Steam stimulation Tidelands operations, Wilmington oil field

It has been demonstrated many times over that the producing formations and well bores under waterflood operations in the Wilmington field have been remarkable responsive to the energies of steam. The injection of steam for short periods of time may be classified as one of the best methods known for oil stimulation. Under waterflood, results of the steam stimulation of wells by the cyclic steam-injection method have been reviewed against the frequency of well loss to the several operators producing the field. Because of the increasing water cuts associated with the waterflood mechanism and because of the risk of casing damage and well loss in existing wells not primarily equipped for periodic applications with high temperatures, this method stimulation is being viewed more critically than ever before. A measure of the response in oil-production performance that might be expected under waterflood operations resulting from steam stimulation is discussed. The costs of well-engineered steaming coupled with the costs normally associated with the recovery of oil indicate that minimum tolerance for the cost of well failure and repair should be controllable at no greater than the cost of the steam project itself.