The Design of a Modern Steamflood in a Thick, Dipping, Heavy Oil Reservoir

Abstract

ABSTRACT Mobil has completed the design phase of a steamflood project in a thick, moderately dipping, unconsolidated heavy oil reservoir. The design takes advantage of the gravity drainage recovery mechanism in the thick reservoir, allowing vertical steam zone expansion with minimal steam breakthrough. This steamflood project is economic in the late 1980's period of low oil prices. The design was completed with an interdisciplinary teamwork approach using concurrent studies for expediency. BACKGROUND During 1987, Mobil undertook a scoping study of its U.S. heavy oil producing properties, looking for areas of high potential for the 1990's. Several successful cyclic steam operations were identified as having potential that could be exploited using modern steamflood technology. The scoping study showed that the subject project had a reserve potential on the order of tens of millions of barrels of oil. The study documented here was undertaken to better determine the potential of this project.