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Summary The Valhalla Doe Creek I Pool is a hydrocarbon bearing marine sand deposition of Upper Cretaceous age located in Northwestern Alberta, Canada. It is 750 m deep and contains 12.4 million m original oil-in-place. The pool was discovered in 1961 and the primary development was completed in 1984. An 32 hectares 5-spot waterflood scheme comprised Of 43 producers and 38 injectors was implemented in mid 1985. The current oil production Tate is 200 m /d and cumulative recovery is 2.32 of the OOIP. Additional infill drilling is planned to convert to a 16 hectares 5-spot and 9-spot in 1987/1988. From the early stage of the pool's development, reservoir and geological data were gathered and reviewed. Numerous routine and special core studies were performed. Standard analysis procedures were employed to determine porosity, permeability, relative permeability, capillary pressure, fluid saturation and PVT properties. In addition, several studies (SEM, water compatibility, fines migration, and emulsion) were conducted to predict the reservoir sensitivity to injection water. A 3-D numerical model (Black Oil) was constructed using the validated data. The model, in conjunction with a financial simulator, was used to determine the optimum development scheme for this pool. Introduction A new oil field was discovered near Valhalla, in Northwestern Alberta Canada, in 1981. Figure 1 shows the location of the field. During the period October 1982 to March 1984, Petro-Canada Inc. drilled 40 oil wells and cored 27 of them. By July 1985 Petro-Canada had implemented a 32 ha 5-spot waterflood comprised of 43 oil producers and 38 water injectors. Figure 2 shows the extent of the pool and the well locations. The objective of this paper is to discuss the aggressive approach that Petro-Canada Inc. took to develop and implement this waterflood scheme in a relatively short period of time. Early planning and a comprehensive geological interpretation of the area, allowed Petro-Canada engineers to design an initial testing program while maintaining ongoing delineation drilling of the field. The testing program, including routine and special studies was constantly monitored and compared with field production results to decide on additional or modified testing. Numerical simulation was used extensively to validate test data, to confirm field parameters based on primary production results, to determine operation conditions and to predict production performance under different development schemes. The final field development plan for Va1lhalla was selected based on an economic analysis of several different alternatives. The investment required to develop the waterflood was carefully analyzed to determine the best alternative from an economic and technical point of view. For waterflooding, the optimum approach was a 10 ha spacing pattern, developed in two stages. The first stage, a 5-spot, 32 ha waterflood, was completed in 1985. The second stage, a 16 ha waterflood, varying from 5-spot to 9-spot is being implemented and will be completed during the first quarter of 1988.
- Geology > Mineral > Silicate (0.47)
- Geology > Rock Type > Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Rock > Sandstone (0.35)
- North America > Canada > Alberta > Western Canada Sedimentary Basin > Alberta Basin > Western Canada Sedimentary Basin > Greater Peace River High Basin > Valhalla Field > Kaskapau Formation > Aec Erl Valhalla 4-5-74-8 Well (0.99)
- North America > Canada > Alberta > Western Canada Sedimentary Basin > Alberta Basin > Deep Basin > Greater Peace River High Basin > Valhalla Field > Kaskapau Formation > Aec Erl Valhalla 4-5-74-8 Well (0.99)
Abstract Variations in the average gravity, sulphur content, and distillation character1stics of indigenous crude oil are summarized. The requisite data base is developed from individual pool, pipeline, and synthetic plant sources. The forecast interval begins in 1978 and ends in 1990. Results are discussed in the light of a documented forecast of refined product demand and the existing Canadian refinery structure. It is concluded that the quality of Canadian crude will change. Forecasts indicate refined product demand is also changing. Therefore, modifications to existing refinery structure will have to be considered. Introduction Our indigenous crude oil supplies come from a great variety of reservoirs located mainly in Western Canada. The development of these energy resources included the construction of a network of pipeline systems, each gathering for the marketplace a supply of crude oil. These crude oils are blended together or shipped in batches to refining centres through transmission lines. Refineries are designed and constructed to utilize these feedstocks and supply local product demands. Each refinery has a limited capacity to respond to changes in product demand or available feedstocks. Altering the design of an existing refinery is capital intensive and viable only in a secure market and feedstock supply environment. This paper presents a study of the changes in indigenous crude oil quality which are likely to occur. A forecast was assembled to study the effect that new or changing sources of crude oil would have on refinery feedstocks. Changes in crude oil sources include the effect of expanded heavy oil development and the increased production of synthetic crude oil. Parameters of quality are calculated for each pipeline stream and source of crude oil. Averaging techniques provide a description of total refinery feedstocks for a forecast interval commencing in 1978 and ending in 1990. The implications of the results are studied by reviewing forecast changes in product demand. A hypothetical refinery is modelled to demonstrate that changes in refinery structure will be necessary. DISCSSION The hydrocarbon liquid analysis of crude oil flowing in a pipeline system reflects an average of the properties of the production from the various pools tied into the pipeline. Documents published by agencies of governments were utilized to identify a representative analysis for major pools in each pipeline system. Crude properties were aggregated for some 35 pipeline systems. In addition, the analysis included eight significant miscellaneous crude oil streams which cannot be associated with a particular conventional producing area. These include synthetic crude oil, experimental heavy crude oil, upgraded heavy crude oil, reserves additions of light and heavy crude oil, and pentanes plus production. Crude oil analyses for these streams were identified where available, or parameters were assigned by analogy with similar crude sources. Initially, API gravity and sulphur content were used to define crude oil quality for the purpose of studying variation during a forecast interval. Subsequently, a more complete definition of the variation in crude quality was obtained by studying the distillation characteristics.