Ikelic - Alliance Digital Repository

STATUS OF OIL SANDS PROJECTS (Underline denotes changes since June 1994)
R&D PROJECTS (Continued)
produced with a disappointing, and unexpected high water cut, whereas no bottom water is known to exist in this particular
area. However, the two subsequent horizontal wells have not had any free water problems. Sand production has not been a
major problem and the production sand content is lower than in surrounding vertical wells.
An additional six horizontal wells were drilled in 1993. To increase reservoir exposure, one of the 1993 wells was drilled and
completed using the lateral tie-back system developed by CS Resources and Sperry-Sun Services. Drilling This system provides
for the complex interconnection of individual production liners, thereby creating total wellbore integrity. The 1993 well drilled
using this system has a total of 2,798 meters of horizontal section. The cost per horizontal meter for this well was $374. The
average drill, case and completion cost of the 1993 wells was $670,000. The wells took an average of 10 days to drill with an
average horizontal section of 1,702 meters. The average cost per horizontal meter for the 1993 wells was $416.
Project Cost: Not disclosed
- PELICAN-WABASCA PROJECT CS
Resources (T-520)
Construction of fireflood and steamflood facilities is complete in the Pelican area of the Wabasca region. Phase I of the
project commenced operations in August 1981, and Phase II (fireflood) commenced operations during September 1982. The
pilot consists of a 31-well centrally enclosed 7-spot pattern plus nine additional wells. Oxygen injection into two of the 7-spot
patterns was initiated in November 1984. Six more wells were added in March 1985 that completed an additional two 7-spot
patterns. In April 1986, the fireflood operation was shut down and the project converted to steam stimulation. Sixteen pilot
wells were cyclic steamed. One pattern was converted to a steam drive, another pattern converted to a water drive. The
remaining wells stayed on production. In January/February 1986, 18 new wells were drilled and put on production.
primary
Cyclic was undertaken steaming in February 1987. The waterflood on the pilot ceased operation in April, 1987. Cyclic steam
ing of the wells producing on the 7-spot steamflood project south of the pilot was converted to steamflood in fall 1987.
In May 1989 all thermal operations had been terminated. The wells were abandoned with the exception of 13 wells that remain
producing on primary production.
The use of horizontal wells is being tested. In 1991, an additional eight horizontal wells were drilled to about 1,000 meters in
length.
Project Cost: Not Specified
- PR SPRING PROJECT Enercor
and Solv-Ex Corporation, (T-540)
The PR Spring Tar Sand Project, a joint venture between Solv-Ex Corporation (the operator) and Enercor, was formed for the
purpose of mining tar sand from leases in the PR Spring area of Utah and extracting the contained hydrocarbon for sale in the
heavy oil markets.
The project's surface mine will utilize a standard box-cut advancing pit concept with a pit area of 20 acres. Approximately
1,600 acres will be mined during the life of the project. Exploratory drilling has indicated oil reserves of 58 million barrels with
an average grade of 7.9 percent weight by bitumen.
The proprietary oil extraction process to be used in the project was developed by Solv-Ex in its laboratories and pilot plant and
claims the advantages of high recovery of bitumen, low water requirements, acceptable environmental effects and low economi
cal capital and costs. operating Process optimization and scale-up testing is currently underway for the Solv-Ex/Shell Canada
Project which uses the same technology.
The extraction plant for the project has been designed to process tar sand ore at a feed rate of 500 tons per hour and produce
net product oil for sale at a rate of 4,663 barrels per day over 330 operating days per year.
In August 1985 the sponsors requested loan and price guarantees totaling $230,947,000 under the United States Synthetic Fuels
Corporation's (SFC's) solicitation for tar sands mining and surface processing projects. On November 19, 1985 the SFC deter
mined that the project was qualified for assistance under the terms of the solicitation. However, the SFC was abolished by
Congress on December 19, 1985 before financial assistance was awarded to the project.
The sponsors are evaluating various product options, including asphalt and combined asphalt/jet fuel. Private financing and
equity participation for the project are being sought.
Project Cost: $158 million (Synthetic crude option)
$90 million (Asphalt option)
3-50
SYNTHETIC FUELS REPORT, JANUARY 1995