Water Flood Workshop
October 23rd 2013
Long Beach, California
Water Flooding and
Waterflood Design
by
Dr. Abdus Satter
Water Flooding

Water Flood Process

Reasons for Water flooding

History of Water flooding

Water Flood Patterns

Water Flood Recovery Efficiency

Oil Displacement by Water flooding

Variables Affecting Recovery Efficiencies
Water Flood Process
Water flooding consists of injecting water into a set
of wells while producing from the surrounding
wells. It maintains reservoir pressure and
displaces oil from the injectors to the producers
Reasons for Water Flooding

Primary Production Method Leaves Behind 1/3 to 1/2
or More of the Original Oil In Place

After Primary Production, Waterflooding Enhances
Substantially Production and Reserves

It Is the Most Widely Used Recovery Method After
Primary

Generally Available Water

Efficient Agent for Displacing Light/Medium Gravity
Oil

Low Capital Investment, Operating Costs, and
favorable Economics

Easy to Inject and spreads easily
History of Water flooding
 Accidental Water Injection in Pithole City Area in
1865
 In Earliest Days started at a Single well and then
to Circle Drive, Line Drive, Peripheral Floods
 First 5-Spot Flood Initiated in 1924 in Bradford
Field
 Grew to Oklahoma in 1931and then to Texas in
1936
 Widespread application started in early 1950
Water Flood Patterns

Five Spot Regular – 4 Injectors and 1Producer

Five Spot Inverted – 1 Injector and 4 Producers

Seven Spot Regular – 6 Injectors and 1Producer

Seven Spot Inverted – 1 Injector and 6 Producers

Nine Spot Regular – 8 Injectors and 1Producer

Nine Spot Inverted – 1 Injector and 8 Producer
Waterflooding Recovery Efficiency
Overall Recovery Efficiency
ER = ED x EV
Where:
ER
=
Overall recovery efficiency, %
ED
=
Displacement efficiency within the
volume swept by water, %
EV
=
Reservoir Volume swept by water, %
=
EA x EI
EA
=
Areal sweep efficiency, %
EI
=
Vertical or invasion sweep efficiency,
%
Oil Displacement by Waterflooding
Variables Affecting Efficiencies

Displacement Efficiency by Rock and Fluid
Properties, and Throughput (Pore Volume
Injected)

Areal and Pattern Sweep Efficiencies by Flooding
Pattern Types, Mobility Ratio, Reservoir
Heterogeneity, and Throughput
Typical Successful Waterflood Performance
Water Flood Design
 Design Considerations
 Example Water Flood Development
Plan
Design Considerations
 Reservoir Characterization – Geoscience and
Engineering Data
 Potential Flooding Plans – Peripheral, Pattern, Well
Spacing
 Estimate Injection, Production Rates
 Facilities Design – Fluid Volumes and Rates for
Sizing Equipment, Water Source and Disposal
 Capital Expenditures and Operating Costs
 Economic Evaluation, Risk, and Uncertainties
Water Flood Development Plan
Discovery
Exploration
Abandonment
Delineation
Reservoir
Management
Tertiary
Development
Primary
Waterflood Mature Field
Production
Professionals Involved
 Exploration - Geologists, Geophysicists
 Discovery - Drilling and Reservoir Engineers
Petrophysicists
 Delineation - Sam as above
 Development - Reservoir, Drilling, Operation, and
Facilities Engineers
 Production – Production Engineers
WF Project Development Approach
 Build Integrated Geoscience and
Engineering Model Using Available Data
 Simulate Full-Field Primary
Performance
 Forecast Performance under Peripheral
and Pattern Waterflood Drive
Top Structure Map
Waterflood Prospect Reservoir
-4
W-9
-4270
-4
28
-4
29
30
0
0
W-8
0
0
-4 2 8
- 42 5
0
W-3
-4 2
0
40
- 42 3
80
- 42 7
0
W-2
-42
-4220
- 42 8
0
W-1
-42 3 0
-42
40
W-4
W-5
-4
28
-42 50
-4
-4
-42
W-8
28
70
W-7
29
0
-4 2
90
0
-4
28
0
Top Structure Map
-4 3 0
0
0
Development Cases
Case 1
Case 4
Case 2
Case 5
Case 3
Case
Case
Case
Case
Case
1
2
3
4
5
Peripheral
Peripheral
Pattern
Pattern
Pattern
5
9
1
4
12
4
8
4
9
13
Cum. Oil Produced (MSTB)
12000
Cumulative Oil Recovery vs.
Time
10000
Secondary
8000
6000
Primary
4000
2000
0
0.00
Depletion
5.00
10.00
15.00
20.00
25.00
TIME (Years)
Depletion
Case-1
Case-2
Case-3
Case-4
Case-5
30.00
Oil Recovery vs. Water Injected
Oil Recovery (fraction)
0.5
0.4
Case-2
Case-4
0.3
Case-5
Case-1
Case-3
0.2
0.1
0
0
0.25
0.5
0.75
1
PV Water Injected (fraction)
Case-1
Case-2
Case-3
Case-4
Case-5
Economic Criteria
 Payout Time –Time needed to recover investment
 Discounted Cash Flow Rate of Return – Maximum
discount rate needed to be charged for the
investment capital to produce a break-even venture
 Profit- to- investment Ratio – Total undiscounted
cash flow without capital investment divided by the
total investment
 Present Worth Net Profit –Present value of the entire
cash flow discounted at a specified discount rate
Economic Evaluation Results
Case-1
Case-2
Case-3
Case-4
Case-5
1.853
4.882
0.973
3.484
8.799
1.965
5.138
1.378
3.176
5.105
15
15
15
15
15
2.58
1.78
2.44
2.74
2.28
Discounted Cash
Flow Return on
Investment, %
69.64
131.15
80.12
87.83
104.84
Profit-toInvestment Ratio
16.88
16.44
23.32
13.91
8.74
Development
Costs, $/STBO
0.94
0.95
0.71
1.10
1.72
Capital
Investment, $MM
Reserves,
MMSTBO
Project Life
Payout Time, Years