Evaluation of the Storms Pool Improved Waterflood Project

摘要

A review of the performance of the Storms Pool Improved Waterflood Project has been completed. This project was designed to evaluate the efficiency of polymer flooding in a reservoir which had been extensively waterflooded. The project was conducted in a 100-acre pattern in the Waltersburg sandstone of the Storms Pool Field, located in White County, Illinois. This field is typical of many old oil fields in the Illinois Basin. A total of 703,000 barrels of biopolymer-thickened water was injected, which represents about 23% of the pore volume. The project was terminated early, as expenses were greatly exceeding revenues. The project resulted in little or no incremental oil production. The lack of response is attributed mainly to the conditions in which the polymer was injected. The project indicates that the injection of a polymer which acts dominantly to increase viscosity has little potential for increasing oil recovery under the conditions where a waterflood has been successful, the mobility ratio is favorable, and when initiated in the latter stages of the flood. The movable oil saturation is thought to have been lower than anticipated by the operators. Biodegradation of the polymer probably occurred, as evidenced by the lack of polymer in offset wells and in back-produced injection water. The lack of data collected and/or reported prevented a thorough analysis of the project. Field equipment and procedures appeared adequate for the mixing, filtration, and injection of polymer made up in river water. Some problems occurred during those periods of the year when the river water contained a large amount of dispersed fines. The use of a river water is questioned due to the problems of removing dispersed fines and to the increased protection required to prevent biodegradation of the biopolymer. 26 refs., 13 figs., 3 tabs. (ERA citation 11:021980)