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MESSAGE FROM YOUR CHAIR...

On behalf of LA Basin Section Board of Directors, I wish you a very happy, prosperous and successful year. At LA Basin Section, we measure success by how well we follow SPE's Mission Statement:

To provide the means for collection, dissemination, and exchange of technical information concerning the development of oil and gas resources, subsurface fluid flow and production of other material through wellbores for the public benefit; and to provide opportunities through its programs for interested (and qualified) individuals to maintain and upgrade their individual technical competence in the aforementioned areas for the public benefit.

Our vision is:

To be the preeminent technical society of the LA Basin oil, gas and related industries in the provision of services to its professionals .

Thus, we endeavor to improve the information superhighway, help upgrade individual member competence and thus help the petroleum industry. To provide this service, we raise money by various activities to provide public awareness of how the petroleum industry benefits the public, provide technical meetings and continuing education for the members, conduct youth outreach and scholarship programs, and recognize outstanding members.

Because the needs of the industry and members change from time to time, on 13 November we had a brainstorming session to determine how we can better serve the members and the industry in this new year. Many fresh ideas surfaced and are presently under consideration. If you have some ideas on how your Section can better serve you (program topics, continuing education course topics, social activities, job fair, etc.) I would love to hear from you (Fax: 714- 693-0663, e-mail:sam4iprc@laspe.org).

OOPS, I didn=t tell you about one of our own getting an international award at the last ATEC in San Antonio. He is Jerol M. Sonosky of Dell Mar, California, who received the coveted AEconomic and Evaluation Award@. The accompanying citation reads Afor distinguished contributions to petroleum engineering in the area of economics and evaluation@. Congratulations Jerol!

Talking about awards, now is the time to nominate up to three members for the Western Region Distinguished Service Award. If you have someone in mind, please pass the information to Mitch Findlay, who will represent our Section in the committee headed by Dr. Khalid Aziz, our new Western Region Director. For details of the qualifications and deadline, please contact Mitch, who is also the hardworking editor of this fine Newsletter.

The dates for National Engineers Week (NEW) are February 22-28. The theme is >Turning Ideas Into Reality@. I urge you to take active part in NEW activities in your area.

Through Engineers Week programs, engineers inform the public and the media of the valuable contributions engineers make to society and the compelling challenges that engineers face in the near-term and long-term future. NEW also gives us an opportunity to recognize individual and professional achievements, and motivate students to consider choosing a profession in engineering.

Dr. Torabzadeh will detail the Orange & LA counties NEW activities in the next issue.

Sam Sarem

For the first time, the LA Basin section of the SPE is offering cash awards in the LA County and Orange County Science Fairs. These awards will be presented to the best petroleum related projects in the Junior (grades 6-9) and Senior (grades 9-12) sections. Participants who work on projects that deal with the discovery, recovery, production, and usage of oil and natural gas qualify for these awards. These events will be held during April 1998.

For additional information, please call Shahed Meshkati at 213-740-0016.

Injectivity Decline in Water Injection Wells

Mineral Scales and Water Compatibility

Predicted Environmental Concentrations for Production Water Risk Analysis

Practical Microbiology: Produced Water, Injection Water

Water Quality for Injection

Solids and Oil Removal

Case Studies of Water Injection and Disposal Systems

Registration Fee: $50 (Includes Refreshments, Luncheon and Workshop Manual)

To Register: Please call PTTC West Coast Resource Center at (213) 740-8076

Deadline: January 16, 1998

CO-CHAIRS, 1997-1998
Vivian Bust Mission Geoscience (714) 955-9086
Scott Hara Tidelands Oil Prod.Co.(562) 436-9918
Ed Mayer Consultant (626) 796-4437
Allan Spivak Intera-Duke (310) 979-4777
Michael Hagood ARCO Env. Rem. (213) 486-3685

Date: Wednesday, January 21, 1998

Time:
Registration 3:00 P.M.
Program 3:30
Dinner 6:00

Place: Long Beach Petroleum Club, 3636 Linden Avenue, Long Beach, CA

Directions: Atlantic exit, 405 Frwy. Go north 3 signals to 36th St. Then left one block to Linden. Right on Linden to Club

Price: $5 Afternoon only, $25 Includes dinner

Reservations: Ed Mayer (562) 624-3377 by Jan. 20.

Please specify if attending dinner too.

Topic LA BASIN ENHANCED OIL RECOVERY (EOR)

Moderator Ed Mayer, Consultant

Panel K.D. Jung, Consultant

Topic LB Unit, Fault Block V Tar Zone Steam Pilot

Speakers Scott Hara, Tidelands Oil Prod. Co.

Topic Tidelands' New Technology From the Fault Block 2A Tar Zone Steam Drive Project

Speaker Ed Mayer, Consultant

Topic Chemical Flooding Long Beach Unit DOE Ranger VI Alkaline Pilot

Speaker Julie Smith, Tiorco, Inc.

Topic Inglewood Upper Vickers Project, Surfactant Project

Most EOR methods have been tried in the LA Basin. Many recovered substantial amounts of additional oil, but were deemed economically less successful.

In the 1970's, a number of EOR projects began as a result of DOE's cost sharing grants, the Tertiary Incentive Program, and favorable EOR deregulated oil prices. Recently, new EOR projects have been started as a result of DOE's Class III Reservoir Cost Sharing Program and improved stable oil prices.

The earlier pilots laid the groundwork for today's EOR projects. Earlier pilots will be reviewed, especially with regard to their results and findings. Current projects will be discussed so that the impact of the earlier pilot's on their planning can be seen.

A lively discussion period is anticipated between the presenters and audience. Further interplay will occur during the dinner period.

CO-CHAIRS, 1997-1998

Ron Behrens Chairman Chevron (562) 694-7813
Ed Santiago Program DOG (562) 590-5311
John Thompson Treasurer Gas Co (562) 578-2641
John Jepson Secretary DOG (562) 590-5311

Date: Tuesday, January 13, 1997

Time:
Social: 11:30 a.m.
Lunch: 12:00
Presentation: 12:30

Place: Long Beach Petroleum Club, 3636 Linden Avenue, Long Beach, CA 90807

Cost: $15.00 member, $5.00 student

Reservations: Not Required

Speaker: KIETH Hejl & Mike Bruno

Abstract

The first permitted operation in California for disposal by deep injection of crude contaminated surface soils was recently completed at the West Coyote Field in La Habra, California. Approximately 14,000 barrels of waste material was injected at this abandoned oilfield site. The material included crude contaminated surface soil derived primarily from production well cellars, and dried and liquid drilling muds. Average daily injection volumes were on the order of 4,300 bbls per day of slurry, with solids concentration in the slurry as high as 35% by volume.

The permitting phase of this pilot project extended over 18 months and required modification of State regulatory guidelines to accommodate injection of solid materials above parting pressure of the target formation, as well as disposal of surface soils not previously included in the classification of Class II fluids. After demonstration of an acceptable monitoring and analysis strategy designed to ensure containment of the waste material within the target formation, the California Division of Oil and Gas and Geothermal Resources (DOGGR) approved the permit application in early 1997. Close cooperation between DOGGR, the operating company, and the injection service company paved the way for the success of this disposal operation in an environmentally sound and permanent manner with minimal impact to surface land use, and reduced long-term liability to the operator. This talk will describe permiting procedures, field operations, and technical issues associated with high concentrated solids injection into unconsolidated media.

KIETH HEJL is a Petroleum Engineer at Chevron Petroleum Technology Company. He holds a BSc. degree in Petroleum Engineering from the Colorado School of Mines, and has worked at Chevron for 10 years in various drilling, production, and research assignments in Colorado and California.

MIKE BRUNO is President of Terralog Technologies USA, Inc., a company which specializes in oilfield waste injection and geomechanics engineering and research. He holds a PhD degree in Civil Engineering from UCLA, and has 17 years of experience in the petroleum industry in geomechanics and waste anagement.

January 13 1998

"Slurry Injection at the West Coyote Field"
Petroleum Technology Forum, Long Beach

January 29 & 30, 1998
International Symposium on Energy and Environmental Management and Technology
Irvine, CA (562) 985-8181

February 10, 1998

"An Independent's View of the LA Basin"
Rod Eson, Venoco
Petroleum Technology Forum, Long Beach

March 10, 1998

"Multilarterals Revitalize Waterflood"
Petroleum Technology Forum, Long Beach

April 14, 1998

Topic TBA
Terry Smith, President, Tidelands
Petroleum Technology Forum, Long Beach

May 10 to 15, 1998

SPE FORUM SERIES IN ASIA PACIFIC
Integrating Well Testing & Res. Characterization
Nusa Dua, Indonesia (60)3-294-7211

May 8, 1998

SPE-API-D&D Charity Golf Tournament
Green River Rd., Corona, CA

May 12, 1998

THUMS Review of the Last Fiscal Year's Goals and Performance, Steve Freeman, President
Petroleum Technology Forum, Long Beach

May 17 to 22, 1998

SPE FORUM SERIES IN ASIA PACIFIC
Advances in Drilling Tech. & Operations
Nusa Dua, Indonesia (60)3-294-7211
Call SPE Richardson, for details @ (800) 456-6863

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