The quality of injection waters used in any new or existing waterflood or EOR ·process should be considered as a critical component of reservoir management and surveillance programs. Despite decades of industry experience with recovery processes utilizing water in the Permian Basin (and most other major oil producing basins of the world), water quality is an often neglected aspect of reservoir management programs. Consequently, severe injectivity and operational problems are frequently experienced.

This paper describes a case study of water quality control for the Clearfork and Glorieta reservoirs (Permian age) of the North Robertson Unit (NRU) located in the Permian Basin of West Texas. A cost-effective surveillance program for the timely identification and treatment of potential water quality control problems has been designed and implemented. Integration of geological and reservoir parameters, which are crucial to ensure the realization of optimal reservoir performance and operational objectives, is highlighted.

Keywords:
waterflooding, modification, injection well, enhancement, water quality, porosity, north robertson unit, iron sulfide, injection, water quality enhancement
Subjects:
Production Chemistry, Metallurgy and Biology, Reservoir Fluid Dynamics, Improved and Enhanced Recovery, Environment, Inhibition and remediation of hydrates, scale, paraffin / wax and asphaltene, Flow in porous media, Waterflooding, Water use, produced water discharge and disposal
Copyright 1994, Society of Petroleum Engineers
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