroscope, so that the possibility of the development by them of anoverlapping structure is not excluded. Furthermore, as one approaches the limitof resolving power of the microscope, the difficulty of observing accuratelythe shapes and relative positions of particles increases excessively. However, in the absence of any observable tendency toward overlapping orientation of thelarge, visible particles, one hesitates to ascribe such a tendency to thesmaller particles beyond the range of visibility. Should it develop that onemust exclude the assumption of overlapping orientation, the explanationsoffered in the previous article are changed in only one respect; namely, onewould now have to assume that the ultimate particles themselves have length, and probably also width, very large in comparison with their thickness.
An Investigation of Experimental Methods of Determining Sucker-rod Loads
Authors: Kemler Emory 
Published: June 2014

The problem of determining the most desirable operating conditions of anoil-well pumping unit, the selection of the proper material and size of suckerrods, and the design of the pumping unit, requires that the sucker-rod loads beknown with a reasonable degree of accuracy. In production practice, it is alsodesirable to know the effects of operating speeds and strokes on a plungermotion, as well as on the rod loads.
For a particular well, data on rod loads can be obtained by measuring the loadin sucker rods with a dynamometer. This method is not satisfactory because itdoes not permit the various factors to be investigated independently. It isalso impossible to measure the plunger motion simultaneously with rod motionunder operating conditions. The mathematical solution is impractical because ofthe simplifications that have to be made to get a solution and the tremendousamount of numerical work that is necessary after such a simplified solution hasbeen attained. This paper shows how analogies and models can be applied to thesolution of these problems.
The loads set up in a sucker-rod string during the ordinary pumping cycle aremade up of the weight of the rods, force required to accelerate the rods, weight of the oil and force required to accelerate the oil on the upstroke, rodfriction, stuffing-box friction, plunger friction, friction of the oil in thetubing and rods, and friction loss through the valves. The problem ofdetermining the sucker-rod load is further complicated by the fact that thelong oil column and the sucker-rod column act as springs, which affect thetransmission of the polished-rod motion. A further complication is the factthat the motion cannot be transmitted at a speed greater than that of thevelocity of sound in the material, and this means that there will be a time lagin the transmission in the motion, as well as a modification of its magnitudeand a phase displacement.
Laboratory Investigations on Acid Treatment of Oil Sands
Authors: Plummer F.B. , Newcome R.B. 
Published: June 2014

The practice of introducing acid into oil wells to increase production ofoil and gas has been in use since 1894, when it was first used in thePennsylvania oil fields. It is only since 1928 that it has been used to anyextent in the Mid-Continent. The process has proved successful in increasingproduction, at least temporarily, in depleted oil fields where the producingformation is highly calcareous and where water drive is not too pronounced. Inthe Zwolle field in Louisiana, where the producing horizon is a chalk, increases of 100 per cent have been recorded In north-central Texas, where theoil is produced from the Marble Falls limestone, equally pronounced increaseshave resulted. The production also in some fields yielding oil from quartz sandcemented with calcite has been benefited. The evidence of actual increase intotal recovery of oil, however, has been questioned by some engineers. It hasbeen pointed out that the results of the treatment of a well in a new district, where the process has never been tried out, can never be predicted withcertainty, since other factors besides percentage of calcareous content of theoil sand playa large part in determining the success of the method.
Numerous articles have been published on acid treatment and on the effects ofacid on limestone, yet very little has been written concerning experimentalwork on the actual effect of acid on capillary pores and larger oil-coatedvoids of oil sands. This is due partly to difficulties in duplicating fieldconditions in a laboratory and partly to the fact that the process has beencarried out largely by contracting companies that have been unwilling topublish details of their results for fear of loss of business to competitors.The authors, using equipment developed to measure the radial permeability ofoil-sand cores, have developed a method of investigating the results of acidtreatment which has enabled them to test numerous cores and to study in somedetail the action of acid on the different types of rocks, particularlyfine-grained rocks.
Plug-back Cementing Methods
Authors: Parsons C.P. 
Published: June 2014

During the past year considerable interest has been shown in cementingoperations for shutting off bottom water, whip stocking, etc. A number ofplug-back methods have been used, with various adaptations for specialconditions, but those described in this paper are representative of the methodsnow in use.

Conditioning the Well
Various preliminary operations for improving the results from plugbackoperations have been evolved. In one method, a nitroglycerin shot is dischargedat the upper portion of the formation to be plugged off, the purpose being tomake a wide place in the hole in order to give the cement a more secure anchoragainst thrust pressure of the water against the bottom of the cement plugafter the well is again put on production. Another is intended to attain asimilar result by under-reaming a wide place in the hole by means of a rotarywall scraper. In one well in which this device was used there was a water sandat the bottom of the well immediately below the cap rock above which the oilsand occurred. Before the plugging back operation, the water sand wasunderreamed in an attempt to get a square shoulder on the underside of the caprock, in order to prevent the water from breaking in over the top of the cementplug after the well should be put on production, and also to get a more secureanchor for the cement plug against the thrust pressure of the water againstit.
As an aid in calculating the amount of cement required to fill a given amountof hole to be plugged back, a device has been developed for measuring andrecording the irregularities and cavities in open holes, called an "open-hole recording caliper." It consists of a steel shell, 5 in. indiameter, which encloses a recording mechanism that receives impressions fromfour movable arms that make sliding contact with the wall of the hole. The armsoperate a ratchet, which raises and lowers a recording stylus against a chart.Each arm registers its own radius. The device is run into a well on a steelmeasuring line.
Influence of Production Practices on Gravity of Produced Oil
Authors: Boyd Robert R. 
Published: June 2014

The gravity discussed here is that of the clean oil produced. Gravities offluids containing water, free or in the form of emulsion, sand, drilling mud ormineral salts of a no bituminous nature do not represent the gravity of crudeoil as considered in this paper.
During recent years it has become a frequent occurrence for operators to becalled upon to explain to landowners the reasons for variations in gravity onshipments of oil from wells in which they are interested as royalty owners. Inregard to single well leases it has been noted that marked changes in gravityfrequently have occurred for no apparent reason. Data collected on the subjectand correlated with production methods reveal interesting facts. It is thepurpose of this paper to present some of the highlights on the subject.
These gravity changes in the natural crude oil are with a few exceptions theresult of the liberation under varying conditions of the volatile hydrocarbonsfrom the natural oil-gas solution contained within the pool. The subject of theliberation of gases from natural oil-gas solution has been investigated by BenE. Lindsly, of the U. S. Bureau of Mines, and the observations recorded hereare in the main consistent with his conclusions.
Investigators have recognized two methods of liberation of gas from solutionflash and differential. In the latter method the vapors are removed from theliquid as rapidly as formed and have no opportunity to come to a condition ofequilibrium with the oil. In flash liberation an equilibrium condition betweenthe oil and the gas exists at the pressure of separation. Mr. Lindsly has foundthat the method of liberating the gas from the oil has a pronounced effect onthe final gravity and that differential liberation results in a higher A.P.I.gravity due to the higher ratio of gasoline producing hydrocarbons left in theoil.
Under actual production practices with high velocities in flow strings, it isour contention that conditions of perfect equilibrium between gas and the oilrarely exist, and that gas separation is made under varying conditions, sometimes approaching that of equilibrium and at other times departing fromit.