Infill Drilling in a Steamflood
Operation: Kern River Field
J.L. Restine, SPE, Texaco Inc.
W.G. Graves, * SPE, Texaco Inc.
R. Elias Jr., * * SPE, Texaco Inc.
Summary. An infill well program involving 574 wells in previously steamflooded idle reservoirs proved to be
economical and increased recovery in some areas from 50 to 58 %. These wells were recompleted to zones
under active steam drive and showed similar recovery increases in addition to acceleration of reserves. These
increases in recovery were attained without additional fuel.
Introduction
The Kern River field is a large, shallow, heavy-oil deposit
located 5 miles [8 Ian] northeast of Bakersfield, CA. The
productive formation is a sequence of sands called the
Kern River series. The structure is a simple homocline,
dipping southwest at 5° [0.09 rad]. The updip sands pinch
out, and downdip is bounded by an oil/water contact.
These fine-to-very-coarse sands, averaging 60 ft [18.3 m]
in thickness, are separated by silt and clay interbeds. The
unconsolidated sands have high permeabilities of 1 to 5
darcies and porosities of 28 to 33 %. The average oil vis-
cosity and reservoir temperature are 4,000 cp and 85°F
[4 Pa' s and 29°C], although viscosities vary between
sands from 2,000 to 40,000 cp [2 to 40 Pa' s].
Texaco Inc.'s Kern River field steamflood involved
more than 3,640 producing wells and 1,875 injection wells
before infill drilling. The field had been developed on
2V2-acre [10 l00-m 2 ] five-spot patterns. Up to seven
sands are swept, one at a time, usually beginning in the
lowest sand. These sands range in depth from 300 ft [91.4
m] in the northeast section of the field to 1,200 ft [366
m] in the southwest. The reported Kern River steamflood
oil recovery ranges from 42 to 73 % of presteam oil in
place (OIP), 1-5 with an average of 50% a generally ac-
cepted recovery efficiency. We have completed steam-
floods in 1,500 pattern sands.
Some of the techniques for improving steamflood recov-
ery were summarized by Bursell. t They include infill
wells, partial or limited perforation of producers, varia-
ble steam quality and rate, injection divertinf' crossflood-
ing, and injector-to-producer conversion. 6-1 Before infIll
wells were drilled, numerical simulation work indicated
several attractive benefits from infill wells: (1) recovery
increases from 50 to 60% of alP even with well spacing
as small as 0.625 acre [2530 m 2 ], (2) possible similar
recovery increase from the 1,500 completed and idle pat-
tern sands, and (3) accelerated recovery and fuel reduc-
'Now at Texaco Houston Research Center.
"Now at DCR Petroleum Corp.
'Burseli, C.G.: "Old Steamsfloods Never Die, They Just Produce Away," 1984
SPE Distinguished Lecturer Bakersf.ield, Dec. 13.
Copyright 1987 Society of Petroleum Engineers
SPE Reservoir Engineering, May 1987
tion. These results have been proved. The following
review of four projects will compare theoretical to actual
results.
The 574-infill-well program was unusual in that most
of the wells were first completed in idle sands and were
subsequently perforated in upper active steamfloods and
the well spacing was reduced to only 0.625 acre [2530
m 2 ] per well. The patterns went from 1.25- to 0.625-acre
[5060- to 2530-m 2 ] well spacing by conversion of a 2V2-
acre [10 100-m 2 ] five-spot into a 2V2-acre [10 l00-m 2 ]
nine-spot pattern.
1970 Canfield Project
The 1970 Canfield project covers 148 acres [599 X 10 3
m 2 ] in the updip portion of the Kern River field, as
shown in Fig. 1. A cross section through the project (Fig.
2) shows the steamflood intervals. Table 1 shows reser-
voir properties.
Steam injection in the first displacement sand, Sand Rl,
began in July 1970. Injection was ended at the steamflood
economic limit in Sept. 1977. Fig. 3 shows project per-
formance history. Cumulative steamflood oil recovery
from the project was 147,000 STB [23400 stock-tank
m 3 ] per pattern, or 57% of the predisplacement alP, as
shown in Table 2.
In Feb. 1978, the project was recompleted upward to
Sand R. Conduction heating from the Sand Rl displace-
ment raised Sand R temperature from 85 to 165 and 92°F
[29 to 74 and 33°C] at the base and top of Sand R, re-
spectively (Fig. 4). Previous work 4 reported the benefi-
cial effects of this preheating. Steam injection in Sand R
was terminated in the 55 patterns during the period from
Oct. 1982 to June 1984. Again, injection was ended in
these patterns at the steamflood economic limit. Steam-
flood oil recovery was 97,200 STB [15 450 stock-tank
m 3 ] per pattern, or 49%, as shown in Table 2.
During this same 1982-84 period, recompletion and in-
jection into Sand K (above Sand R) was started. Concur-
rently, 80 infill wells were drilled and initially completed'
in the idle Sand Rl. As shown in Fig. 5, these wells were
drilled at midpoints of the pattern boundaries.
The average production rates for these infill wells are
shown in Fig. 6. After oil production rates declined to
243
 SACRAMENTO SANGUINETTI CANFIELD CANFIELD CANFIELD
(-, /-"'\ 37 514 520 515 '>3 I
• fI' e'.'
-\ '-_/ (
~ R1
\
,, \
\
\
\ "-
) TEXACO PROPERTY
I
f
/
/

T.O.10Sl'

Fig. 2-Sacramento, Sanguinetti, and Canfield A-to-A'

cross section.

of OIP, respectively (Table 2). This increased recovery

1 MILE
Fig. 1-Kern River field location map.
7 BID [1. 1 m 3 / d], the wells were perforated in Sand R.
Injection stopped in the pattern before Sand R was perfo-
rated. The oil production rates given in this figure are a
~ummation of all wells normalized to the date of perforat-
mg Sand R. These wells were drilled over a period of
~bout 12 months during 1982-83, and 25 are still produc-
mg from only Sand R1. The current average oil rate for
all 80 wells is 15 BID [2.4 m 3 /d].
The initial production rates from Sands R 1 and R were
37 and 16 BID [5.9 and 2.5 m 3 /d], respectively. Tpe
dIfference was probably caused by the difference in reser-
voir, liquid gravity potential, and permeability, shown in
Table 1. The steam-chest pressure in Sand R 1 was meas-
~red .at onl~ ~6 psia [!80 kPa]. The liquid gravity poten-
tIal, m addItIon to bemg related to the height of the free
liquid, is affected by the number of interbedded clays and
shales.
Current decline rates indicate that infill wells will in-
crease recovery from Sands Rl and R by 8.5 and 5.0%
of 22,200 and 9,800 STB [3530 and 1560 stock-tank m 3 ]
per pattern for Sands Rl and R is in good agreement with
the numerical simulation results shown in Table 3. The
idle-zone infill case shows a 14,000-STB [22oo-stock-
tank-m 3 ] increase in recovery over a base or no-infill-
well case. More significantly, however, Table 3 and the
field results show that this increase in recovery is attained
without a~ditional fuel. In Table 3, net barrels are gross
barrels mmus fuel. Thus the profit per barrel is higher.
The results in Table 3 are similar to Fig. 7. *
Sanguinetti R1 Project
The Sanguinetti project includes forty 2V2-acre [10 100-
m 2] five-spot patterns located in the center of the field,
as shown in Fig. 1. Injection began in Sand Rl in 1977.
In 1982, as the project declined toward steamflood eco-
nomic limit, 12 infill wells were drilled, as shown in Fig.
8. The 12 infill wells produced 155,000 STB [24600
stock-tank m 3 ] of increased oil above projected five-spot
rates. This increased recovery of 25,800 STB [4100 stock-
tank m 3 ] per pattern was higher than the confined interior
pattern.
The production history of the interior pattern is shown
in Fig. 9. The projected five-spot and nine-spot oil recov-
eries from this pattern are 109,000 and 124,000 STB
[17300 and 19700 stock-tank m 3 ]. As shown in Table
'BurseU, e.G.:. "Old Steamfloods Never Die, They Just Produce Away," 1984
SPE DistingUished Lecture Series, Bakersfield, Dec. 13.

TABLE 1-RESERVOIR PROPERTIES

Zone Original' Presteamflood Oil

Thickness Oil Initial Oil Oil Viscosity
Injection (tt) Porosity Permeability Saturation Saturation Gr~vity at 85°F
Project Zone Net Gross (%) (md) (%) (%) (OAPI) (cp)
-
1970 Canfield R1 80 98 31 2,300 60 51 13.5 4,300
R 68 92 31 2,000 60 45 13.5 4,300
Sanguinetti R1 75 94 31 2,000 60 52 13.0 8,000
R 72 95 31 1,900 60 46 13.2 5,000
Sacramento R 67 89 31 1,900 60 47 13.2 5,000
'Field discovered in 1899: 80% of production before steamflooding in 1970 was primary and 20% from steam stimulation.

244 SPE Reservoir Engineering, May 1987

 10~--------------------------~~~~----~ 2, this is an increase in recovery of 15,000 STB [2380
stock-tank m 3 ] per pattern, or 5.5% DIP. These results
are lower than those shown in Table 3 and Fig. 7. The
Year 4 infill case shows 20,000 STB [3200 stock-tank
m 3 ] per pattern additional recovery over the base or no
infill case. Again, this increased recovery was attained
without additional fuel.
Note that in the Canfield and Sanguinetti R1 projects,
the pattern wells were fully perforated and the infill wells
were perforated in the bottom 60% of the sand. These
completion intervals were also used in the numerical simu-
MSWPD INJECTION lations.
This project area was recompleted to Sand R in 1984.
70 71 7Z 73 74 75 76 77 78 Later infill drilling in the idle Sand R 1 around the San-
YEAR
guinetti 12 active Sand R1 infill wells showed the impor-
tance, in some instances, of drilling infill wells before
Fig. 3-1970 Canfield oil production and steam injection
history.
project shutdown.

TABLE 2-STEAMFLOOD RECOVERY

Estimated
Presteamflood Cumulative Steamflood Cumulative-
Total Project Estimated Project Interval Original Presteamflood Fuel-to-Oil-
Patterns Area Life OIP Recovery Recovery OIP OIP Production
Project Installed (acres) (years) (MMSTB) (MMSTB) (MMSTB) ~ (%) Ratio
1970 Canfield
R1 five-spot 55 148 6.75 14.53 8.77 8.29 48.5 57.0 0.30
Infill 1.22 1.22 7.1 8.4
--- --- ---
Total 9.99 9.51 55.6 65.4 0.26
R five-spot 55 148 4.50 10.89 5.80 5.34 36.8 49.0 0.38
Infill 0.54 0.54 3.7 5.0
---
Total 6.34 5.88 40.5 54.0 0.35
Sanguinetti
R1 five-spot 2.7 8.0 0.274 0.109 0.109 34.5 39.8 0.34
Infill 0.015 0.015 4.7 5.5
Total 0.124 0.124 39.2 45.3 0.30

HMPERATURf, OF

r--::,------ii--'i'-'l'5"-0.,'90'-'T130::....:.:,170. 90 130 170 110 150 190

INFlll WEllS

Fig. 5-1970 Canfield well location map.

TEMP. SURVEYS
SECONO OISPLACEMENT

Fig. 4-Type log and temperature surveys, Canfield T.W. 2.

SPE Reservoir Engineering, May 1987 245

 loor----------------------, 2.000
START 12 INFllL WEllS
~ ~

0 \-- ",
---~It.
50 Go
0 NORMAL ECONOMIC LIMIT
~ ~--
I
--~
:
~

.
--. ..
40 m
..... 200 FOR 21 PROOUCERS (PATTERNS)
'-
o 3D 100
~ .~-
Q.
o
III 20
50
75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83
.- .-
YEAR
Z
o Fig. 8-Sanguinetti R1 project oil production and location
I- 10 map.
U
~
o
o 5
a: PERFORATE
Q. 4 SAND MRM 100,----------------------,
...I 90
3 2 SIDE WELLS
o 80
70 1 PATTERN WELL
2 60
50
40
1~~~~~~~~~~~~ C
n.
" ....... "
·18 ·12 ·6 0 6 12 18 g 30 .................. "
MONTHS BEFORE & AFTER RECOMPLETION ................' .....
PATTERN WELL /"~
zo
Fig. 6-1970 Canfield average infill well production. PATTERN WELL
(NO INFILL)

10~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85
TABLE 3-NUMERICAL SIMULATION-60-ft SAND YEAR

Year Fig. 9-Sanguinetti R1 interior pattern production.

Infill Well Injection Life Gross Net
Drilled (years) (Mbbl) (Mbbl)
Never 5.7 107 66
(Base case) Sacramento R Project
0 5.0 127 89 Injection started in March 1983 in this 27-pattern Sand
2 5.4 127 87
4 5.8 127 86 R project. Infill drilling began May 1984 and was com~
5.7 6.8 131 83 pleted by March 1985. Fig. 10 shows the production his-
5.7 5.7 121 81 tory of an average interior pattern well and pattern total.
(Idle zone) This figure is based on 15 confined pattern and 32 con-
fined infill wells.
After 1 year of injection, and before infill wells, oil
production peaked at 47 BID [7.5 m 3 /d]. This peak pro-
ACTIVE ZONE INFILL WElLS ADDED duction is typical of more than 100 other Sand R patterns
200 AFTER START OF FLOOD
around this project. Infill wells have increased this peak
100 IDLE ZONE INFILL WELLS to 100 BID [16 m 3 Id]. This response is similar to a Fig.
50
7 Year 2 infill case.
40
3D
c 20 Sanguinetti R Project
11.
o The Sanguinetti R project includes 40 patterns (27 con-
III 10
fined patterns and 58 confined infill wells) adjacent to and
east of the Sacramento R project. Injection started in June
1984. Infill drilling began on the same date and was com-
pleted by Jan. 1985 (Fig. 11). Peak patterll production
is currently 80 BID [13 m 3 /d]. The higher peak pattern
10 production for patterns with infill wells added after the
YEAR
start of injection-i.e., the Sacramento vs. the Sanguinetti
Fig. 7-lnfill well timing effect on pattern production. projects-is consistent with the numerical simulation re-
sults shown in Fig. 7. In this project and the Sacramento
R project, the pattern wells and infill wells were perfo-
rated in the bottom 60 and 40 % of the sand, respectively.
The infill wells in the Sacramento and Sanguinetti R
projects were initially perforated in the idle Sand R1 (other
than the previously discussed 12 Sanguinetti R1 project
infill wells). The average initial production rate was 14
BID [2.2 m 3 /d]. As seen in Table 1, the percent of
246 SPE Reservoir Engineering, May 1987
 .,., '" ?
80

110 70
100
(1 PATTERN 60
90 NINE SPOT
2 SIDE WELLS)
(1 PATTERN
80 50 2 SIDE WELLS)
70 0
0.
0 40
Q
Q.
60 ,- III
0
III 50 ,/ 30
40
20
30
SI::;!
ZO 10
DISPLACEMENT
STA!lTED NO BliNOSPOT WEll S
10
, ' ....
NO OF eUNOSPOT WEllS
~",.~' "" "
1983
8 IOI!iJ9"!>S2!i45858!i8S858

1984 1985
198Z 1983 1984 1985
YEAR
YEAR
Fig. 10-Sacramento R project average pattern production. Fig. ll-Sanguinetti R project average pattern production.

clay/silt interbeds increases moving downdip from the
Canfield to Sacramento properties. The changes in vis-
cosity and permeabilities cannot account for all the
decrease in the idle Sand Rl productivity, moving from
the Canfield to Sacramento. The most probable reason
is the reduction in gravity potential resulting from the in-
crease in clay/silt interbeds.
The infill wells in the Sanguinetti R 1 project proved
to be far more effective during the active drive than in
the idle-zone infill wells. This fact indicates that with in-
creasing reservoir heterogeneities, it is important to be-
gin infill wells before the active drive ends.
Field Total
The production history of the 574 infill wells is shown
in Fig. 12. Additional production from the wells is cur-
rently 10,000 B/D [1600 m 3 /d]. The additional produc-
tion above expected five-spot performance is an estimated
8,000 BID [1300 m 3 /d]. Fig. 13 shows the idle and
active-drive production for the 574 wells at 5,000 BID
[800 m 3 /d] for each category.
The idle-zone production and the production in active
drives credited to increased recovery would not have been
produced during the economic life of the field. Of equal
importance is the fact that this production is being attained
without additional fuel.
Conclusions
1. Infill drilling a Kern River 2V2-acre [10 lOO-m 2 ]
five-spot pattern to nine-spot accelerates and increases oil
recovery at any point in the life of the five-spot pattern.
2. Infill drilling idle Kern River 2V2-acre [10 lOO-m 2 ]
five-spot patterns increases oil recovery.
3. In idle steamflood sands where gravity drainage is
a significant recovery force, infill well production has
been reduced by clay/silt interbeds.
4. With increasing reservoir heterogeneities, such as
clay ~nterbeds, the oil recovery difference between ac-
tive and idle sand infill wells increases.
5. Infill wells in the Canfield area of the Kern River
field steamflood increased ultimate recovery by 5 to 8 %
of predisplacement OIP in idle sands.

llr--------------~----,
100 '---'INNFlFliLLLL\iwtEEfiLi"LSS--';::;;;:;;;:::;:;::::;::;::::::::::::::::=--1
10

TOTAL
Q
II.
o
CD
::Ii o
0.
o
III
20 ~ /
/
/
/
1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 /
YEAR /
/
Fig. l2-Kern River field oil production and fuel oil. / ACTIVE DRIVE
_/
o~~~~----~~----~----~
1982 1983 1984 1985
YEAR
Fig. l3-Kern River field Infill well active-drive and Idle-
zone production.

SPE Reservoir Engineering, May 1987 247

 6. Infill wells in active drives with clay/silt interbeds 7. Ziegler, V.M.: "A Comparison of Steamflood Strategies: Five-
have increased ultimate recovery by 5 % of predisplace- Spot Pattern Vs. Inverted Nine-Spot Pattern," paper SPE 13620
ment DIP. presented at the 1985 SPE California Regional Meeting, Bakersfield,
March 27-29.
7. Most of the increased recovery from infill drilling 8. van Everdingen, A.F. and Kriss, H.S.: "New Approach to
required no additional fuel. Secondary Recovery," Pet. Eng. IntI. (Nov. 1980) 27-40.
9. Sarem, A.M.: "Industry Weighs Infin Drilling and EOR in Plan-
ning to Maximize Ultimate Production," JPT(Nov. 1983) 2007-08.
Acknowledgments 10. Barber, A.H. lr. et al.: "Infin Drilling to Increase Reserves-
We thank l.W. Mather and L.A. Waldo for their contri- Actual Experience in Nine Fields in Texas, Oklahoma, and lllinois, "
JPT (Aug. 1983) 1530-38.
butions and assistance and Texaco Inc. for permission to 11. Hong, K.C.: "Guidelines for Converting Steamflood to Water-
publish this paper. flood," SPERE (Feb. 1987) 67-76.
12. Afoeju, B.I.: "Conversion of Steam Injection to Waterflood, East
Coalinga Field," JPT (Nov. 1974) 1227-32.
References 13. Dilgren, R.E.: "The Laboratory Development and Field Testing
1. Bursen, C.G. and Pittman, G.M.: "Performance of Steam Dis- of SteamlNoncondensible Gas Foams for Mobility Control in Heavy
placement in the Kern River Field," JPT (Aug. 1975) 997-1005; Oil Recovery," paper SPE 10774 presented at the 1982 SPE
Trans., AIME, 259. California Regional Meeting, San Francisco, March 24-26.
2. Blevins, T.R. and Billingsley, R.H.: "The Ten-Pattern Steamflood,
Kern River Field, California," JPT(Dec. 1975) 1505-14; Trans., 51 Metric Conversion Factors
AIME,259. acre x 4.046 873 E+03 m2
3. Greaser, G.R. and Shore, R.A.: "Steamflood Performance in the o g/cm 3
Kern River Field," paper SPE 8834 presented at the 1980 SPE/DOE
°API 141.5/(131.5+ API)
Symposium on Enhanced Oil Recovery, Tulsa, April 20-23. bbl x 1.589 873 E-Ol m3
4. Restine, l.L.: "Effect of Preheating on Kern River Field Steam cp x 1.0* E-03 Pa's
Drive," JPT (March 1983) 523-29. ft x 3.048* E-Ol m
5. Ault, l.W., lohnson, W.M., and Kamilos, G.N.: "Conversion of OF (OF-32)/1.8 °C
Mature Steamfloods to Low-Quality Steam and/or Hot-Water
Injection Projects," paper SPE 13604 presented at the 1985 SPE mile x 1.609 344* E+OO km
California Regional Meeting, Bakersfield, March 27-29. • Conversion factor is exact. SPERE
6. Traverse, E.F., Deibert, A.D., and Sustek, A.1.: "San Ardo-A
Original manuscript received in the Society of Petroleum Engineers office Sept. 22,
Case History of a Successful Steamflood," paper SPE 11737 1985. Paper accepted for publication May 12,1986. Revised manuscript received June
presented at the 1983 SPE California Regional Meeting, Ventura, 27,1986. Paper (SPE 14337) first presented at the 1985 SPE Annual Technical Con·
March 23-25. ference and Exhibition held in Las Vegas, Sept. 22-25.

248 SPE Reservoir Engineering, May 1987