Directive 065: Resources Applications for Oil and Gas Reservoirs ...

B) Design Stage
• In waterfloods, produced water should be reinjected.
• Production wells that are second or third line offset from injection wells should be
included in the proposed scheme only when it is anticipated that the proposed
injection wells will be able to provide adequate sweep and pressure support.
C) Implementation Stage
• Injection operations should be initiated at the optimal time. Injection should begin
before the reservoir pressure drops below the bubble point pressure in oil pools or the
dew point pressure in the case of retrograde gas condensate pools.
• Injection operations in all approved injection wells should begin as soon as possible.
In most cases, the ERCB will specify a deadline for the commencement of injection
of three months from the date of the approval or amendment.
D) Operations
• If there are multiple well licensees within the approval area, the approval holder is
expected to coordinate the scheme operations to ensure that maximum recovery is
attained.
• All well licensees in the approval area are expected to adhere to the approval
conditions.
• Well licensees should collect the appropriate reservoir data necessary to accurately
assess an ER scheme and optimize scheme performance.
• Alternatives to nonsaline water injection should be assessed on an ongoing basis.
• The entire approval area should have a uniform voidage replacement and pressure
distribution.
• Where feasible and appropriate, the ER scheme should be operated at a reservoir
pressure close to the bubble point pressure or dew point pressure.
• To provide operating flexibility, an ER approval does not need to be amended to
remove wells that have ceased injection.
• Well licensees are expected to prudently produce their wells pending the successful
implementation of ER.
• ER schemes should be monitored and adjustments or changes made to ensure
optimum recovery.
2.1.3 Requirements for ER Scheme Applications
2.1.3.1 Requirements That Must Be Met Before an ER Application May Be Submitted
An ER application may be submitted to the ERCB once the following requirements have
been met:
• The primary applicant ∗ has obtained the right to represent all well licensees within the
proposed approval area.
• The primary applicant has notified all well licensees in accordance with the requirements
in Section 2.1.3.2.
∗
A primary applicant is a company, other than a consulting company, that is submitting an application to the
ERCB.
2-6 • ERCB Directive 065: Resources Applications / Enhanced Recovery Scheme (October 2011)