Canal Field Gas Injection Project

Abstract

Abstract For the history of the performance of the Canal field gas injection project reference is made to two publications. In the present paper a critical examination has been made of the pressure measurements and of the pressure-volume-temperature data for the reservoir fluid. Material balance calculations were employed to determine the oil in place, the size of the oil reservoir, the size of the aquifer, the amount of water inflow, and the migration of hydrocarbons within the reservoir. The effectiveness of the gas-injection program is discussed. Introduction The gas injection project in the Canal field, San Joaquin Valley, Calif., has now a history of 14 years. The performance was discussed in a paper presented by R. P. Mangold before the Pacific Coast District API meeting in Los Angeles, April 11, 1946. This paper was not published, but the pertinent data have been recapitulated by Muskat. In July, 1952, the Bureau of Mines published their Report of Investigations No. 4886 in which an excellent review of the history up to that time is presented, and the reader is referred to that publication. In the present paper a short resume of the history is shown in Figs. 1 through 4. In the last paragraph of the Bureau of Mines' publication reference is made to the gas injection in Well E-11. The additional information on this localized injection now available is presented in the next section. The remainder of the present paper will deal with the technical methods used in a detailed analysis of the various aspects of this project. A Localized Injection Experiment Wells A47-14, E-11, and E-14 are located on the southern flank of the field. In the 24 months preceding April, 1948, E-11 flowed 7,541 bbl of oil at an average rate of 12 B/D.