The Transition Zone: New Life from an Abandoned Pool

Nicholson, Geoffrey E. and McKay, Charles G.
[email protected]

The Transition Zone of the Santa Margarita Formation located at the north end of the Edison Field has had a history of haphazard production. A few wells in Sec. 26 had reasonable cumulative recoveries but most were either marginal producers or abandoned outright. Naftex Operating Company, which owns the adjoining property in Sec. 27, began a cyclic steam injection program in 2005 into its Transition Zone wells and obtained good results. In 2006, Naftex acquired the BLM lease in the Northwest quarter of Sec. 26 with the view to expanding its cyclic steam program.

The program was initially successful and continued expansion required the installation of a steam generator dedicated to the Transition Zone. It also caused Naftex to begin acquiring leases along the Transition trend and to expand production to the southeast. While Naftex continues to search for the reservoir’s edge, plans are underway to infill drill using a combination of straight holes and horizontal wells.

Naftex’s ability to deliver high-quality steam at sufficient rates has transformed an essentially abandoned pool into one that now averages 180 BOPD.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90162©2013 Pacific Section AAPG, SPE and SEPM Joint Technical Conference, Monterey, California, April 19-25, 2013