CANADIAN CARBON DIOXIDE FLOOD PROJECTS ADVANCING

Prospects are brightening for Canadian carbon dioxide flood projects.

Shell Canada Ltd. plans a $40 million CO2 flood in a southeastern Saskatchewan oil field that would be the first phase of a project designed to recover as much as an incremental 80 million bbl of crude oil.

Vikor Resources Ltd., Calgary, is mulling expansion Of its CO2 flood near Red Deer, Alta.

SHELL PROJECT

Shell plans to begin work on its Midale field flood project in early 1991, pending government approval, with start-up scheduled for third quarter 1992.

Plans call for Shell initially to flood about 10% of the field to stimulate oil remaining after waterflooding. If successful, it may expand the CO2 flood to a much larger portion of the field by the late 1990s.

Shell began a Pilot CO2 project in Midale field in 1984 and said results were so promising they led to the present proposal.

Midale has produced about 100 million bbl of oil since Shell discovered the field in 1953. The company estimates an incremental 20 million bbl recoverable from waterflooding operations.

It believes CO2 flooding of the entire field could yield another 80 million bbl.

Shell said a decision on expanding the CO2 flood to the rest of Midale field and into nearby fields will be made after several years of operation on the initial phase. Shell will operate the project for Midale Unit working interest owners.

VIKOR PLANS

Vikor said its CO2 flood in Joffre Viking pool, Alberta, has accounted for more than 20% of the original oil in place, boosting overall recovery to more than 62%.

It estimates that commercial scale CO2 flooding of the field could produce another 12 million bbl.

The project produced its 1 millionth bbl in early November.

Discovered in 1953, Joffre Viking pool was put under waterflood in 1957 but abandoned in the mid-1960s after recovery of about 42% of OOIP.

After Alberta Oil Sands Technology & Research Authority (Aostra) promised financial support in 1982, Vikor started the Joffre Viking Tertiary Oil Unit as a field experiment Of CO2 flooding in the pool.

In the pilot project, water and CO2 were alternately injected into center of each pattern, producing from six wells. The unit completed an eight well expansion in mid-1985 about 3 miles from the pilot.