Improved Recovery Week articles from July 1997

Improved Recovery Week archives from July 1997

Lower in cost, gas-to-liquids technology may pose threat to worldwide LNG industry, says WoodMac. (liquified natural gas; Wood Mackenzie Consultants Ltd)
July 14, 1997... Methods for converting natural gas from the wellhead directly into liquid products is advancing rapidly, prompting predictions that it could soon prove as economic as investment in refining and liquefied natural gas. The threat which...

All dressed up, few places to go: producers showing little interest in new high-power motor/bit system. (Maurer Engineering Inc's new downhole motor/bit system)
July 21, 1997... The "buzz" on a new high-power, slim-bodied downhole motor/bit system being tested by a Houston-based engineering firm is that it can boost ROP by 50%-100% compared with conventional downhole motors. But even with that kind of penetration...

Statoil targets 70% recovery at Statfjord field; 'smart' wells, multi-laterals, etc. will be used. (oil field in North Sea; Norway)
July 21, 1997... A target of 70% recovery of oil in place has been set by Norway's Statoil for the giant Statfjord field, the largest discovery in the North Sea, which has been in production since 1979. So far, the field has produced about 3.4 billion bbls....

Canadian company finals Chinese onshore horizontal sidetracks; flow hiked by 210 b/d. (Silk Energy Corp)
July 21, 1997... Calgary-based Silk Energy Corp. recently completed the first two successful onshore horizontal sidetrack re-entry wells in the Peoples' Republic of China, and incremental production is high. Production from the first sidetrack has stabilized at...

Amoco sells Black Warrior coalbed methane properties to Taurus Exploration; 260+ wells. (Amoco Corp; Black Warrior Basin; Taurus Exploration Inc)
July 21, 1997... As part of its recently announced divestiture program, Amoco Corp. has agreed to sell its coalbed methane properties in the Black Warrior Basin to Taurus Exploration Inc., a unit of Energen Corp. of Birmingham, Ala. The $72 million deal covers...

PanCanadian completes CS Resources buyout; unveils more details on Weyburn CO2 flood. (PanCanadian Petroleum Ltd)
July 21, 1997... In a startlingly brief period, Calgary-based PanCanadian Petroleum Ltd. has launched itself in a major way into both tertiary recovery of conventional off and primary/secondary recovery of heavy oil in Western Canada. As part of that major...

Lowering oil viscosity with microbes results in IOR, says company; paraffin is 'tastiest' dish for the bugs. (processes for improved oil recovery; Microbes Inc)
July 28, 1997... Injection of microbes into producing wells is today regularly improving recovery of off around the world simply by reducing its viscosity, says a Midland, Texas-based company. Microbes, Inc. has field-test reports that show average production...

Texaco hopes to solve heavy oil flow problems with a unique hydraulic multi-phase pump. (Texaco Inc)
July 28, 1997... Texaco U.K. Ltd. plans later this year to install the world's first hydraulic downhole pump handling multi-phase flow in a well in the North Sea's Captain field, where initial flow of heavy oil has been below target. The pump - developed by...

Third-time charm: Phillips Group to go ahead on Eldfisk waterflood; WAG injection also planned.
July 28, 1997... The Phillips Group is going ahead with a $500 million waterflood of the Eldrisk field in the Norwegian Sector of the North Sea. The nine-company consortium, with Phillips Petroleum Co. (Norway) as operator, had considered waterflooding the...

Gulf Canada Resources to commission pilot oil sands plant next month; to produce 2,000 b/d.
July 28, 1997... Another major Canadian company - Gulf Canada Resources Ltd. - is gearing up to take another nm at the oil sands business in Western Canada. Gulf last week said commissioning of its C$25 million pilot oil sands extraction/upgrading plant at...

Nuevo chief touts horizontal, vertical multiple completions in bid to hike reserve replacement. (Nuevo Energy Co)
July 28, 1997... Horizontal and multiple-completion vertical wells drilled in the San Joaquin Valley heavy oil province of California have been instrumental in helping Houston-based Nuevo Energy Co. predict a 200% production replacement rate by the end of this...