American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers Inc.
Abstract This paper will discuss the techniques and equipment employed by Sun Oil Company to successfully operate in the highly corrosive environment in South Florida. This paper will illustrate that deep, low pressure, undersaturated reservoirs can be pressure, undersaturated reservoirs can be economically produced even in the presence of severe corrosion.
Primary emphasis will be placed on producing problems caused by internal producing problems caused by internal corrosion from hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide and external corrosion from sulfate reducing bacteria.
Introduction The two fields in which Sun Oil Company operates in South Florida are the Sunoco Felda Unit and the West Sunoco-Felda Field located approximately 25 miles east of Ft. Myers in Hendry and Collier Counties, as shown in Figure 1.
Drilling in South Florida has unique problems such as extended drilling without problems such as extended drilling without returns and drilling and setting intermediate casing through the Boulder Zone. Certain techniques exist which must be applied to successfully drill and complete a well in this area.
The presence of corrosive fluids causes many operational problems the worst of which are casing failures. Repairing these casing failures employs a unique method of replacing the entire production string from the surface to near the top of cement.
The application of chemicals, coatings, and proper metallurgy has been successful in combating the corrosion problem and reducing the number of failures in subsurface equipment. The severity of the corrosion problems has been increased by producing problems has been increased by producing some wells at high rates with low producing fluid levels.
FIELD AND RESERVOIR DESCRIPTION Both fields produce from the Middle Member of the Sunniland Limestone, the Roberts Pay Zone, occurring at an approximate depth of 11,450 feet. The formations are massive, dome shaped carbonate accumulations, deposited in a back reef environmental area.