UNDERSTANDING THE LOST HILLS WATERFLOOD

We report on an integrated laboratory and simulation effort to understand the unconventional response of the waterflood in the Lost Hills field. We conducted spontaneous imbibition and coreflood experiments with Computed Tomography (CT) flow imaging to determine imbibition rates and relative permeability data. Next we matched the major features of the field response using a prototype sector model. We used this model of the field to evaluate the role of spontaneous imbibition and water drive in recovering oil.