Ikelic - Alliance Digital Repository

OIL SANDS
Starting with 1987, ISC was also applied to East
Balaria. Due to the geometry specific to this area
a linear front was preferred, started at the upper
most part of the reservoir, according to the
model conceived for Suplacu de Barcau. The
favorable effect of ISC soon became obvious,
and the method proved to be efficient.
By the end of 1993, at East Balaria there were
12 air injection wells, and 66 production wells
yielding 402 barrels per day. An ultimate
factor of at least 33.1 percent is es
recovery
timated.
East Videle Field
The Videle oil structure, one of the most impor
tant in Romania, was discovered in 1959 and put
into production in 1961.
An In situ combustion experiment was initiated in
1979.
The oil production of the A1 pattern increased
from 1.8 tons per day to 10 tons per day, for
about 6 years.
The favorable results of the experiments carried
out at Balaria, East Videle and West Videle en
couraged a decision to proceed to the design of
an ISC project for the entire Sarmatian reservoir.
In July 1986, commercial production by ISC
started at the Sarmatian reservoir, with the opera
tions for chemical ignition being performed in a
progressive sequence from East toward the
West, in the entire initially designed length of the
combustion front.
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By the end of 1993, the oil production obtained
from the ISC affected zone was 530 barrels per
day from 85 wells.
West Videle Field
The heavy
oil reservoirs in this zone were dis
covered in 1959 and put into commercial produc
tion in 1961.
It has been estimated that primary depletion
could yield an ultimate recovery
factor of
9-10 percent over a period of about 30 years.
In 1980 an ISC experiment began in an inverted
five-spot pattern. This pattern was operated un
der moderate wet combustion and production
results were good.
In 1984, an ISC pilot test started on the Sar
matian 3c. The results were equally good, which
led to the decision to design commercial opera
tion of both reservoirs by ISC.
Conclusions
In Romania, four major heavy oil reservoirs are
currently being exploited by ISC. Their total daily
oil production averages 10,987 barrels.
Oil recovery increases from 9 percent to over
50 percent are being
achieved in respect to
primary production at Suplacu de Barcau, where
ISC stands for secondary recovery, and from
10 percent to at least 35 percent at Balaria, East
Videle and West Videle fields, where ISC stands
for tertiary recovery.
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THE SYNTHETIC FUELS REPORT, JANUARY 1995