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John L. Mendell, Amerada Division, Amerada Hess Corporation

The accumulation of paraffin wax in petroleum reservoirs and production equipment remains a continuous problem and expense in the production of oil. These problems have been remedied in the past by scrapers, hot-oil treatments and solvents. However, with the advent of extremely deep production, offshore drilling, and the possibility of ocean floor completion, the application of remedial measures becomes economically prohibitive. As a result, the use of chemical additives as paraffin deposition inhibitors has become necessary.

Harold Becker, UNICHEM

Crude oil is a complex mixture of organic materials consisting of saturated and unsaturated linear and branched hydrocarbons, organic acids, amines, hetero atomic and polycyclic molecules combined in various proportions. Paraffins waxes are an important component of the saturated linear and branched hydrocarbon portions of these grand mixtures. They are important for several positive reasons; primary among these is their fuel value as a refinery feedstock.

Jim N. Culbertson, Halliburton Services & Larry D. Racer, Amoco Production Company

Prior to 1971, the Devonian formation of the Three Bar Field, Andrews County, Texas was hydraulically fractured with a variety of conventional techniques. These treatments gave fair after-frac results but sustained increases were small and sand backflow caused severe fill and pump problems. Much of the backflow material appeared to be finely crushed frac sand.

Anne-Benedicte Houang, James F. Keating, & Dr. J.W. Jennings, Texas A&M University

This paper discusses a numerical pattern recognition scheme NUPRO*. NUPRO is used to diagnose rod or subsurface pump problems by recognizing downhole dynamometer cards. NUPRO discretizes a dynamometer card into a set of points. Three point picking methods have been developed for NUPRO: constant position increment, constant time increment, and constant arc length increment. These methods vary the accuracy and run time of NUPRO. These methods were tested with a library of 37 known cards (cards l-37) and 100 unknown cards (cards 38-137).

Anne-Benedicte Houang, James F. Keating & Dr. J.W. Jennings; Texas A&M University

This paper discusses a numerical pattern recognition scheme NUPRO*. NUPRO is used to diagnose rod or subsurface pump problems by recognizing downhole dynamometer cards. NUPRO discretizes a dynamometer card into a set of points. Three point picking methods have been developed for NUPRO: constant position increment, constant time increment, and constant arc length increment. These methods vary the accuracy and run time of NUPRO. These methods were tested with a library of 37 known cards (cards l-37) and 100 unknown cards (cards 38-137).

David F. Boneau, Joe Braswell, Albert R. Stall, Robert E. Tisdale; Yates Petroleum Corp.

Yates Petroleum has developed successful drilling and completion practices through experience with 250 wells in the Pecos Slope Abo gas field. Several methods have been used for estimating ultimate reserves from the wells in this low permeability reservoir. The most promising is a drawdown analysis that matches computerized type curves with data on daily flow rates and tubing pressure.

Mitch M. St. George & Brad B. Clark, Schlumberger Well Services

Modern perforating techniques designed to maximize production seem as varied as the wells they are applied to. However they have one trait in common: an instantaneous pressure drawdown (reverse pressure) is applied to surge the perforations clean and create the highest effective shot density possible. The pressure drawdown lends itself to a pressure buildup test immediately thereafter.

George E. King, Amoco Production Research

Perforating through multiple strings of casing is one of the most difficult design problems in recompletions. The overlap of casing sections may occur in the middle of a series of pay zones as the result of drilling breaks, hole problems or pressure control. Tests in surface targets have provided information that is useful in design for perforating two and three strings of casing as well as addressing problems of perforating in large diameter casing and the thick cement sections of hole wash-outs.

M.T. LeBourg & W.T. Bell, Schlumberger Well Surveying Corp.

The perforating of multiple tubingless completions presents two basic problems. First, good completion practices require an efficient perforator that leaves no debris, and second, upper zones in the bore holes must be perforated directionally in order that adjacent strings suffer no damage.

James Leighton
Saltel Industries

This paper will:
_ Provide an introduction to inflatable packer expandable steel technology, what it is and how it works
_ Discuss some of the issues identified and resolved during the development of the technology
_ Provide case histories using 3 examples of casing repair, gas shut-off and water shut-off jobs from 4 _ , 5
_ , and 7in operations in Europe, the Middle East, and Western Canada
_ Summarize the features, benefits, and limitations of the technology
_ Present the solutions available today in Texas and neighboring states.

George King & Tim Brown, AMOCO

Laboratory tests and field results on Amoco A-Sol, an extremely versatile mutual solvent system, are presented in comparison with a commonly used mutual solvent system. Data contained in the report include corrosion inhibitor performance in A-Sol, special acid mixtures, maximum temperature limits, and special additives to aid in stimulating formations which produce asphaltic or low gravity crude oil. Well treatment volumes and procedures and treatment results are presented on new completions and re-stimulation attempts.

Robert D. Kiker and Dwight F. Rychel
Permian CCS Center

The Permian CCS Center (http://www.permianbasinccs.org/) was formed in 2009 to provide world class technology transfer, training, and Carbon Capture and Storage (and CO2 Enhanced Oil Recovery) expertise. It is one of seven regional organization funded by the DOE through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 for a three year period. The mission of the Permian CCS Center is to impart the needed skill sets to realize CCS Opportunities.

R.H. Gault, Bethlehem Steel Company, Supply Division

The function of a pumping unit is to lift a load comprised of rods and fluid a certain height, then lower the rods and pump back to bottom ready to lift another load of fluid. To many of us it is a rather complicated piece of machinery. When we try to analyze it geometrically and find the meaning of torque factors, work, horsepower, etc., it seems especially difficult and complicated. An attempt will be made to remove some of the confusion surrounding pumping unit calculations by a series of logical steps to show the basis of each calculation.

Larry Teel, American International Mfg. Corp.

This paper presents the permissible envelope, which accounts for both positive and negative gearbox torque rating. Permissible envelopes enable more complete definition of acceptable pumping unit rod loads than has been available in the past.

Larry Teel, American International Mfg. Corp.

The landmark paper on beam pumping unit permissible load diagrams was presented in 1960 by Mr. Robert H. Gault (1). A permissible load diagram is simply a plot of the positive gearbox torque rating (converted to pounds of polished rod load), versus polished rod position. This plot is valid for any given counterbalance effect (CBE) and pumping unit. It enables such things as quickly telling whether a given unit is overloaded, comparing different unit geometries, or comparing effects of different CBE levels. Higher water cuts and deeper wells are more common in today's world.

J. Douglas Wilkerson, Texas Tech University

One purpose of obtaining a surface dynamometer card is to learn how well the downhole pump is functioning. Several methods have been used to develop a finite mathematical model of a simplified pumping system to predict or evaluate pump behavior given dynamometer polished rod loads and displacement at the surface. The purpose of these methods was to develop a computerized method of analyzing surface dynamometer cards. The alternative is to evaluate the card by visual inspection, which is very subjective, requires a skilled analyst, and yields results which are strictly qualitative in nature.

Harry W. Parker, Texas Tech University

Once upon a time there was a land where petroleum and natural gas were abundant. In this land, petroleum and natural gas were both the most convenient fuels and at the same time the least expensive fuels. The people were reasonably happy and the economy prospered because of the abundance of economical fuel and other reasons. The fuel demand grew and grew for this prosperous economy, until the reserves of domestic petroleum and natural gas were inadequate to supply the needs of the economy.

G.L. Weaver, First National Bank in Dallas

Most petroleum engineers, operating personnel, and management personnel are familiar with the role of banks in commercial lending. Banks have long been involved in the financing of development drilling, workovers, secondary-recovery projects, gasoline plants, acquisitions and many other facets of the oil industry. Another role- that may be new to many operating personnel is the role of bank trust departments in management and operation of oil and gas properties. This is a relatively new segment of the century-old petroleum industry.

Fred Gibson, Consultant

Before exiting the oil patch, I want to provide a partial list of the tools that helped me anticipate, find, define and suggest solutions to petroleum production problems. Educators tell us that if we can fully define a problem, the solution usually becomes readily apparent.

EDWARD A. TUREK, ROBERT S. METCALFE and
ROBERT E. FISHBACK
Amoco Production Company

Current interest in miscible enhanced oil recovery methods has led to the use of compositional simulators to understand and predict the performance of such processes. Fluid property considerations are highly important from two standpoints: 1. An essential part of such a simulator is a means of predicting the complex phase equilibria likely to be encountered in such EOR processes. While reliable equations of state have been developed to calculate phase behavior in these processes, most often parameter adjustments are required to properly describe the COZ-reservoir oil systems.

G. Hossein Arian, Fiber Glass Systems Inc.

Long term chemical and physical performance of aliphatic amine cured fiberglass Tubulars in high pressure super critical application of CO2 in both cyclic and static conditions have been investigated. No physical or chemical degradation was detected at the selected test condition of 2300 PSI and 120_F of carbon dioxide in cyclic or static conditions. Further analysis suggests a slow rate of CO2 penetration into the amine cured epoxy laminate. The failure mechanism model developed and presented here suggest a predictable failure based on stress due to pressure and temperature.

B.M. Boggess & L.E. Thomas, Amerada Petroleum Corporation

The Langlie Mattix Pool is located in southeast Lea County, New Mexico, as shown in Fig. 1, and contains approximately 1200 wells drilled on 60,000 acres. Discovered some 30 years ago, it is now essentially depleted of primary oil. Waterflood potential appears excellent and there are at present 10 water injection projects in operation and several more in various stages of development. One of the earliest of these is the Woolworth Unit, operated by Amerada Petroleum Corporation. The Woolworth Unit was formed in late 1962 and began pilot water injection in early 1963.

Albert S. Garza and Danny Hernandez, Pioneer Natural Resources, Scott W. Long, Flexbar, Inc.

August 17, 2006 marked the 10th Anniversary of the Pioneer Natural Resources, Preston Spraberry Unit (PSU) "Best Practices" Failure Reduction Program. This 10 year partnership between Pioneer Natural Resources, Flexbar Inc., Norris Rods, Tommy White Supply and Kel-Tech has resulted in significant reductions in downhole failures and savings in operational costs for Pioneer Natural Resources. The 10 year performance (FPWPY) for this 150 well, PSU "Best Practices" program has resulted in a 94 % reduction in Tubing Leaks, 75 % reduction in Rod Failures and an 80 % reduction in Pump Failures.

Ernest Slaughter, Jr., Lufkin Foundry & Machine Co.

The generally accepted methods of pumping unit selection usually are satisfactory in obtaining the correct sizes of pumping units; however, the average design conditions do not take into consideration such factors as down hole friction, fluid with a gravity greater than one, out of counter-balance conditions, and many others. Each step in the procedure of proper selection is discussed, and the pitfalls which may and can occur are pointed out for examples.

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NEXT SWPSC CONFERENCE: April 19-22, 2027