Improved recovery from Gulf of Mexico reservovirs. Quarterly report, 1 October 1995--31 December 1995

The Gulf of Mexico Basin offers the greatest near-term potential for reducing the future decline in domestic oil and gas production. The Basin is less mature than productive on-shore areas, large unexplored areas remain, and there is great potential for reducing bypassed oil in known fields. On February 18, 1992, Louisiana State University with two technical subcontractors, BDM, Inc. and ICF, Inc., began a research program to estimate the potential oil and gas reserve additions that could result from the application of advanced secondary and enhanced oil recovery technologies and the exploitation of undeveloped and attic oil zones in the Gulf of Mexico oil fields that are related to piercement salt domes. This project is a one year continuation of this research and will continue work in reservoir description, extraction processes, and technology transfer. Detailed data will be collected for two previously studied reservoirs: a South Marsh Island reservoir operated by Taylor Energy and one additional Gulf of Mexico reservoir operated by Mobil. Additional reservoirs identified during the project will also be studied if possible. Data collected will include reprocessed 2-D seismic data, newly acquired 3-D data, fluid data, fluid samples, pressure data, well test data, well logs, and core data/samples. The new data unit be used to refine reservoir and geologic characterization of these reservoirs. Further laboratory investigation will provide additional simulation input data in the form of PVT properties, relative permeabilities, capillary pressures, and water compatibility. Geological investigations will be conducted to refine the models of mud-rich submarine architectures used by seismic analysts and reservoir engineers. Research on advanced reservoir simulation will also be conducted