Field verification of CO{sub 2} foam. Final report

Abstract

The East Vacuum Grayburg/San Andres Unit (EVGSAU), operated by Phillips Petroleum Company, was the site selected for a comprehensive evaluation of the use of foam for improving the effectiveness of a CO{sub 2} flood. This project, entitled ``Field Verification of CO{sub 2}-Foam,`` was jointly funded by the EVGSAU working interest owners, the US Department of Energy (DOE), and the State of New Mexico. The DOE provided $2 million or approximately 34% of the total project costs, the EVGSAU provided $2.46 million, the State of New Mexico contributed approximately $1.2 million, and about $103,000 of other industrial funds were used. The Petroleum Recovery Research Center (PRRC), a division of the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, provided laboratory and research support for the project. A joint project advisory team composed of technical representatives from several major oil companies provided input, review, and guidance for the project. The project, which began in 1989, had a scheduled duration of four years, but the DOE granted a no-cost extension to the end of March 1995 for the purpose of continued project evaluation. A field test of the CO{sub 2}-foam has been successfully conducted, and preliminary results are promising. Response in the foam injection well has been as anticipated, and an offset producing well experienced a positive oil response as a result of the foam test. Based on the favorable results observed in the foam injection test, a second foam test was conducted. The monitoring program included analysis of injectivity data, pressure falloff tests, observation well logs, interwell tracer response, production logs, history of production rates, and changes in gas-oil ratio. This report presents an overview of the project and provides results of the laboratory work, simulation studies, and field tests.