Improved Recovery Week articles from February 1992

Improved Recovery Week archives from February 1992

Drillers poised for Bayou State horizontal action. (a lot of activity expected in eastern Louisiana as chalk beds east of Sabine River present excellent potential for use of horizontal drilling/completion technology)
February 17, 1992... If activity is any indicator, expect producers to sign a lot of AFEs for what looks to be a horizontal drilling flurry in eastern Louisiana. The reason? The steady march eastward in pursuit of the Upper Cretaceous Austin Chalk from the...

Henry field work set. (Washington Energy Resources Co. wins state approval for gas reinjection recovery project in southwest Wyoming's Henry field)
February 17, 1992... A team led by Washington Energy Resources Co. won state approval last week for a gas reinjection recovery project in Southwest Wyoming's Henry field. Developers expect the venture to yield an additional 7 million barrels of oil, condensate...

U.K.'s first coalgas well nears spud date. (spring of 1992 set for beginning of United Kingdom's first coalbed methane drilling program)
February 17, 1992... The first coalbed methane drilling program in the United Kingdom is to begin this spring. The first well, to be spudded any day now in Clwyd in Northern Wales, is to be completed in April by Evergreen Resources Ltd., the U.K. subsidiary of...

China plans IOR activities. (Chinese Petroleum Corp., China's state oil agency, plans invitation of foreign companies for exploration and improved oil recovery projects)
February 17, 1992... The state oil agency for the People's Republic of China, China Petroleum Corp., expects to invite foreign companies to consider work in the nation's mature provinces. Exploration and IOR projects would be on the agenda. Incremental oil...

UPRC '91 Chalk production up. (Union Pacific Resources Co. nearly doubles oil and gas production from Austin Chalk horizontal program in southwest Texas in 1991)
February 17, 1992... Union Pacific Resources Co.'s production of oil and gas from the Austin Chalk horizontal drilling program in Southwest Texas nearly doubled last year. The company, based in Forth Worth, Texas, said 1991 production from Chalk horizontal...

Tight sands spur reserves hike. (Enron Oil and Gas co. reports replacement of 146% of annual natural gas equivalent production during 1991 citing company's emphasis on tight gas formation areas)
February 17, 1992... Enron Oil & Gas Co., Houston, said last week it replaced 146% of its annual natural gas equivalent production from all sources during 1991. And it recorded a 6% growth in total proved reserves -- from 1.6 tcf in 1990 to 1.71 tcf last year....

Stripper royalty break still expected. (Interior Department's Bureau of Land Management postpones action on reduction of federal royalty rates for stripper wells on federal lands planned to take effect on January 1, 1992; delay due to complaints from western states)
February 17, 1992... More than a month after it was expected to take effect, a reduction of federal royalty rates on some 15,000 stripper wells on federal lands is delayed, but still possible. The Interior Dept.'s Bureau of Land Management announced late last...

Unocal to test horizontal. (Unocal Corp. plans horizontal hole near South Belridge field in California's San Joaquin Valley employing technology used in development of Point Pedernales field in federal offshore waters of California's Santa Maria Basin)
February 17, 1992... Unocal will try to prove up new production near the South Belridge field in California's San Joaquin Valley with the technology that played a key role in development of the company's Point Pedernales field in federal offshore waters. The...

San Joaquin properties offered. (Nahama and Weagant Energy Co. in Bakersfield, California offers oil-producing properties in San Joaquin Basin for sale)
February 17, 1992... Nahama & Weagant Energy Co., a Bakersfield, Calif., independent, is putting its oil-producing properties in the San Joaquin Basin up for sale. The properties include the 120-acre Brogdon lease in the McKittrick field, where nine wells last...

Suncor sets '91 record. (Suncor Inc. makes 1991 record with 60,000 b/d from oil sands production plant in northern Alberta, Canada)
February 17, 1992... Suncor Inc.'s oil sands production plant in Northern Alberta produced an average 60,000 b/d in 1991, a record. A year earlier, the plant averaged 52,000 b/d, which was the previous record. The plant contributed C$48 million to Suncor's...

'Improved' recovery: its time has come. (Arlie Scov, 1991 president of Society of Petroleum Engineers and senior consultant to BP Exploration Inc. champions use of IOR as official term and encourages its adoption by federal government)
February 17, 1992... Though it's already commonly used in the petroleum industry, the term "improved oil and gas recovery" seems to fall on some deaf ears, particularly when it comes to the federal government. The term refers to any drilling and/or production...

Senate avoids action on AMT. (Senate agrees to amendment on alternative minimum tax, then sends it to Finance Committee for review)
February 17, 1992... An election-conscious Senate has made a classic legislative pirouette: It appeared to take action on a proposal to change the alternative minimum tax, while taking no action. As the lawmakers grappled with yet another debate about a...

D.B. Bartholic and W.J. Reagan of Engelhard Corp. (patent process for upgrading tar sand bitumen; Canadian Patent No. 1,289,496)
February 17, 1992... D.B. Bartholic and W.J. Reagan of Engelhard Corp. have patented a process for upgrading tar sand bitumen. High temperature and short contact time permit vaporization of the high hydrogen-containing components of a tar sand bitumen concentrate...

M.W. Wyganowski of Alberta Energy Co. Ltd., Amoco Canada. (patents method of reducing reactivity of steam and condensate mixtures in improved oil recovery, U.S. Patent No. 5,036,915)
February 17, 1992... M.W. Wyganowski of Alberta Energy Co. Ltd., Amoco Canada, has patented a method of reducing the reactivity of steam and condensate mixtures in IOR. The method involves injecting or adding ammonia and/or an ammonia salt of an organic or...

A.S. MacKay and T.N. Nasr of the Alberta Oil Sands Technology and Research Authority. (receive patent for recovery of bitumen or heavy oil in situ by injection of hot water, low quality steam plus caustic, and carbon dioxide; U.S. Patent No. 5,056,596)
February 17, 1992... A.S. MacKay and T.N. Nasr of the Alberta Oil Sands Technology and Research Authority have received a patent for recovery of bitumen or heavy oil in situ by injection of hot water, of low quality steam plus caustic, and carbon dioxide. Their...

Cliffs well, others presage Louisiana lease play. (Cliffs Drilling Co.'s well; prospects for productive horizontal wells looks good in Louisiana; second of two-part report)
February 24, 1992... Cliffs well, others presage Louisiana lease play Highly touted Louisiana horizontal completions, such as Cliffs Drilling Co.'s Roy O. Martin Jr. "A" No. 1, are attracting smaller independents. But latecomers may be surprised: Once...

Cable TV: it's everywhere. (use of high-temperature, high-pressure video camera allows peek in downhole)
February 24, 1992... Cable TV: It's everywhere... Anxious to really see what's going on downhole? Drop a high-temperature, high-pressure video camera into the well and throw a bag of Pop Secret into the microwave. Houston's Atlas Wireline Services recently...

Wolf Lake sold to Amoco Canada. (oil-bearing tract in Northeastern Alberta; Amoco Canada Petroleum Company Ltd.)
February 24, 1992... Wolf Lake sold to Amoco Canada Canadian heavy oil producers are watching two new developments with interest. The first occurred Feb. 17 when BP Canada Inc. and partner Petro-Canada announced they have sold the Wolf Lake heavy oil sands...

Stuntz to fill in for Moore. (Linda Stuntz, DOE's policy affairs chief, has been appointed acting deputy energy secretary, replacing Henson Moore until the position is permanently filled)
February 24, 1992... Stuntz to fill in for Moore Linda Stuntz, DOE's policy affairs chief, has been appointed acting deputy energy secretary, replacing Henson Moore until the position is permanently filled. Moore last month was appointed deputy chief of...

Mobil to expand steamflood. (Mobil Oil Corp. in northern portion of California's Lost Hills field)
February 24, 1992... Mobil to expand steamflood Mobil Oil Corp. plans to expand a steamflood in the northern portion of California's Lost Hills field to include the 80-acre Lost Hills C property, acquired recently from Arco Oil & Gas Inc. The project calls...

Rockies gas atlas upcoming. (New Mexico Bureau of Mines and Minerals, under an agreement with the Gas Research Institute, is developing an atlas of major Rocky Mountain gas reservoirs)
February 24, 1992... Rockies gas atlas upcoming The New Mexico Bureau of Mines and Minerals is developing an atlas of major Rocky Mountain gas reservoirs. The atlas will characterize and analyze the deliverability of natural gas reservoirs in New Mexico,...

Aussie shale yields too much oil. (tests on a shale oil deposit in Queensland, Australia, have revealed an unexpected problem with oil yield exceeding capabilities of existing retorting processes)
February 24, 1992... Aussie shale yields too much oil Tests on a shale oil deposit in Queensland, Australia, have turned up an unexpected problem: The oil yield is too high for existing retorting processes. Esperance Minerals NL and Greenvale Mining NL,...

Pact marks oil shale venture. (Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Amoco Corp., Chevron Shale Oil Co., and Conoco Shale Oil Co. have joined in an agreement to form the Shale Oil Semiworks Joint Venture to conduct research in advancing alternative fuels technology based on shale oils)
February 24, 1992... Pact marks oil shale venture The U.S. government is moving ahead with a three-year research effort that unites three major U.S. oil companies with the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in developing advanced shale technologies. ...

Horizontal ups sand access. (new well drilled by Claude-Beau Canada Petroleum Ltd. with horizontal section to improve productivity in oil field near Three Hills, Alberta)
February 24, 1992... Horizontal ups sand access To improve productivity from the Rundle "A" pool near Three Hills, Alberta, Canada, Claude-Beau Canada Petroleum Ltd., Calgary, has drilled a new well with a horizontal section of more than 3,710'. The...

Tax credit drives Taurus drilling. (Taurus Exploration Inc.)
February 24, 1992... Tax credit drives Taurus drilling Energen Corp. says it is redirecting its drilling efforts from Michigan's Devonian Antrim shale to tax credit-driven development on proven acreage. But Energen, based in Birmingham, Ala., also says it...

Okla. group publishes '91 oil statistics. (Oklahoma Independent Petroleum Association)
February 24, 1992... Okla. group publishes '91 oil statistics Oklahoma oil production last year totaled 108 million barrels -- about what Saudi Arabia produces in two weeks and the U.S. consumes in 36 hours. The number comes from the Oklahoma Independent...

Louisiana horizontals move offshore. (oil wells)
February 24, 1992... Louisiana horizontals move offshore Horizontal drilling in Louisiana is not limited to onshore locations. In fact, the technology appears to be a viable process for application offshore. Texaco USA Inc. drilled the first offshore...