Paper: Field Implementation Of A CO2 Flood In A Small Waterflood-Depleted Carbonate Unit

The South Cowdeu (San Audres) Unit was selected as the site for one of three mid-term projects to be conducted under the DOE Class II Oil Program for Shallow Shelf Carbonate Reservoirs. The $21 million project was designed to demonstrate the technical and economic viability of an innovative carbon dioxide (CO2 flood project development approach. The new approach employed cost-effective advanced reservoir characterization technology as an integral part of a focused development plan utilizing horizontal injection wells, where appropriate, and centralization of production/injection facilities to optimize CO2 project economics. This paper will review actual implementation and field performance in the first eighteen months of the project, focusing on key issues of timing, stimulation, injection profile monitoring, reservoir pressure reduction, and conformance control A comparison will be presented of initial simulation model results with current predictions.