Improved Recovery Week articles from November 1998

Improved Recovery Week archives from November 1998

DOE-funded ASP flood in southern Oklahoma oil field benefits independent producers in Mid-Continent area.(Dept of Energy; alkaline-sulfactant-polymer)
November 30, 1998... An Energy Dept.-funded alkaline-surfactant-polymer (ASP) field project in Oklahoma has shown signs of success, and should result in commercial and technical benefits for Mid-Continent producers, particularly independents. The field...

Swap in offing for Aera, Texaco in San Joaquin Basin; Belridge, Kern River largest of holdings.(Aera Energy LLC; Texaco Exploration and Production Inc)
November 30, 1998... A big producing properties trade is brewing in California's San Joaquin Basin. According to published reports, Aera Energy LLC, California's largest producer, it is talking with Texaco E&P Inc., the second-largest, about a possible trade...

Despite this year's downturn, 1997 U.S. drilling costs were highest in decade, says joint survey.(American Petroleum Institute survey)
November 30, 1998... Even though the U.S. drilling record for most of 1998 has been nothing short of dismal, it comes as no surprise that "turning to the right" last year was more than sensational. And the statistics prove it. According to the 1997 Joint...

3-5 year Hugoton Basin study of now underway; Kansas Geological Survey data expected soon.
November 30, 1998... The Kansas Geological Survey (KGS) has initiated a three- to five-year comprehensive study of the oil and gas resources of the area surrounding the Hugoton Basin area. The study will be accomplished with the aid of producers, royalty...

Norwegian operators to take lion's share of '99 subsea facilities placement, says report.
November 30, 1998... A new report says producers in the Norwegian Sea and Norway's sector of the North Sea will spend nearly US$5 billion on subsea equipment in 1999. The report, prepared by Norland Consultants of Norway, says the Norwegian offshore area...

Gas injection, WAG among IOR techniques working to elevate Norway's OCS oil production, says NPD.(water-alterinating-gas; International Offshore Rules; outer continental shelf; Norway Oil Directorate)
November 23, 1998... The use of gas injection has seen a substantial increase in fields on Norway's continental shelf, says the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD), and it should continue to increase in the future. The NPD, based in Stavanger, says total...

Mobil, Shell still 'go' on oil sands projects; parent company cutbacks won't affect them.(Mobil Oil Canada Ltd.; Shell Canada Ltd.)
November 23, 1998... Despite low worldwide oil prices and capital budget slashing by even the largest of the major oil giants, representatives of companies involved in two of Western Canada's biggest oil sands mining/upgrading proposals continue to say all things...

British government promotes public-private task force to develop oil production cost reductions.
November 23, 1998... The British government plans to launch a new initiative toward cutting oil production costs in the North Sea and elsewhere on the U.K. continental shelf. British Energy Minister John Battle and Trade Secretary Peter Mandelson announced...

U.S. heavy oil, tar sands industry said miniscule compared with Canada; Alaskan fields show promise.
November 16, 1998... Although heavy oil recovery is a mature industry in the U.S., it is subject to a number of challenges, says Edward J. Hanzlik of Texaco Inc.'s E&P technology department. Hanzlik, a plenary session speaker at the recent 7th UNITAR...

Tennessee producer sets 65 gas, oil wells in what it says may be North America's largest new field.(Tengasco Inc.)
November 16, 1998... A Tennessee-based company says once its development of an oil and gas field in the Eastern Overthrust Belt is complete, it could become the largest newly found field in North America. Knoxville-based Tengasco Inc. said last week it had...

Narrowing price differential heartens BlackRock; says oil sands SAGD pilot exceeding expectations.(BlackRock Ventures Inc.; steam-assisted gravity drainage)
November 16, 1998... Recent narrowing of the heavy/light oil price differential in Canada, coupled with reduced diluent costs, bodes well for future expansion of steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) activity by BlackRock Ventures Inc. at its pilot project near...

Portable thermal gas repressurization test hikes flow 500% in Oklahoma; Kansas field next in line.(contract between U.S. Crude Ltd. and Thermal Gas Production Ltd. in gas field production)
November 9, 1998... A more than 500% production increase from 10-12 wells in Osage County, OK, using its portable thermal recovery technology has prompted U.S. Crude Ltd. to acquire a 33-well producing property in Kansas for the same purpose. U.S. Crude,...

1999 Canadian drilling forecasts see modest downturn; gas exploration the key, say experts.
November 9, 1998... Canadian drilling in 1999 is going to be down modestly from the last few "boom" years, say experts. Oilfield service companies operating in Canada predict next year's Canadian drilling activity will be 6% below that of 1998, and both...

Sonic pulsing tool removes scale, other plug sources in many types of wells, says company.(Fluidic Technologies Inc.'s Sonic Hammer)
November 9, 1998... Pumping high-energy fluid pulses into either open-hole or cased wellbores with a tool that emits low-frequency oscillation seems to be "hammering" away scale, mud and initial perforation damage in many types of wells. Fluidic...

Chesapeake ups third-quarter production with oil property slowdown, heavy gas prospect development.(Chesapeake Energy Corp.'s earnings in 1998)
November 9, 1998... The sustained low oil price situation has caused most U.S. producers to shelve much of their rank oil well exploration/development for gas - the fuel with the better outlook. Nowhere is this more evident than with one of the country's...

Shell oil sands pilot extraction gets underway; sulfur emissions snag arises at upgrader hearing. (Shell Canada Ltd.'s bitumen-extraction experimental project in Alberta, Canada, doing well since 1998 3rd qtr but another oil sand project threatened by regulations)
November 2, 1998... Pilot bitumen extraction of 300 b/d at Shell Canada Ltd.'s Muskeg River oil sands mine site in Alberta began during the third quarter, and the company says the synthetic oil so far meets its upgrading specifications. But the future of the...

BP/Shell shoot second phase of Foinaven 4-D survey; better reservoir management is goal.
November 2, 1998... They waited until last week to announce it, but BP Exploration, Shell Expro and Schlumberger's Geco-Prakla said they shot the second phase of the Foinaven field 4-D seismic project west of Shetland a couple of months ago. This, says...

Taciuk processor arrives at Stuart oil shale project; stage I pilot flow to hit 4,500 b/d.
November 2, 1998... The Alberta Taciuk Processor (ATP) to be used in the first stage of the Stuart oil shale joint venture in Queensland, Australia, recently arrived at the plant site near Gladstone, says Suncor Energy Australia Pty. Ltd. Suncor Australia, a...

Latest DOE cost-shared research aimed at so-called 'unrecoverable' oil in marginal reservoirs.
November 2, 1998... With great regularity, the Energy Dept. continues to announce winners in IOR research competitions under which shared-funding mechanisms are allowing private industry and educational institutions to develop new technology. This past week,...