Winkleman dome steam drive a success

Pan American Petroleum Corp. has one of the few successful steam floods in the Rocky Mt. region at the Nugget reservoir at Winkleman Dome Field, Wyo. Forward-steam-drive operations started in 1964 on a pilot basis and the project has been expanded 3 times until there are now 8 injection and 16 producing wells on 10-acre 5-spot patterns. The present producing rate is better than 700 bpd compared to about 50 bpd before the start of the pilot. About 3,000 bpd is injected as steam. Performance to data indicates that: (1) steam flood in this reservoir will be profitable. The entire investment for the expanded project will be paid during 1970 and a good profit should be realized for the total project. (2) Steam channeling has occurred through a fraction of the total pay. (3) Steam channeling has been beneficial rather than harmful. (4) It appears that over 50% of the original oil in place can be displaced from those areas contacted by heat.