October 31, 1975 - Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum

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The consultants estimated that primary recovery at San Ardo would
have amounted to 20 percent of oil originally in place. Cyclic
steam stimulation is estimated to recover about 30 percent. The
steam displacement and hot water injection technique were estimated
at 45 to 50 percent recovery efficiency. None of these recovery
efficiencies were documented in the report as to their bases. The
consultant firm reports that the expected recovery efficiencies for
all types of recovery processes being attempted at San Ardo are
difficult to determine with much confidence.
The cumulative production at San Ardo has amounted to lB percent of
the oil originally present. The consultants estimated that almost
33 percent of the oil would be ultimately produced under an assumption
that no more expansions of the steam displacement and hot water
'j njecti on processes were carri ed out. I f steam di sp1acement and hot
water injection processes are expanded, as planned by the operators,
to cover most of the reservoir (presumably to the intended density
of five spots on 2-1/2 acres), almost 45 percent of the original oil
would be produced. This will require the drilling of several thousand
additional wel)s and installation of related steam generating equipment.
The case which presumes no further expansion of facilities is really
not a viable case because the future producing life would be
unreasonably long. The report considers the higher case to be the
most reasonable, in that it reflects the operators' plans which are
already underway. The rates at which increased production can be
obtained depend on considerable development activity and resolution
of some difficult logistical problems which could not be studied
thoroughly in the time allowed.
In most instances, oil field and gas processing plant fuel needs are
satisfied with a portion of the produced gas volumes. In the case of
very heavy crude oil reservoirs, natural gas is usually not available
in sufficient volume. In some of these fields, a portion of the produced
crude oil is burned to generate steam for thermal recovery operations.
The amount of steam required varies with the particular project and
its stage of completeness. An approximation of crude oil required as
fuel might range between one-fourth and one-third of the incrementally
produced thermal oil volumes. As in the case of fuel gas, these oil
fuel volumes have not been deducted from the volumes shown on the
summary table.
The FEA report on the San Ardo Field was prepared by Scientific
Software Corporation under Contract No. CO-05-501B2-00.
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