An 85 year old California field that largely owes its commercial survival to waterflooding the steam injection will be the setting for large expansion of a combination of the two enhanced oil recovery methods.
The field is Kern Front, off the northwestern edge of Kern River field near Bakersfield in Kern County. Almost 1 of every 2 bbl of oil produced by Kern Front is incremental production, i.e., oil that would not be produced without EOR projects, according to the state Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources.
Oxy USA Inc. plans to expand a dual waterflood/ steamflood project in 2-28s-27e, at the field's northern end. The project is permitted to inject up to 3,000 b/d of water and steam in up to 10 injection wells. Oxy is seeking a permit to inject up to 36,000 b/d. The number of injection wells will remain the same.
The target is Etchegoin/ Chanac zones, which produce 14-15° gravity oil from average depths ranging from 2,265-2,320 ft.
The field was discovered in 1912. Cumulative production to Jan. 1, 1997, was 191.3 million bbl of oil and 21.3 bcf of gas.
The state division estimates reserves at 25.6 million bbl of oil. Production from Kern Front field averaged 5,958 b/d from 812 producing wells. Oxy was the top producer, accounting for 4,764 b/d from 487 wells.
Other top producers were Stockdale Oil & Gas Inc., Bakersfield, 630 b/d from 71 wells, and Bellaire Oil Co., Englewood, Calif., 279 b/d from 141 wells.
Copyright 1997 Oil & Gas Journal. All Rights Reserved.
