Review of Thermal Recovery Methods Applied to California Reservoirs: ABSTRACT

Abstract

The number of thermal recovery projects in California has had a spectacular increase during the last year. Current emphasis is on the work, but this does not seem to be the ultimate answer for the majority of California reservoirs. Steam and in situ combustion appear to hold the greatest promise for thermal recovery in low-gravity California oil sandstones. With steam, there is the soak and the flood, whereas with in situ combustion, there are forward and reverse burning techniques. To date most steam work has utilized the soak technique and all commercial in situ combustion work has utilized the forward burn. For the most part, a single thermal recovery technique has been used on a sandstone or reservoir. It now appears that more sophisticated approaches should be used, with the object of combining the best of several techniques. This will allow benefiting from the unique advantages of each technique. Good detailed geology is very important to the future success of thermal projects. Too often in the past this has been overlooked. The future success of California thermal projects will necessitate the close cooperation between the geologist, the engineer, and the field operating personnel. This paper will review the advantages and limitations of steam and in situ combustion processes. End_of_Article - Last_Page 1084------------