Improved Recovery Week articles from May 1998

Improved Recovery Week archives from May 1998

Horizontals seen as solution to ANWR's multi-reservoirs; industry member downplays DOI's chilly drilling outlook. (Arctic National Wildlife Refuge; Department of Interior)
May 25, 1998... U.S. Geological Survey study finding oil reserves in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge as much more plentiful than first thought - but concentrated in many small reservoirs - may not be bad news for the industry. The USGS report was...

Shell targets Kansas' Morrow, other mature formations as potential CO2 flood candidates. (Morrow, Arbuckle and Lansing-Kansas City fields in Kansas and Oklahoma)
May 25, 1998... Mature oil reservoirs in the Mid-Continent region, particularly Morrow, Arbuckle and Lansing-Kansas City fields in Oklahoma and Kansas, are considered potentially fertile ground for the application of carbon dioxide flooding. In the Oklahoma...

PDVSA to tender bids on $575 million compression plant in Monagas; 1.2 bcf/d injection rate planned. (Petroleos de Venezuela)
May 25, 1998... In the latest phase of its High-Pressure Gas Injection Project (PIGAP) to improve light to medium-gravity crude production in eastern Venezuela, Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) is planning construction of a new natural gas compression plant....

Total scores big with offshore E-R wells drilled from land in Argentina; latest flows 17,300 b/d. (Total Compagnie Francaise des Petroles S.A.; extended-reach drilling)
May 25, 1998... The French oil company Total continues to score with extended-reach drilling to develop thin offshore oil reservoirs from Tierra del Fuego on the Argentine coast. The company, as operator for the Consortium Cuenca Marina Austral, recently...

DOE asks National Petroleum Council to update 1992 natural gas study; seeks new supply totals. (Department of Energy)
May 25, 1998... With the Clinton administration's emphasis on natural gas as the fossil fuel of choice in the next century, outgoing Energy Secretary Federico Pena has asked the National Petroleum Council to revisit its 1992 study on gas, particularly from the...

Scimitar signs PSA for Egyptian heavy oil project; to back-up new horizontal wells with steamflooding. (Scimitar Hydrocarbons Corp.; Petroleum Services Agreement)
May 18, 1998... Calgary-based Scimitar Hydrocarbons Corp. recently signed a Petroleum Service Agreement (PSA) with the Egyptian state off company and this year plans to drill at least two of a total of four horizontal wells to develop the Issaran (Asran) heavy...

Alaska coalgas drilling has 'encouraging' results.
May 18, 1998... One of Alaska's first coalbed methane projects looks like a success with its operator, Growth Resources, reporting that all three wells drilled recently had multiple gas shows from coal seams. Growth Resources, a small Australian company, is...

Utah to gain control of large chunk of leases from feds; Ferron coalgas play will benefit.
May 18, 1998... Transfer of 58,000 acres in Utah's Ferron coalbed methane play from federal to state control should come as welcome news to producers. "It's reasonable to believe that the Ferron play will go substantially faster under the state vs. federal...

New inclination sensor has 0.5 accuracy, says company. (Sperry-Sun Drilling Services)
May 18, 1998... A new directional drilling control sensor introduced by Sperry-Sun Drilling Services helps drill build section in horizontal wells, then helps maintain the lateral at a given true vertical depth, the company says. The instrument, the ABI[R]...

LWT tool gets European patent; drill collars conduct the logs. (Logging-While-Tripping)
May 18, 1998... A new well-logging technology, "Logging-While-Tripping" (LWT) has been given a European patent. The system, developed in Western Canada by LWT Western Inc., Calgary, Alta., is now owned by Sator Capital Inc., also of Calgary. The LWT...

Amoco ponders use of refitted Gulf of Mexico platforms in N. Sea; could save 73% on costs.
May 18, 1998... Studies by engineers working for Amoco U.K. have shown that massive savings could be made in North Sea project costs by importing redundant offshore platforms from the Gulf of Mexico. The findings could reduce significantly the future...

'Refocused' drilling, fewer rigs in Austin Chalk to offset big 1st-qtr. loss, says Chesapeake. (Chesapeake Energy Corp.)
May 18, 1998... Though Chesapeake Energy Corp. says it has largely reduced its presence in the Austin Chalk Trend, and that Chalk reserves now account for only 18% of its estimated proved reserve base, it believes a re-focused drilling program on the Louisiana...

Alaskan production decline officially over, says ARCO. (Atlantic Richfield Co.)
May 18, 1998... Mike Bowlin, chairman and CEO of Los Angeles-based Atlantic Richfield Co. says that what once was referred to as a production "decline" in Alaska is no longer a valid term, thanks in part to improved oil recovery technology. "You can quit...

EuroGas mulls rejuvenation of Ukraine's largest field.
May 18, 1998... EuroGas Inc. said last week it signed a letter of intent with Ukrnafta, one of the largest producers in Eastern Europe, for joint development of the Dolina oil field in Western Ukraine. With headquarters in New York City and administrative...

90% asset overlap cited as top attractor charm behind ARCO's acquisition of Union Texas. (Atlantic Richfield Co.)
May 18, 1998... Acquisition of Houston-based Union Texas Petroleum Corp. by Atlantic Richfield Co. - if the sale passes the usual regulatory exam and all figures jibe - Will add some 119,000 boe/d to ARCO's production volumes, boosting its total to 1.08...

3-D seismic said renewing transition zone allure but rig, crew shortages delay full development. (offshore drilling)
May 18, 1998... A return of drilling barges to the so-called "transition zone" between open water and hard ground should be a simple feat. After all, producers cut their offshore drilling "teeth" in the marshes and inland lakes and bays along the...

AOSIS reports on IOR, heavy oil. (Alberta Dept. of Energy, Oil Sands Information Services)
May 18, 1998... The Alberta Dept. of Energy, Oil Sands Information Services (AOSIS) makes the following oil sands/heavy oil/IOR technical reports and papers available to interested parties. For copies, call AOSIS in Calgary at 403-297-3631 (fax: 403-297-3638)....

IOR patent. (L.G. Jones of Mobil Oil Corp.)
May 18, 1998... L.G. Jones of Mobil Oil Corp. has patented a method and a well tool for gravel packing an interval within a wellbore which provides (a) a good distribution of gravel across the interval, and (b) good packing of the perforations within the...

Sharon finals deal to drill old gas storage field; estimates up to 6 bcf could be left in reservoir. (Sharon Energy Ltd.'s oil field rehabilitation program in Illinois)
May 11, 1998... Englewood, Colo.-based Sharon Energy Ltd. has embarked on an oil field rehabilitation program in Illinois that will also tap natural gas from an abandoned storage facility beneath the same property. And considering what the company has paid...

'Pay-for-data deal signed by Shell for N. Sea fields; to buy downhole information monthly. (Shell Exploration and Production Ltd.; North Sea fields)
May 11, 1998... Shell Expro has struck a novel deal with the Aberdeen-based John Wood Group, introducing a new concept in the acquisition of reservoir performance data in U.K. offshore fields. Instead of Shell paying at the outset of a project for gauges...

IPAA members call for more offshore leasing, permanent roll for MMS as offshore regulator. (Independent Petroleum Association of America; Mineral Management Service)
May 11, 1998... Independent producers are dramatically increasing their presence in the domestic offshore arena, and their leading industry group wants more consideration from government of their efforts. At a briefing during last week's Offshore Technology...

Petrobras sets fast-track subsea development of prolific new oil field at 6,059' water depth. (Petroleo Brasileiro S.A.)
May 11, 1998... The ongoing subsea completions of wells at record water depths in the Marlim South field off Brazil is serving as a field-scale laboratory for bringing a new field on stream in even deeper water, says Petrobras, the country's state oil company....

Aker enters global marine seismic market with vessel conversion; cites data use for entire reservoir life. (Aker Maritime)
May 4, 1998... Aker Maritime, Norway's largest offshore contracting group, plans to make its debut in the global seismic market by summer 1999 offering the services of a converted vessel. The company said entering the worldwide seismic market stems from...

Pelican Lake heavy oil activity sparks Amber Energy progress, 100 more horizontals set.
May 4, 1998... All heavy oil news from Western Canada is not bad. Take Amber Energy Inc.'s tidings, for instance. Amber officials recently said the first quarter of 1998 was the most active period in the company's history. For starters, Amber completed...

UPR announces drilling cuts, gives details on de-leveraging program; $600 million goal set. (Union Pacific Resources Group Inc.)
May 4, 1998... In order to digest its $2.6 billion acquisition of Norcen Energy Resources Ltd., Fort Worth, Texas-based Union Pacific Resources Group Inc. (UPR) plans to combine cutting both debt and spending during the second quarter, say company officials....