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Published: 1977

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Petroleum-recovery techniques are being developed for the many shallow, low-productivity, heavy-oil sand deposits in southeastern Kansas, southwestern Missouri, and northeastern Oklahoma. In 1971, laboratory flooding experiments were conducted to determine optimum field operating conditions for recovery of heavy oil. Concurrently the Research Center began a field experiment in Labette County, Kans., using a recovery method (SolFrac) that combines chemical-explosive fracturing, to create communication with solvent injection, to improve mobility. The general boundaries of heavy-oil deposits are reported, and the areal extent and general characteristics of the reservoir in Labette County are described. The fracturing, injection, and production techniques and the production results from the field experiment are described. About 14% of the solvent injected was not recovered and thus was lost to the formation. Roughly 27 percent of the oil-in-place within the five-spot interwell zone was recovered. Reinjection of the produced solvent-oil mixture was done on a limited basis. Not enough additional oil was picked up during recycling of the solvent to justify this procedure. 9 tables, 21 figures.