T.P.
3695
MILE SIX POOL-AN EVALUATION OF
RECOVERY EFFICIENCY
E. L. ANDERS, JR., INTERNATIONAL PETROLEUM CO., LTD., TALARA, PERU, MEMBER AIME
ABSTRACT
The Mile Six pool is located on the La BreaParinas Con
cession of International Petroleum Co., Ltd., in northwestern
Peru on the west coast of South America. The reservoir pres
sure in this pool has been maintained within 200 psi of its
initial value throughout its history, and gravity drainage has
played an important role in the production behavior. It has
now produced 95 per cent of its estimated ultimate recovery.
It is estimated that this interesting oil pool will ultimately
produce 67 per cent of the initial oil in place and that the
resulting residual oil saturation may be as low as 19 per cent
of the pore volume (29 per cent of the hydrocarbon pore
volume). An evaluation of reservoir rock and fluid character
istics and ultimate oil recovery is presented.
INTRODUCTION
This study of Mile Six pool was made to evaluate its
performance according to latest available information. The
production performance of this pool has been discussed in
various articles,,,3,.,., .. in the past, and the reported behavior
has been used as an example for application of computation
procedures for gravity drainage depletion' and as an illustra-
tion oi field behavior under gravity drainage or expanding
gas cap drive_'" There have been wide variations in reported
values of initial oil in place, reservoir oil volume factor. con-
nate-water sauration, volume of effective sand, and ultimate
recovery because of the paucity of reliable basic data, These
various factors have been determined as accurately as prac-
ticable with the latest available information, and this evaluation
is presented herein. The production history of Mile Six is an
excellent example of gravity drainage depletion with effective
pressure maintenance by gas injection.
GENERAL
Mile Six pool was discovered by cable-tool drilling in
November, 1927, when well 1996 was completed in the
Parinas sand. After slow development with cable tools and
sporadic production, the pool was opened to continuous pro-
duction in November, 1933, and development was completed
with rotary rigs. Pressure maintenance was started in Decem-
her, 1933, by returning gas to upstructure wells.
Most of the development was completed by 1937, but some
additional wells were drilled in the period 1939-1947, and
several old wells were deepened. A total of 46 oil and gas
wells and 4 dry holes were drilled on approximately 7-acre
spacing. Of the producers, 21 are now flowing, 2 are pumping,
4 are gas input wells, 3 are abandoned, 1 is a gas well shut
in, and 15 are shut in because of non-commercial production
or high gas-oil ratio. The locations of all wells are shown on
the map of Fig. 1.
Total oil production on Dec. 31, 1952, was 30,867,373 bbl:
cumulative gas production was 22,023,777 MC; and 26,410,946
Mcf of gas had been returned to the reservoir. These figures
do not include oil and gas lost in a blowout in January, 1946.
'Refere:1ces jtiven at end of paper.
Vol. 198, 1953 PETROLEUM TRANSACTIONS, AIME
GEOLOGICAL DESCRIPTION
Mile Six pool is located on the northern end of a structural
spur projecting from the La Brea-Negritos uplift. The spur
is probably a reflection of a basement structure. It plunges
gently to the north, is broken into a complex series of fau~t
blocks, and contains the Verdun Alto. Section Sixteen, and
Mile Six pools.
The Parinas sandstone (lower Eocene), which is the pro-
ducing formation in Mile Six, occurs at an average depth of
0
2,200 ft in the pool and dips north and east at from 15 to
0
20 The pool covers an area of approximately 350 acres.
Mile Six is down faulted about 600 ft from Section Sixteen
pool to the south, and a major fault forms its western
boundary. The north and east boundaries are formed by the
intersection of the sand top with the water-oil contact which
occurs at approximately 2,440 ft subsea. An original gas-oil
contact probably existed at about 1,875 ft subsea. Fig. 1 pre-
sents the latest structural interpretation of the pool, and Fig.
2 is an isopach map showing thickness of the total Parinas
formation above the original water-oil contact. The heavy lines
of Fig. 1 are contours on the sand top, and the fine lines
are contours on the fault planes. This type of straight-line
structural map was developed by International's geologists
to reflect structural conditions where the bedding planes dip
and have no curvature. The La Brea-Parinas Concession is
highly faulted by normal faults. The beds are flat wherever
exposed. The Parinas formation is approximately 635 ft thick,
and it is estimated that 62 percent of the formation is effective
sand. The original oil zone was about 565 ft thick. Fig. 2A
presents an electric log showing typical Parinas sand develop-
ment in Mile Six pool.
The Parinas sand in Mile Six is a well-sorted, meditm1'- to-
coarse-grained. cross-b~dded sand with minor lenses of shale
and small lenses and pockets of pebble conglomerate. The
sand grains are subangular to rounded and consist chiefly of
quartz with feldspars. biotite, hornblende, and augite as
accessory minerals.
Because of faulting of the Parinas formation to the east
and north of the pool, there is probably no possibility of a
significant natural water drive in Mile Six. The faults within
the pool, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2, are of smaller dis-
placement and seem to act only as partial barriers to fluid
movement within the reservoir.
RESERVOIR CHARACTERISTICS
Core analysis data are available from five wells. The data
were obtained from three wells (Nos. 3401, 3586 and 3719) at
the time of their completion and from well 1996 when the
original liner was sidetracked and the well was deepened
in 1946. Data from well 2779 were obtained in 1943 from old
cores taken when the well was deepened in 1934. From these
core analyses_ the average porosity was estimated to be 22.6
per cent, and the average permeability to dry air was esti-
mated to be 780 md. Measured productivity indices varied
from 3.1 to 71.4 BjD per psi differentIal. Specific productivity
indices varied approximately from 0.1 to 0.3 BjD per psi per
ft of sand..
279
T.P. 3695 MILE SIX POOL- AN EVALUATION OF RECOVERY EFFICIENCY

The average connate water saturation was estimated to be
about 35 per cent with distribution as shown in Fig. 3. No
direct measununents of connate water from cores taken with
oil-base mud or from restored-state tests are available for
Mile Six. The curve of Fig. 3 was determined from a j.function
curve which was prepared from 240 restored-state measure-
ments for cores from similar Parinas sand in the Corral
Quemado and Silla pools. The j-curve is shown as Fig 4.
The average permeability to oil or gas where the hydro-
carbon pore space is completely saturated with one phase was
estimated to be 300 md. Curves representing the relationship
of relative permeabilities to oil and gas as a function of gas
saturation (as a fraction of hydrocarbon pore volume) are
shown in Fig. 5. These curves were developed from field
data from nearby pools having very similar sand character-
istics and which were produced by the solution-gas-drive
mechanism. No laboratory measuremen.ts of relative permeabili-
ties have been obtained.
Fig. 6 is a cross section of Mile Six showing the original
gas-oil and water-oil contacts and the original pressures at

OH Well
~ 0" Hole
Abondoned Prod!Jcer
4) Gas Well
@ Gas Input Well . . .0
~
Contours drOwn on bedding Ptone
Contour$ drown Fault Ptone .I C>
C>
It)
DATUM PLAf'E - SEA LEVEL
CONTOUR INTERVAL' 100 FEET '"

..
C>
C>

'"
<:,
C>
It)

'"
\
C>
C> .\
'"'" C>
...
C>

'"
.
1

INTERNATIONA,L PET'!OLEUM COMPANY, LTO

o .~ 1000'
LA 8REA a PARINAS CONCESSION
seA l E TAlARA PERU SA

FIG. 1 - STRUCTURE MAP OF THE TOP OF THE PARINAS SANDSTONE IN MILE SIX POOL.

280 PETROLEUM TRANSACTIONS, AIME Vol, 198, 1953

<
~ - ~=+~~t=tjit=~-~-~~.-
... " -'1\-
'0
~
'0
.~ .. -- .....-
01
W -=~~~~~~==E=~2.oor-t-i~
-
__ ~~+-~~~~--
'? ~

i ,.

-=:~~~~~t;t:t= ~--
utC)i

\o!.W!..2 - J2800 :I!

011 ....

.....

........,.,. ,.e...... "'.'
0fJ HO"

..... If..

++~~t
II
lID

--~
-~
I ~+""~~+-~~~-
i''''
." --r-+-~~~~~-J~29oo ~O-r-+-4~~
m
..... "'7 ~
:::0 ; :r
0
....
m ( z
C
~ :r rn
111111111" ~I I II / I i II I~ r
ifJmm~oo;
.....
:::0
" .. "\. - 9

> r
>
Z
Z
~ //111111111 , \. '\.tl,,' '\. II II r'- / y { / I 211t
9
<
om
:::0
n
..... ~
(5 '--
Z ?t.J
!JI
> 100 (

~
m -- --

( <: -

=-t=+-t:1;t~:;:t:D32oo
---~ ---- -- --
::>
- - - ( - - - - c-f---
- --- t-- - --

--t-"'F~=l=::hbt--l 3300
-- -- ~e-:;:;~-
- - f----
r-t:::*""1/=---t-+-+--+--4----!-
,--- - f-- '-

...
N
(II)
o
- - ,0Gft
SCA~E
.._. ."",tt"ATIONAL

FIG. 2 -ISOPACH MAP, TOTAL FORMATION ABOVE ORIGINAL WATER-OIL CONTACT (AT 2,440 FT
loA BREA a
PET"OLEUM COMNHY.
PARI NAB CONct:tlIlON
TALAflA .. "CItV " A.
LU.,TO
-- -<

FIG. 2A - ELECTRIC LOG OF WELL 3597, SHOWING TYPICAL

PARINAS SAND DEVELOPMENT IN MILE SIX POOL.
-+----
:a
Co)

$UI
SUBSEA), MILE SIX POOL.
T.P. 3695 MILE SIX POOl- AN EVALUATION OF RECOVERY EFFICIENCY

1600 15
I I I
14 CAPILLARY PRESSURE FUNCTION CURVE f--
AS APPLIED TO
1100 MILE SIX POOL
3 PERU
f-

2 FIGURE 4 f-
1800
CON ATE WATE~
01 TRIB TlON I
MIL SIX POO

1900 IGUR 3 10
4
W
11'1
III 9
~
11'1
2000
~ 8
w
W
IL.
Z 7
0 2100
t=
~ 6
W
..J
W
2200 5

4
\
2300 \
\I~-
I -~-

3
\
H-- 2
\
2400

r----
l\.
"-.. t--
I
1\
~

'I"-
2500 0
o 20 60 80 100 o 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
BRINE SATURATION, % TOTAL PORE VOLUME
CONNATE WATER SATURATION, PERCENT OF PORE SPACE

FIG. 4- CAPILLARY PRESSURE FUNCTION CURVE AS APPLIED TO

FIG. 3 - CONNATE WATER DISTRIBUTION, MILE SIX POOL. MILE SIX POOL.

Table I - Mile Six Pool, Summary of Reservoir Data Table 2 -Mile Six Pool, Separator Fluid
Sample Analyses
RESERVOIR CHARACTERISTICS Sample from Well 2779
Date Sampled Feh.22,1936
Ori~inal Oil Zone Volume, Acre-feet ~ 54,580 Gravity of Oil, 0 API 40.02
Original Gas Cap Volume, Acre-feel. 7,120 Molecular Weight of Oil 185.25
Average Porosity, Per Cent.. 22.6 Practical Analysis of Oil Liq. Weight
Average Permeability to Dry Air, Millidarcies 780 Yol. % o/r
Average Formation Dip, Degrees ~~~.~~~~ 17.5 Methane. .041 .009
Reservoir Rock Assumed to be Water Wet Ethane ~ .068 .032
Original Gas-Oil Contact, Feet Subsea ~ 1875 Propane. .283 .177
Original Water-Oil Contact, Feet Subsea~~ 2440 I-Butane .474 .323
Original Oil in Place, Stock Tank bbL ~~ 51,800,000 NButane 1.067 .754
Original Oil in Place, Reservoir hbl .... 61,900,000 I-Pentane 1.211 .920
Relative Permeabilites - See Fig. 5 NPentane ~ 1.971 1.514
Hexane and Heavier 04.RR5 96.271
RESERVOIR FLUID CHARACTERISTICS 100.000 100.000
Fradional Analysis of Gas Gas Yol. %
Original Pressure at Gas-Oil Contact, psia~~ 856 Methane .. 50.S!!
Original Pressure at Water-Oil Contact, psia 1045 Ethane lO.5:~
Original Pressure at Oil Zone Midpoint (-2158 ft ss), psia 951 Propane 14.7!!
Original Pressure at Datum Plane (-2200 ft ss), psia~~~ 965 IButane~~ 5.01
Temperature at 2200 ft ss, F~~~~~ .. ~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~ .. 114 N-Butane~~.~~ S.27
Original Gas-Oil Ratio (Flash), SCF /Stock Tank bbL 325 Pentanes and Heavier~ 10.53
Original Reservoir Yolume Factor (Flash), 100.00
Res. hhljST hhl ~~ ~~ .. ~.~~~~~~ ... ~ .. ~.~~~~~~~~ .. 1.1960 St'parator Temperature, F~ 91
Original Reservoir Oil Yiscosity, Centipoises ~ 1.02 Specific Gravity of Gas ~. ~ 1.174
Original Reservoir Gas Yiscosity, Centipoise8.-~~~ ~. ~.~ 0.013 Yacuum on Separator, Inches of Mercury~ 3.5
Original Compressibility Factor - Gas Liberated by Gas-Oil Ratio, SCF /bbL 325
Differential Yaporization ~~ ... ~ .... ~~ .. ~ .. ~.~ .............. ~ ..... ~~ ... ~~ .. ~ 0.570 Production Rate, B/D .. ~ 547
Original Compressibility Factor - Gas-Cap Gas~ ..... . 0.880 Reservoir Temperature, OF 114
282 PETROLEUM TRANSACTIONS, AI ME Vol. 198, 1953
 E. l. ANDERS, JR. T.P. 3695

100 I00 tho~e tWI) ,Icpths and at the pressure datum at 2,200 ft subsea.
The original sand volumes in the gas cap and oil zone were
....
z
w
o
ffiao
Cl.
.;
~--- ~ -~ ---

\
\
--
i/ 80
I-
Z
W
o
ffi
Cl.
j
taken from the curves of Fig. 7. These curves were determined
from Fig~. 1 and 2. The original gas.oil contact was assumed
to be at 1,875 ft subsea, and the average wateroil contact
was at 2,440 ft subsea. The estimate of percent effective sand
was determined from core data and meager electric.log data.
c(
(5
(!)

:? 60 f - - - \ / 60 :?
The original gascap volume was thus determined to be 7,120
acreft with an oil zone of S4.S80 acreft.
-+-' -.- The amount of oil originally in place was calculated from
>-
t:
...J
1\ / Figs. 3 and 7 to he 5].800,000 stock tank hhl or 61,900,000
~
W 40 \ I
/ reservoir bbl. Table 1 presents a summary of the reservoir data.

2
ffi
Cl. \ \
1
RESERVOIR FLUID CHARACTERISTICS
w
>
~ 20
\ V 20 ~
W
No subsurface fluid samples were taken from Mile Six until
1942. Since that time, six samples have been taken from three
c(
...J
W X !;i
...J
W
wells, and the solution gasoil ratio and reservoir-volume factor
for flash vaporization were measured at the saturation pressure

-
II: II:
V "-.. for each sample. The results were rather erratic and con-
~ sidered to be unreliable. Since the GOR and shrinkage were
o
1.0 0.8
GAS SATURATION, FRACTION
0.6 0.4 0.2
----
OF H.C.P.V.
o
0.0 measured at only one pressure in each case and the results
were so erratic, these values were calculated from hydrocarbon
analyses of separator oil and gas samples obtained from well
FIG. 5 - RElATIVE PERMEABILITY - SATURATION RElATIONSHIP, PARI 2779 in February, 1936.
NAS SAND, MILE SIX POOL The hydrocarbon analysis of separator samples from well
2779 are shown in Table 2. These were recombined accord-
ing to the measured gasoil ratio, and the composition of the
reservoir oil was calculated. Equilibrium vaporization con-
stants were determined for this mixture from reported ideal
_,000'" 'ull""
K's at low pressures" and the correlations of Hadden'o and
Brown, Katz, Oberfell and Alden." Using these computed
K,values, the bubble point pressure of the reservoir oil was
determined to be 890 psi a which was very close to the measured
Ii reservoir pressure at the time the samples were obtained.
It was then assumed that the average oil from Mile Six
was produced to separator conditions of 11.2 psia (5 in. mer-
cury vacuum) and 90F. Equilibrium vaporization constants
were determined for these conditions, and the solution GOR
011. ,AI c'" VOI,.~r.T.'IO AGIiI-fUT
0111 0,1,. 10111 IfOI,.UM, ...... ao "CII[-'lIT and reservoir-volume factor were calculated for flash vaporiza-
tion. These were determined to be 325 std cu ft per bbl and
1.1960 reservoir bbl per stock tank bbl.
The variations in solution COR and shrinkage with change
in saturation pressure were calculated for a combination
FIG. 6 - CROSS SECTION, MILE SIX POOL vaporization process. For these calculations it was assumed
that as the reservoir pressure declined, the liberated vapor was
separated from the remaining oil because of gravity segrega-
tion (differential vaporization) and that the resulting saturated

O~r--
I

'- ----t---!~ ~
30009

00.8
. """ .
~
Go.

'"
1/ -
/" I 30

I.

-----
~ (,.0;
~~....
'"
001

00.6
~
~
IU

.- .-
."
.- '" '" '"-- .
'"
'10\"'~
~
~
>:<1--
I

I.

z
o
IOO 0'
g /
."
."

.,,-- - -- fO''!!''
I

RESERVOIR FLUID CHARACTERISTIC

0.4,
"" MILE SIX POOL I

I
I fiGURE

0 I 00
10 20 SO 40 $0 60 70 10 100 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 .00 loao
AeRIE-FEU OF SAND ,UOy[ ELEVATION SATURATION PRESSURE, PSI"

FIG. 7 - SAND VOLUME AS RElATED TO ElEVATION, MILE SIX POOL FIG. 8 - RESERVOIR flUID CHARACTERISTIC, MILE SIX POOL.

Vol. 198, 1953 PETROLEUM TRANSACTIONS, AIME 283

T.P. 3695 MILE SIX POOl - AN EVALUATION OF RECOVERY EFFICIENCY

oil would he proc\IJ('('d IIIHkl' fla~" vaporization c(lllditioll~. The Tahlt' :i -- 'tik Six Pool, Pre,,~url' .--- Produdiol1 Data
------ _. __ ... _--_._-- .------...
results of thel'e cakulationl' ar(' ~h()wll in Fig. 8. It wa~ also J'rt'ss. itt (;atH)j!
------~.--

}>rt>}iS. at Cum. Oil Cum. Gas Cunl. Gas Prod.

2200 i t ~Ollt<t('t. ('.() COllt<t('t ProdU<'Nf Produ(,'ci IlIjN'.U'd GOR.
found that for th(' aSl'lImption of truc t'qlliJihrium or flash J);d.' "'!>, P~lli Ft. :-:.; P~1iI !VIM RbI .\Ie! x 10-1; Me( X lO-H ('F /Hhl
- - .------~----------.---------

vaporization the resulting curves would agree very well wit h Disco\'{'n 96.1 1875 8.16 0 0 0
the presented curves for the comhination vaporization. '1/:-\0/:;:1 9.12 IH7S R4:-\ 0.385 0.17.1 0 :;Illl
The re~ervoir oil viscosity at original conditions wa~ about 'I/,)0/.)4 H:-\H 197.1 76:) 2.777 1.16.) O.1l6:-l :'16:)
1.02 ('jJ. alld till' prodllct'd'(']'lIde-oil gravity was IW o ;\ PI :in! j;)1l HHIl 2110 HS4 H.MS . :-l.491 :t491 :\41
1/ :-11/ :-IH H76 22.10 H71l 17.629 6.4.14 H.6:-\4 'lllH
at 60)<,. II.S1H III II
10 /:\ 1 j;)<) H7l 2:HO Hi4 22.19.1 9.0%
InO/l2 H21l 2:)40 H26 2.1.142 10.902 1:-l.H4:) 900
1/:-\0/44 H:)<) 2:-l60 H:W 21l.H:W ].).78:-\ 16.437 2.194
EXPLOIT ATION PRA<:TICES 9/:)0/4.1 H.) 1 2370 H:)} 27.61H 15.710 IH.355 2512
H/:)1/46 765 2380 765 28.176* 18.034* 19.228 1039
Fifteen oil wells and three dry holes were drilled with cable 9/30/4H 786 2:)90 786 29.457* 19.673* 21.529 171H
tools, and the remainder were drilled by rotary rigs. For the 1/31/50 770 2395 770 30.040* 21.095* 23.301 3250
wells drilled with cable tools, the general practice was to 5/,)1/52 762 2400 762 30.476* 22.320* 24.983 2931
cement casing at the top of the Parinas formation and then "'These figures include 7.000 bbl of oil and 1.600 MMcf of gas lost in blow-
out of well 2281.
drill into the sand a few feet and run pre-perforated liner.
All of the cable-tool drilled oil wells were later deepened with
and to decrease the gas-oil ratios. Now almost all flowing wells
rotary rigs except for well 2743 which wal' noncommercial
produce through automatic chokes. Only two wells are pump-
and was abandoned.
ing, and about 95 per cent of the total ultimate recovery will
Most of the rotary drilled wells also had casing cemented
be obtained by natural flow.
at the sand top and were then drilled to within a few feet
Pressure maintenance by gas injection through upstructure
of the water-oil contact. These were completed with uncemented
wells began in December. 1933, and the reservoir pressure was
perforated liners. Since 1939, all wells completed or deepened
maintained at an average of about 850 psig at 2,200 ft subsea
were drilled to a point below the water-oil contact; an elec-
until January, 1946, when an estimated 1.600 MMcf of gas and
trical log was run; and an oil string or hlank liner was set,
7.000 hhl of oil were lost in a blowout of well 2281. Sincf'
cemented. and selectively perforated.
that time the reservoir pressure has been maintained at ahout
Beginning in 1934. all producers were tubed to within a
760 psig. Since 1948, as wells went to high gas-oil ratio, they
few feet of the bottom to give maximum submergence. Flow
were shut in to decrease the amount of gas required for
rates were controlled with positive chokes so that production
pressure maintenance if no workover possibility existed.
was obtained at low gas-oil ratios as long as possible. Packer
settings in non-perforated sections opposite shale stringers in
the wells with cemented blank liner or casing have been very PRODUCTION HISTORY
effective in reducing gas-oil ratios as the gas cap expanded. Little oil was produced from Mile Six between its discovery
Most of the deepening jobs were done to increase production in 1927 and Octoher, 1933. Pressure maintenance was started

I I I I

f---!---t-'.::..::+---+--+''_- I /f
Produced Go.Oil Ratio
I

.0

20

'0

FIG. 9 - PRESSURE-PRODUCTION HISTORY, MILE SIX POOL.

284 PETROLEUM TRANSACTIONS, AIME Vol. 198, 1953

 E. l. ANDERS, JR. T.P. 3695

in December, 11),3J. aud the uil Iln)(lucliuu ral" wa~ innca"'d
to 14,000 B/D by thf' middlf' of 19~0. TIll' prodllcti,)n rat,
had declined to 1.400 B/D by 1945. and the average prodm(d
gas.oil ratio had increased slowly from 330 cu ft/bbl in the
early life of the pool to over 2,300 cu ft/bbl in 1944 and 1945.
The deepening program was accelerated in 1940 to increase
Ihe oil production rate and 10 decrease gas.oil ralios. It was
during deepening of well 22RI Ihal it hl!'w oul.
In Decem her, 11).')2. Mil, Six was producing ()()O Il;])
of oil (an averagl' of 20 hhl P('I' wl'lIda\ I at a gas.oil ralio
of Ll50 "II fl hilI. (;as was r<'lllrn.-d 10 Ih .. r"""",-Oll' at a
rate of ,1.200 I\fd D.
lndllding the oil and ga" losl in Ihe blowoul. a total of
JO,875.000 hhl of oil and 23.624.000 Mcf of gas have been
produced from Mile Six, In addition. approximately 2.2.')0,000
hhl of gasoline have heen removed from the pror1l1cf'd gas hy
ihe Mill' Six Casolin(' I'lanl.
Fig, IJ "how" tlu: pr("'III,,.production hislory of IIIe pool.
and Tahl,' :) "llOw,s 1'1'1' ... >'111'" and production dala for variou"
dalt".

0' '000' :rOQO'

LEGEND SCALE
RECOVERY, BBlSI AC,- Ft,

0-100 CJ
100 -500 ~
500 - 1000

1000 - 1500
lIlIIilllll
~
\ \I
co
""
"'0
0

'" .1
> 1500 ~

INTERNATIONAL PETROLEUM COMPANY, LTD

LA BREA 8 PARlliiAS CONCESSION
TALARA PERU 5 A

FIG. 10 - RECOVERIES, BARRELS PER ACREFOOT, MILE SIX POOL

Vol. 198, 1953 PETROLEUM TRANSACTIONS, AIME 285

T.P. 3695 MILE SIX POOL - AN EVALUATION OF RECOVERY EFFICIENCY
Table 4 - ~1ileSix Pool, Ultimate Re(:overies and
Residual Oil Saturations
(:um. Reeowry to D"c ..'31. 1952, Bhl ~.T. Oil :lO,867,37:l
Cum. Recovery to Dec. 31. 1952. Rbi Gasolillf' 2,250,000
Total Recovery to Dec. 31, 1952, Bbl Liquid :13,117,373
Est. Economic Ult. Reco""ry, Bbl S.T. Oil :l2,000,OOO
Est. Economic Ult. Reeo\'ery, Bbl Gasolinp 2,800,000
Total Ult. Reeov!'ry, Bbl Liquid, :14,SOO.OOO
E"t. mt. Residual Oil Saturation, 'Ir, Total Port> Vol. II)
Est. Ult. R!'sidual Oil Saturation, '7r Hydorcarbon Pore Vol. 21)
Est. Ult. Recovery, % Stock Tank Oil Initially in Plan' 117
Est. Ult. R!'cov!'ry. Rbl/ A<T{'ft 6:)7
NOTE: Production figures do not include oil and gas lost in blowuut of
well 2281.
ULTIMATE RECOVERY
It is now estimated that lV[ile Six will produce a total of
32000 000 bbl of stock-tank oil to an estimated economic limit
of'lOO' B jD. The amount of natural gasoline to be produced
in the future will, of course, depend upon the method by which
the present gas cap is depleted, If the pressure is maintained
to the economic limit for oil production and the gas cap is
then processed without return of dry gas to the gas cap, the
ultimate recovery of gasoline sohuld be about 2,800,000 bb1.
Cycling of the gas-cap gas should increase that figure signifi-
cantly, but no evaluation of such a procedure has been
prepared.
The total ultimate liquid recovery is estimated to be
34 800000 bbl which will leave a residual oil saturation of
19' pe; cent of the total pore volume or 29 per cent of the
hydrocarbon pore volume. Such recovery will be equal to
67 per cent of the initial stock-tank oil in place. A summary
of recovery determinations is presented in Table 4. These
residual oil saturation estimates may be subject to some varia-
tion since the estimate of connate water in Mile Six was
based on a correlation developed for other similar poo},; and
since the estimate of net pay is always approximate.
There can be little doubt that gravity segregation has played
a very important role in the production of Mile Six pool.
Qualitatively, the effects of gravity drainage can be shown by
the map of Fig. 10. The recoveries from wells near the top
of the structure have been very low while many of the down-
dip wells have produced more oil than was originally in place
in the areas they would ordinarily be expected to drain. The
presence of faults has undoubtedly affected the recoveries
of some wells completed in fault zones, and some of the
wells completed in thin sand sections close to the water oil con-
tact have had fairly low recoveries because of high connate
water saturation. There has been no active water drive.
CONCLUSIONS
Although the Mile Six pool has been producing for over
25 years and good field measurements of oil and gas produc-
tion, gas injected, and reservoir pressures are available, it
is still very difficult to determine the amount of additional oil
recovery which can be attributed to the effects of pressure
maintenance. Since the pool has so many properties which are
conducive to effective gravity segregation, the ultimate recovery
without pressure maintenance would probably have been much
higher than is usually considered good for solution-gas drive
but lower than is actually expected. However, there is no
doubt but that pressure maintenance has been an economic
success because of the reduced time for depletion, value of
gasoline removed from the cycled gas, increased oil recovery,
and reduced lifting costs due to the fact that it has been
possible to flow almost all of the oil produced to date. Also,
a large amount of gas has been stored in the reservoir, and
286 PETROLEUM TRANSACTIONS, AIME
this gas can he used for fll!'\ and for pressure maintenance
in other pools later.
To summarize, the following reasons are offered in explana-
tion of the sllcce~sful pressure-maintenance program in Mile
Six pool:
1. Reservoir characteristics condu<;ive to effective gravity
drainage. These include massive, continuous sand section,
high permeability, fairly steep dips, and low oil viscosity.
2. Pool owned and operated hy (,ne company.
:t Early gas injection he fore the reservoir pressure had de-
eiined to any significant extent.
4. Effective pressure maintenance throughout pool by gas
injection to the gas cap only.
S. High productivity indices which allowed wide range of
production rates with small pressure drawdowns.
6. Availability of a large supply of make-up gas from near-
by pools which allowed effective pressure maintenance.
7. Effective methods of gas.oil ratio control at moderate
expense.
8. ~ature of reservoir oil (fairly high content of light hydro-
carbons) which has allowed effective vaporization of oil
in contact with dry injected gas.
Future operation of pool and method of depletion of gas
cap will depend upon demand for gas for fuel and for other
pressure-maintenance projects. Continued cycling of the gas
cap gas can probably increase the total liquid recovery above
the present e~timates if sllch operation can be carried out
economically.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The writer is indebted to the International Petroleum Co.,
Ltd., for granting permission to publish this paper. The maps
of Figs. 1 a,ld 2 were prepared by Roy W. Pearce, and much
valuable information was obtained from the reports written
by E. C. Breene. Jr.
REFERENCES
1. Breen!', E. C. Jr., and Wiedey, L. W.: "Development of the
Mile Six Pool of International Petroleum Co., Ltd.-
Peru," Unpubli~hed report of Int. Pet. Co .. Ltd. (Jan.
1, 1940).
2. Breene, E. C.. J r.: "Supplementary Report on Develop-
ment of Mile Six Pool," Unpuhlished report of Int. Pet.
Co .. Ltd. (Sept. 1, 1942).
3. Mullane, J. J.: "Reservoir Performance," Drill. and Prod.
Prac., API, (1944) 53.
4. Moyer, R. E.: "Conservation and Utilization of Natural
Gas," Oil and Gas Jour. (Dec. 27, 1947) 46, (34) 251.
S. Muskat, M.: Physical Principles of Oil Production, Mc-
GrawHill Book Co., Inc., New York (1949) 486,495.
6. Holmes, W. H., Coleman, G. S., Anders, E. L., Jr., and
Marsh, J. M.: "Modern Methods Applied to International
Petroleum's Peruvian Operations," Oil and Gas Jour.
(Dec. 20,1951).
7. Welge, H. J.: "A Simplified Method for Computing Oil
Recovery by Gas or Water Drive," Trans. AIME (1952)
195, 91.
8. Petroleum Reservoir Efficiency and Well Spacing., Stand-
ard Oil Development Co., 1943.
9. Technical Manual, Natural Gasoline Supply Men's As-
soc., Dallas, Tex., 1946.
10. Hadden, S. T.: "Vapor - Liquid Equilibrium in Hydro-
carbon Systems," Chem. Eng. Prowess, (Jan., 1948) 44,
(1) .
11. Brown, G. G., Katz, D, L., Oberfell, G. G., and Alden,
R. C.: N alura! Gasoline and the VaZatile Hydrocarbons,
Nat. Ga~oline Assoc. of America, Tulsa, Okla., 1948.
***
Vol. 198, 1953