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Thermal recovery activity is heating up (pardon the pun) in the Lloydminster area as a number of companies experiment with thermal reservoir stimulation techniques to increase oil production. There are 18 thermal recovery projects now operating in the area, and here is a brief description of each.
MOBIL-GC KITSCOTY 51-2-W4
Located in township 51-2W4, this wet combustion thermal fireflood project has
been operating since 1975 It consists of 95 wells on 640 acres and taps the
Lloydminster Sparky Sandstone K-pool.
MOBIL-GC SILVERDALE 49-1-W4
This is also a wet combustion fireflood project where the fire in the
formation is kept ignited by injecting an air/water mixture. Located in township
49-1W4, the 82 well project was begun in l975 and comprises 640 acres, tapping
the Lloydminster Sparky Sandstone Q-pool.
WESTMIN LINDBERG 3-13-55-6-W4
Westmin Mineral Resources is the operator of a one well "huff and puff" or
cyclic steam thermal project which began operating in late May of this year
[1982]. The well was completed with high stress, high temperature materials and
works on a one month steam injection, four month production cycle. Tapping the
Basil Mannville formation, the 10 acre project is proving "encouraging" and
depending on future results, it may be expanded.
HUSKY ABERFELDY 20-49-26-W3
Husky's Aberfeldy steam drive pilot is located in a field that has been on
primary production for years and is operating in the Sparky Sands at the 520M
depth. It consists of 36 producing wells, 12 observation wells and 7 wells for
steam injection. The project was started in February, 1981, and utilizes 2 ½
acre production spacing. Two ten acre expansion patterns have already been
started.
HUSKY ABERFELDY 1, 12, 50-27-W3
Husky also operates a fireflood project in the same field, tapping the
Sparky sands. The 610 acre project uses six active injection wells and 38
producers. This is considered an old project by EOR standards as the first four
injectors were put on in 1969, and the other three were added in 1971. This
reservoir has been depleted on primary and waterflood, but twenty producing
wells are presently averaging 50 cubic meters of oil per day. This fireflood is
north of the steam injection project in the same field, and the producing sands
are thinner
HUSKY PIKES PEAK 1-50-24-W3
Husky Pikes Peak is an eleven well huff and puff thermal project and
consists of 11 new and thermally completed wells. The project was started July
l7, 1981, and the reservoir, the Waseka channel sand, has never been produced
before. The sands are thick, almost 15 meters of pay, and lie at about 500
meters down. The project is presently producing 120 cubic meters of oil per day.
HOME KITSCOTY THERMAL PROJECT 51-2-W4
This is a cyclic steam thermal project which can be later converted to steam
drive depending on production rates and economics. It consists of three wells, 2
of which have been drilled and the third will be done later this year. Home has
spent $2 million to date, comprises 320 acres, and taps the Sparky sands. It
will be expanded to 30 wells if the economy permits.
HUSKY GOLDEN LAKE OXYGEN FIREFLOOD 11-48-23-W3
Oxygen fireflooding is really at the experimental stage in Canada, and this
project is similar to the other fireflood in the Golden Lake field except the
downhole fire will be fed by pure oxygen not air as is common with the others.
The project consists of 7 producing wells and 1 injector in an inverted 7 spot
pattern. It will operate on air to start and be converted to oxygen at a later
date. The 10 acre project, which taps the Waseka sands, is designed to be
expanded by three should it prove successful.
HUSKY GOLDEN LAKE WASEKA 14-48-23-W3
This Waseka sands fireflood consists of 17 producing wells, 2 injectors and
2 observation wells. Comprising 96 hectares, the first fires were lit in May of
this year [1982] and some infield drilling is anticipated late in 1982 in the
form of observation wells.
NORCEN BODO FIREFLOOD EXPANSION PROJECT
This EOR project 3 km. northwest of Bodo began on 20 acres, and is
presently [1982] being expanded to 105 acres. The method of thermal heat
generation is a fireflood, and has 9 producing wells and one injector, being
expanded to 24 producers and 7 air injectors; The estimated cost of the
expansion is $18 million, and depending on success, could be pursued further.
Partners in the project are Canada Cities Service, Murphy Oil and Canadian
Reserve Oil and Gas.
MURPHY EYEHILL 16-40-28-W3
This thermal recovery project is an air fed fireflood and consists of 25
wells, 9 injectors and 16 producers. The startup date was February, 1982 and it
is expected to run at least until 1990. On primary production the wells produced
30-40 b/d, but watered out after six months The $13.7 million project covers 180
acres and taps the Cummings formation at about 2500 feet.
MURPHY LINDBERG 6-13-58-5-W4
This 7 well huff and puff project was begun in 1974 and converted to steam
drive in 1981 after producing for six years. It is expected to run for three
more years and the costs are already up to $2.5 million. It produces some 200
b/d of 10° API gravity crude from the Sparky G.P. (lower Grand Rapids)
formation.
PETRO-CAN KINSELLA HEAVY OIL PROJECT 14-30-48-8-W4
This 8 well fireflood project began operating in April of 1982 and taps the
Sparky sands at 680 meters. There are four producing wells, 1 injector and three
observation wells. There was no commercial production on primary as the wells
made only 1 cubic meter of oil per day. The project covers 5 acres. It will run
for at least two years, and is a 50/50 partnership with AOSTRA.
TEXAS GULF NORTH BATTLEFORD HEAVY OIL PILOT - MEOTO
23-46-18-W3
This 20 well EOR project was started in the mid 1970's and uses both steam
drive and cyclic stream as the thermal process. There are four, five spot
patterns drilled, and one, nine spot, and all wells are on huff and puff at the
present time with plans to switch to steam drive in the future. The spacing is
1.01 hectares per well.
DOME LINDBERG 18-55-5-W4
This 56 well project uses an oxygen fed fireflood to heat the reservoir and
has an estimated total cost of $25 million.
DOME CHAUVIN S. 26-42-3-W4
Using steam stimulation, Dome Chauvin is a 4 well thermal pilot with a total
estimated cost to date of $360,000.
DOME MORGAN 35-51-4-W4
This 43 well project uses a combination of steam stimulation and
in-situ combustion and Dome has invested $28 million to date.
MOBIL CELTIC S.E. ¼-10-23-52-W3
Using a combination of wet combustion and steam stimulation, this 25 well
EOR project has 5 injector wells and 20 producers, drilled in an inverted nine
spot pattern. One pattern is complete and four others are partially complete.
Using 5 acre spacing, this $25 million EOR project is tapping the middle Waseka
sands but the fine sand is causing production problems. Mobil is set up to use
fire or steam, and numerous other zones can be stimulated from the same wells
using the equipment on location.