non-thermal recovery is not currently
used, he says it could eventually be part
of expansion.
“[ The slots] are sized to allow the ingress Waterflooding is an important aspect of
of small amounts of fine-grained sand and future operations for EnCana’s Pelican
clayey materials that would otherwise Lake operations as well. The company
tend to plug the production wells,” he says it has successfully completed eight
“We would look at cold production, but it explains. waterflood pilot projects and expects the
would be a first phase towards a thermal technique will significantly increase
operation.” The technology used today to execute recovery rates.
horizontal cold production with no sand
BlackRock has assembled more than is similar to the initial Pelican Lake “On primary production, Pelican Lake
80,000 net acres in the Peace River oil projects, says BlackRock president Festival. wells have typically declined to about 25
sands, with an estimated 800 million barrels per day. By applying horizontal
barrels of nine- to 13-degree API oil in “The hardware side of it has not changed drilling and waterflood techniques, we
place. How much of that resource will be very much; it’s more the geological have raised those well rates back to their
commercially recoverable is unknown, knowledge that we’ve gained,” he says. initial production rates of over 200
but the company says it is seeing “It’s been the application—finding the barrels per day. As well, under
favorable production rates. Seal is right reservoir to put the horizontal wells waterflood, we believe we can double
expected to be a major focus for the next into. It has evolved and we are learning recovery levels.”
number of years, and, when fully new things. We’re trying to understand
developed, production is anticipated in the whole zone better.” BlackRock president Festival says
the realm of 20,000 barrels per day. waterflooding is also in the long-term
Festival says that in a relatively new play In addition to the slotted liners, BlackRock plans for its Seal properties.
like cold production in the Peace River oil is using progressing cavity pumps, the
sands, achieving success is all about system also used for CHOPS.
acquiring land.
“We’re using the same pumps because
“We try to learn from what they do [at
Pelican Lake],” he explains. “Eventually,
we’re going to try a waterflood at Seal.”
“In any new play, there is a big land grab, they are able to pump viscous oil at high
then companies go in and strategically rates,” Festival explains, adding that the Water is not the only secondary
explore,” he explains. “When we decreased level of sand production is approach that could unlock the resource
announced Seal in 2001, we had kept our easier on the equipment, resulting in after cold heavy oil production with no
resource quiet for as long as we could, so some of the lowest operating costs for sand is no longer effective. CNRL is
we had as much land as we could.” heavy oil development. “The equipment currently conducting a pilot test of
doesn’t wear out because you don’t have polymer flooding at Pelican Lake.
Once the resource is defined and land is sand grinding against it.”
acquired, the key to this cold production “The polymer-flood pilot is a secondary
technique is directional drilling. Companies like BlackRock, CNRL, Penn recovery scheme similar to that of
West and Baytex Energy Trust look to waterflooding. The main difference is that
“Horizontal wells were the big thing we plays like Seal as long-life heavy oil the injected fluid has a polymer added to
needed,” says Harbir Chhina, EnCana production projects. Because cold heavy increase the viscosity,” the company says.
Corporation’s vice-president of oil oil production with no sand is a primary “It is expected that the increased
recovery. EnCana is one of Canada’s recovery method, operators can always viscosity [of the injected fluid] will
largest bitumen and heavy oil producers. look forward to employing secondary and economically increase the oil recovery
“It is a critical step that has changed 20 tertiary recovery in the future. That’s just efficiency of the flooding scheme.”
years of evolution.” what CNRL is doing now at its Pelican
Lake field.
Directional wells date back to the late
1970s, but advances in technologies like
measuring-while-drilling (MWD) tools,
steerable downhole motors and drilling
rig capabilities have made directional
drilling much more commonplace in
Canada’s oil and gas industry.
Going beyond primary production is also
in the plans at Seal for Penn West,
“CNRL initiated injection into the reservoir although president Andrew says it will
at its waterflood pilot project in May be some time before the move will be
2003, and success of the waterflood pilot necessary.
has led to a commercial waterflood
conversion and downspacing projects at
“We will continue to increase the base of
primary cold bitumen production
through to 2012,” he explains. “Following
“Today, there are amazing tools,” says the primary recovery phases, we expect
Adam Peters, representative of Newsco to increase production several fold
Directional and Horizontal Services. “It through enhanced thermal recovery
allows operators to expose a larger technologies.”
drainage pattern than with conventional The theory behind this secondary method
vertical wells.” is that water injection replaces voids Alberta’s heavy oil and bitumen
removed by primary depletion and resources vary and require different
Pelican Lake,” the company says. “The
projects entail creating alternating
injector and producer patterns with
horizontal wells within the existing
primary development.”
The horizontal wells tend to be restores reservoir pressure. CNRL currently recovery techniques, not only in the
completed with slotted liners, says Dr. produces about 9,000 barrels per day different areas, but also as the life cycle
Maurice Dusseault, renowned heavy oil from its Pelican Lake waterflood and of a play progresses. As technology
expert and professor of geological expects production rates will increase continues to be advanced, these
engineering at the University of Waterloo significantly from expansions of the lifespans will likely only become longer
in Ontario. scheme in the coming years. and more prolific. ■
