The objective of this project is to demonstrate the impact of downhole vibration stimulation on oil production rates in a mature waterflood field. Oil & Gas Consultants International, Inc. (OGCI) will manage the project in close cooperation with the Osage Tribe as the tests will be conducted in Osage County, Oklahoma, the mineral estate of the Osage Tribe. The field is owned and operated by Calumet Oil Company. Phillips Petroleum Company will contribute their proprietary vibration core analysis of cores recovered from the pilot test area. To achieve the project objectives, the work has been divided into nine tasks, some are concurrent, while other tasks rely on completion of previous steps. The operator, Calumet Oil Company operates several field in Osage County Oklahoma. The North Burbank Unit will be the site of the test. The team will then determine where within the field to optimally locate the vibration test well. With the location determined, the test well will be drilled, cored, logged and 7-inch production casing run and cemented. In a parallel effort, OGCI will be designing, building, and testing a new version of the downhole vibration tool based on their patented and field proven whirling orbital vibrator. With the field test tool built to run in 7-inch casing. Reliability testing of the downhole tool and surface power source will be conducted in nearby field operated by Calumet Oil Company. After the core is recovered, Phillips Petroleum Company will be conducting laboratory tests utilizing their proprietary sonic core apparatus to determine fluid flow response to a range of vibration frequencies. These results, in turn, will allow final adjustments to the frequency generation mechanisms of the downhole vibration tool. One or more offset wells, near to the vibration test well, will be equipped with downhole geophones and or hydro-phones to determine the strength of signal and if the producing formation has a characteristic resonant frequency response. Surface geophones will also be set out and arranged to pick up the signal generated by the downhole vibration tool. The downhole vibrator will be installed in the test well. Monitoring the production and injection for the pilot test area will continue. As the frequency of the downhole tool is changed, the recording of seismic signals, both on the surface and downhole, will also be conducted. The results of the data collection will be a matrix of varying vibration stimulation conditions corresponding to changes in production fluid rates and seismic responses. The report on the results of the downhole vibration stimulation will be prepared and delivered using several venues. Technical papers will be submitted to the Society of Petroleum Engineers. Workshops are planned to be held for operators in Osage County and surrounding areas. A dedicated technical session on vibration stimulation may be offered at the 2002 SPE/DOE/IOR Conference, bringing together the world's experts in this emerging technology. The final task will be to close out the project.
