Abstract

Abstract Fluvial deltaic reservoirs contain a significant portion of the known world oil resources. Due to the sinuous na-ture of the sands, it is difficult to implement improved oil recovery projects in these reservoirs. The case study described in this paper is the demonstration of a well-planned water flood in a classic fluvial deltaic system, and consists of geologic characterization and reservoir simulation. The Monument Butte Unit, located in the Uinta Basin, Utah, has 22 operating wells; eight injectors and the rest producers. The oil from the unit is highly paraffinic and is produced primarily from two sands. In primary recovery, the reservoir performance was typical of an undersaturated reservoir whose initial pressure was close to the bubble point pressure. The Unit had produced about 5% of the oil in place at the end of primary production and was producing at a rate of 40 STB/day, when the water flood was initiated. The water flood design was novel and was engineered contrary to convention. The response to the water flood was extraordinary and the unit has been producing at more than 300 STB/day for the past two years. About 10% of OOIP has been recovered to date. Every aspect of the field history was matched well by the reservoir simulator.

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