Unitization could up recovery 200 million bbl

A structural map is presented of the Yates field for which Marathon Oil Co. is presenting a unitization plan to the Railroad Commission. Initial unit operating plans call for drilling 2 injection wells and converting 3 existing wells to injectors. Marathon's plan for unitization provides a participation formula that would include an older proration plan. Asked if Marathon's recovery plans could result in an extension of the field's life, a spokesman said the increased production will probably shorten the life of the field by a few years, but says they are still looking at a life of about 80 more yr for the Yates field. More significant than field life is the ultimate recovery of an additional 200 million bbl of oil, an amount greater than the recoverable reserves of any field discovered in Texas in the past 20 yr. The net effect would be the equivalent of adding one major oil field to the state's production tally. To achieve this additional recovery, Marathon proposed to partially maintain the reservoir pressure to retard water invasion of the reservoir.