Definitive CO2 Flooding Response in the SACROC Unit

Abstract

Abstract A substantial increase in oil production resulting from CO2 flooding has been clearly identified in two multi-pattern areas of the SACROC Unit. Analysis of the two areas permitted the identification of oil response to CO2 injection with greater accuracy than has previously been possible at SACROC. The areas include the 600 acre [2.43 × 10 (6) m2] Four Pattern Area (4PA) and the 2700 acre [10.93 × 10 (6) m2) Seventeen Pattern Area (17PA). Located in the Kelly-Snyder Field of Scurry County, Texas, the 50,000 acre [202.3 × 10 (6) m2] SACROC Unit is the world's largest CO2 miscible flooding project. The 4PA encompasses 24 wells arranged in four contiguous inverted 9-spot injection patterns. The area has been on pattern waterflood since 1972 and was at a 95 percent producing water cut when CO2 water-alternating-gas (WAG) injection was commenced in June 1981. An approximate 30% hydrocarbon pore volume (HPV) of CO2 was injected over a 5-year period at WAG ratios ranging from two to eight. CO2 injection ceased in May 1986 and the area has been on continuous water injection since that time. Incremental oil recovery attributable to CO2 injection is estimated currently to be at least 9% of the original oil in place (OOIP). This represents an estimated cumulative CO2 utilization of 9.5 Mft3 per barrel of incremental oil [1692 m3/m3]. Also on pattern waterflood since the early seventies, the Seventeen Pattern Area has exhibited an approximate 5% OOIP recovery after injecting 17% cumulative HPV CO2. CO2-WAG flooding in the 17PA began in May 1981. Currently, the cumulative CO2 utilization is estimated to be 9.7 Mft3 per barrel of incremental oil [1728 m3/m3]. This paper examines the methods used to determine CO2 mobilized oil response, describes how the effects of workovers and other "normal" field operations were accounted for, and evaluates the influence of activities in patterns adjacent to the study areas. Introduction A substantial increase in oil production resulting from CO2 flooding has been clearly identified in two multi-pattern areas of the SACROC Unit. The intent of this paper is to document that response. CO2 performance reported herein is that which has been observed under "normal" field conditions and operations. SACROC DESCRIPTION AND EARLY PROJECT PERFORMANCE The SACROC Unit has been the subject of a great many papers dealing with the reservoir description, the CO2 displacement process, CO2 transmission, performance of the CO2 project, and many other topics. The history provided below, therefore, is only a synopsis. Early History of the Kelly-Snyder Field Discovered in 1948, the Kelly-Snyder Field is located in Scurry County, Texas (Fig. 1). The discovery well, Standard of Texas Brown 2-#1, was drilled to 6,700 feet [2042 m], 9 miles [14.5 km] northwest of Snyder, Texas. The well flowed 530 bbl/D [84.3 m3/d] from the Canyon Reef formation. Further development drilling proved up an area encompassing some 84,000 acres [340 × 10 (6) m2]. To date this discovery represents one of the last billion-plus barrel reservoirs to be found within the continental U.S.A. Pertinent reservoir data and properties are summarized in Table 1. P. 27^