99-09_ptd_contents_TEST.html (Sep-1999)

Welcome to the inaugural issue of Petroleum Technology Digest, a joint effort by World Oil and the Petroleum Technology Transfer Council (PTTC) to provide independent producers with field-proven solutions to their technical problems. In this publication, the editors and PTTC staff present several recent case studies of exploration, drilling and production techniques that have been tested successfully in oil and gas fields within the U.S.

These case studies have been solicited and developed by the PTTC. No specific application of products or services is endorsed by PTTC. Reasonable steps are taken to ensure the reliability of sources for information that PTTC disseminates; individuals and institutions are solely responsible for the consequences of its use.

The not-for-profit Petroleum Technology Transfer Council was formed by the U.S. oil and natural gas industry in 1994 to accelerate the dissemination of technology to independent exploration and producing companies, and to communicate industry’s needs to the R&D community. PTTC is funded primarily by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Fossil Energy, through the National Petroleum Technology Office and Federal Energy Technology Center, with additional funding from universities, state geological surveys, several state governments and industry donations.

Case studies sought for future issues of this publication.
Contact PTTC’s national office for details at http://www.pttc.org.

Vertical and horizontal redrills tap bypassed reserves
Production was increased by 850 bopd in a section of the offshore California Carpinteria field held by Pacific Offshore Operators Inc. Zones that had not been adequately drained by existing wellbores were accessed through a vertical-horizontal redrill program.

Waterflood strategy evolves from improved 3-D flow unit characterization
A high-resolution, 3-D data set, combined with 3-D visualization tools, led Yates Petroleum to a new waterflooding strategy — design an individual waterflood for each identified major flow unit.

Polymer gels improve waterflood sweep efficiency and oil recovery
Polymer gel treatments in injection wells correct water channeling problems, recovering 15,000 to 25,000 bbl of incremental oil to date.

Waterflood in Kansas field should boost recovery by five million bbl
Engineered waterflooding — based on integrated reservoir characterization and modeling work — has proven to be profitable in Stewart (Morrow) field in western Kansas.

CT-deployed dewatering system installs quickly in gas wells
A new coiled-tubing-deployed electric submersible pump system addresses liquid loading in shallow gas wells and is up to 50% faster to install than conventional pumping systems.

Using alkaline-surfactant-polymer floods as an alternative to waterfloods
An alkaline-surfactant-polymer (ASP) flood in Cambridge Minnelusa field at the end of primary production increased ultimate oil recovery to 60.9% of original oil-in-place from the swept area.

New additive provides inexpensive solution to well and facility cleanup
Field performance tests have confirmed that a process to render most hydrocarbons non-hazardous can provide a fast, safe and economical way to remediate "typical" spills and leaks.

How to reduce electrical power costs without sacrificing production rate
By installing timers and pumping during off-peak hours, Equinox Oil reduced electrical power consumption in Illinois’ South Albion field by 25%.

Microbial process cuts cost of injection water treatment in half
Overall water treating costs in a portion of Wilmington Oil field in California were reduced by 50%, without sacrificing protection.