EAGAN, JAMES M., RG, Consultant, Denver, CO; MELISSA M. KOLB, RG, Consultant, Bakersfield, CA; and KIM D. KNOLLENBERG, and DANIEL J. MURPHY, Aera Energy, LLC, Bakersfield, CA

Abstract: Three Dimensional Surveillance in a Mature Steamflood Tulare Formation, South BeIridge Field, Kern County, California

South BeIridge Field is a giant field on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley, discovered in 1911, which has produced primarily heavy oil (13<deg> API) from the Plio-Pleistocene Tulare Formation. The surveillance process in steamflood areas is undergoing significant change by the addition of new reservoir visualization tools. Tulare sands were deposited in a fluvial-lacustrine environment. Sands can be discontinuous over distances of 10 to 100 feet and are bounded by mud horizons that vary from local to fieldwide in extent. The recent documentation of numerous normal faults complicates recognition of individual reservoir flow units. Due to the economic necessity of completing wells over multiple sands in the Tulare reservoir, the effects of specific steam injection adjustments are difficult to quantify and require a clear understanding of the geological relationship between injectors and producing wells. In 1998 a three dimensional geologic framework to describe the Tulare reservoir was built in a portion of sections 1 and 2 within South Belridge. The reservoir was subdivided into 22 zones of 5 to 20 feet in thickness. This zonation scheme was intended to allow visualization and quantification of reservoir flow units. The computer model contains data from 650 wells, producers and injectors, and five of the most prominent faults. The model ties geology to reservoir flow description and is quantifiable, which is critical for surveillance decisions. Specific examples of the model's utility in managing steam and increasing oil recovery will be discussed.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90920©1999 AAPG Pacific Section Meeting, Monterey, California