A History of Past Waterflood Operations in the Permian Basin
Marshall C. Watson, Ph.D., P.E. Bob L. Herd Department of
Petroleum Engineering Texas Tech University
Presented at the 17th Annual CO2 Flooding Conference
December 8-9, 2011
Midland, Texas
Through 1981 – 2053Reported start dates – 1286
Lubbock
Midland
TatumBasin
DelawareBasin
Midland Basin
• NW Shelf – 10% U.S. Reserves• NW Shelf – Cume 4 BBO• NW Shelf – Carbonate Reservoirs• Levelland Slaughter – Cume 1.6 BBO• Levelland Slaughter – 57 MBO/day• Levelland Slaughter – 6% State’s
Production
NW Shelf – Levelland Slaughter Statistics
Permian Basin Waterfloods
Evaluation
• Understand the Geology• Understand the Petrophysics• Understand the Reservoir Fluids• Evaluate the Reservoir
Geologic Concepts are Important
Carbonate Ramp Schematic
LevellandSlaughter
Wasson
Means
McElroy
Denver Unit Peripheral Pattern
Denver Unit 9 Spot Plus Irregular Patterns
Denver Unit Type Log
Lucia Rock Classification
Lucia Porosity – Permeability Transforms
Denver Unit Patterns Modifications
Means San Andres
Shoal – Correlation and Discontinuity
Means San Andres
McElroy Grayburg Field
McElroy Field
WaterfloodStarted
Waterflood Realignment Started
Depositional Environment - Partitioning Levelland Slaughter
Wasson
Regional Map
Potential Reservoir-Forming Settings
Oolitic delta
Beach-dune complexes
Reefs
Tidal channels
Tidal flats
Interior dunes
East West Cross Section Through the Levelland Field
Energen Resources CorporationD.S. Wright #29
WalshJ.M. Wright Unit #62
Energen Resources CorporationWhitef ace U #102 RW
MobilN C Lev elland Unit #533
SHELL WESTERN EXC Lev elland U #162A
SUN EXPL & PRODSE Lev elland U #305
BB B'B'
PI
P1
P3 ANHY P3
P4
PI
P1
P3 ANHY P3
P4
PI
P1
P3 ANHY P3
P4
PI
P1
P3 ANHY P3
P4
PI
P1
PI
P1
PI
P1
HYP3
P4
PI
P1
Reservoir Petrophysical Properties Ramp Type
San Andres Carbonate
Area Shoal Lagoon(Levelland)
Near ShoreIntertidal
DepthNet Pay Primary (feet)Net Pay Secondary (feet)Gross Pay (feet)Porosity Range (fraction)Average Porosity (fraction)Water saturation – Initial (frac)Permeability – Range (md)Permeability Geo Mean (md)kro @ Swi (frac)Sro (frac)krw @ Sor (mD)Swi (frac)Oil Saturation – At start of flood (frac)Gas Saturation – At start of flood (frac)
49007070
1200.08 – 0.18
0.120.28
1.0 – 402.5
0.570.280.210.21
0.60.08
4900303060
0.08 – 0.160.110.20
0.1 - 301.5
0.570.280.210.25
0.60.08
4900251760
0.08 – 0.110.090.30
0.1 - 300.5
0.570.280.210.35
0.60.08
Infill Drilling - Shoal
Oxy Sundown Unit
1000
10000
100000
1000000
Sep
-67
Sep
-69
Sep
-71
Sep
-73
Sep
-75
Sep
-77
Sep
-79
Sep
-81
Sep
-83
Sep
-85
Sep
-87
Sep
-89
Sep
-91
Sep
-93
Sep
-95
Sep
-97
Sep
-99
Sep
-01
Sep
-03
Date
10
30
50
70
90
Oil (bbl/mth)Gas (mcf/mth)Water (bbl/mth)Water Inj (bbls/mth)No ProdNo Inj
Infill Drilling
Infill Drilling – Lagoon & Near Shore
Whiteface Unit
1000.
10000.
100000.
1000000.
May
-67
May
-69
May
-71
May
-73
May
-75
May
-77
May
-79
May
-81
May
-83
May
-85
May
-87
May
-89
May
-91
May
-93
May
-95
May
-97
May
-99
May
-01
May
-03
Date
10.
30.
50.
70.
90.
Oil (bbl/mth)Gas (mcf/mth)Water (bbl/mth)Water Inj (bbls/mth)No ProdNo Inj
Infill Drilling
Oil Rate (Cal. Day) ( bbl/d )Water Injection (Cal. Day) ( bbl )
SOUTHEAST LEVELLAND UNIT At unitization
Oil Rate (Cal. Day) ( bbl/d )Water Injection (WI Day) ( bbl )
Start of WF project -December 1964
Oil Rate (Cal. Day) ( bbl/d )Water Injection (Cal. Day) ( bbl )
FEB 1967
Oil Rate (Cal. Day) ( bbl/d )Water Injection (WI Day) ( bbl )
JULY 1969
Oil Rate (Cal. Day) ( bbl/d )Water Injection (WI Day) ( bbl )
Dec 1971
Oil Rate (Cal. Day) ( bbl/d )Water Injection (WI Day) ( bbl )
Oct 1973
Oil Rate (Cal. Day) ( bbl/d )Water Injection (WI Day) ( bbl )
Dec 1982
Oil Rate (Cal. Day) ( bbl/d )Water Injection (WI Day) ( bbl )
Jan 1997
SOUTHEAST LEVELLAND UNIT
Increased Water Injection Rate per Well in 1999
Vertical Heterogeneity
Dykstra and Parsons’ coefficient of permeability variation” (V)
k
kkV
Where k permeability at the 50th percentile of the cumulative sample and
k Permeability at 84.1 percent of the cumulative sample.
Assumes a log normal distribution
Shoal Permeability Distribution
LLU 742
0.1
1
10
100
00.20.40.60.81
cume %
k (m
D)
Summary of Flood Evaluation by Area
UNIT/LEASE NAME
AREA WOR AT START OF
FLOOD
PEAK OIL:INJ RATIO
VOIDAGE RATIO
S:P WOR0 m’ V
Oxy West RKM Shoal 0.25 0.26 1.2 2.5 0.5 1.79
Oxy Sundown
Shoal 0.40 0.23 1.3 4.8 0.9 1.85 0.77
Oxy Levelland Shoal 0.35 0.26 1.1 2.3 0.5 1.92 0.73
Energen Whiteface
Lagoonal 0.60 0.27 1.4 2.8 0.8 1.22 0.88
Oxy Southeast Levelland
Shoal 0.25 0.30/0.23 1.2 3.6 0.7 1.53
Walsh Starnes Intertidal – Near Shore
0.35 0.21 2.5 0.8 1.0 1.11 0.88
Devon M.G. Gordon
Shoal 0.15 0.47 1.1 1.5 0.2 2.22 0.90
North Central Levelland
Lagoonal 1.00 0.30 1.9 2.4 0.5 1.72
Milnesand Shoal and Intertidal
0.70 0.09 1.6 0.7 4.0 1.16 0.46
South Wasson Clearfork
RobertsonClearfork
Robertson Clearfork Unit
RCU Evolution of Waterflood Patterns
South Wasson Clearfork Unit
South Wasson Clearfork Sequence Stratigraphy
Defines Flow Layers
West DollarhideQueen Sand
West Dollarhide Queen Sand
Unit Lea Co, NM
Dollarhide Queen Sand Unit
Infill Drilling and Re-Development
Salt Creek
Salt Creek Canyon
Salt Creek Canyon
Ford Geraldine (Delaware Sand)
Ford Geraldine (Delaware Sand)
Ford Geraldine – Type Well Flood Response
Wtr Inj
Wtr Prod
Primary Oil Decline
Dollarhide Devonian
Unit
Dollarhide Devonian
Unit
Dollarhide Devonian Unit
Permitted Operating Pressure Gradient*
0.00
0.20
0.40
0.60
0.80
1.00
1.20
Pen
n, H
orse
shoe
Ato
ll
Pen
n, H
orse
shoe
Ato
ll
Wol
fcam
p
Dev
onia
n
Dev
onia
n
Dev
onia
n - C
BP
Dev
onia
n - C
BP
Del
awar
e S
and
Del
awar
e S
and
Spr
aber
ry U
nit
Cle
arfo
rk -
CB
P
San
And
res
- CB
P
San
And
res
- CB
P
San
And
res
- CB
P
San
And
res
- CB
P
San
And
res
- CB
P
San
And
res
- No
She
lf
San
And
res
- No
She
lf
San
And
res
- No
She
lf
San
And
res
- No
She
lf
San
And
res
- No
She
lf
San
And
res
- No
She
lf
San
And
res
- No
She
lf
San
And
res
- No
She
lf
San
And
res
- No
She
lf
San
And
res
- No
She
lf
San
And
res
- No
She
lf
San
And
res
- No
She
lf
San
And
res
- No
She
lf
San
And
res
- No
She
lf
San
And
res
- No
She
lf
San
And
res
- No
She
lf
San
And
res
- No
She
lf
San
And
res
- No
She
lf
San
And
res
- No
She
lf
Project
Op
Pres
sure
Gra
dien
t (ps
i/ft)
** Initial BHP Gradient - psi/ftPermitted Operating BHP Gradient - psi/ft
*Ref: TRRC Bulletin 82; All Calculated Pressures use Gradients of 0.4333 psi/ft ** Op Pressure Gradient Calculated by Adding Surf Pressure to a 0.4333 psi/ft Depth Gradient / IBHP
Generic Version of CO2 Project (Waterflood Phase) Permitted BHP Injection Pressures
Injection Pressure 1982
Step Rate Test
Is there a difference after shut in and while on injection?
Hall Plot
Vertical or Horizontal?
Where:kanisot = permeability anisotropy (kmax /kmin )Hh = thickness of layer containing the horizontal wellboreHv = sum of all completed layers in a vertical wellre = drainage radiusrw = wellbore radiusS = negative vertical – well skin factor due to stimulationSmh = the mechanical well skin damage to a horizontal wellSh = the negative skin factor due to the horizontal well = -ln(L/4rw )Scah = the shape related skin factor (function of drainage shape, well length, Hh , and kv /kh ) given
by a correlation derived from chartsL = horizontal wellbore length
Vertical or Horizontal?
Stress Map of North America
Permian Basin Stress Map
Lubbock
MidlandWestbrook
Capillary Pressure Curves
Net Pay - Fractional Flow Curve
Mallet Unit - Slaughter Field
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.7
0.8
0.9
1
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1
Sw (frac)
fw (f
rac)
Swbt= 0.57
fwbt=0.87
Critical Swi = 0.42
Texas Tech Christmas Wish List
• West Texas Consortium – TTU’s Backyard– Study Brownfields of the Permian Basin– Catalog and organize data– Group waterfloods by geology/reservoir characteristics– Collect and catalog stress data– Look at failed waterfloods for solutions
• Specific Field Studies– Fields studies include all SCA and PVT work– MRI tools available– Miscibility lab work
• Operational studies– Horizontal Drilling, completion, cementing, etc
• A winning football team…….aka BCS Bowl Appearance