A Multi-Well ASP Pilot in San Francisco: Design, Results and Challenges

摘要

A tertiary alkaline/surfactant/polymer (ASP) multi-well pilot flood was carried out in the San Francisco field, Colombia. The pilot had mixed results, as the positive subsurface response was counterbalanced by serious operational issues, that in the end did not allowed the pilot to realize its full potential. The complexity of the flow paths in a multi-sand reservoir with irregular well spacing lead to large quantities of chemicals being recirculated, which trigger the operational issues, becoming a complex loop where these issues led to closing wells, which led to changing the flow paths and generating more operational issues. The paper presents the design of the pilot, the extensive work that was carried out to understand and improve the flow in the pilot area, the response of the pilot, the challenges that were faced during its operation, and the analysis and lessons learned from this pilot.