September 1981 will complete four years of high-pressure inert-gas injection in the East Binger Unit area. The process was designed to attain miscible conditions in the low permeability Marchand sand, and although complete miscibility is yet to be obtained because of lower than desired injectivity, stimulation has occurred.

Recent development of the East Binger Marchand field began in 1972. The productive Marchand sand, i.e., Hogshooter sand, is found at an average depth of 10,000 ft (3,048 m) and is of the Pennsylvanian Hoxbar series. The sand generally lies on top of the Hogshooter regional marker, a black low-density shale. The sand is a turbidite depositional feature with some postdepositional bedding deformation, the latter supported by evidence of minor east-west fracturing between some injectors and producing wells.

The major part of the East Binger field was unitized August 1, 1977, and through careful planning, inert flue-gas injection began September 10, 1977. The urgency with which the operators completed the unitization task was predicated by the rapid decline in bottom-hole pressure and predicted primary on only 10.7% of OOIP. Computer simulator studies predicted an additional recovery of 24.7 MMSTB if miscible fluid displacement could be attained in the reservoir.

Flue gas is purchased from Production Operators, Inc., plant facility centrally located in the unit area. The dehydrated gas is delivered to the unit at 4,800 psi and distributed to 17 injection wells. Injectivity has been lower than desired, due partly to lube oil carry-over plugging the low permeable Marchand sand. Other operational problems, and subsequent revision to net hydrocarbon sand thickness, have resulted in a reduction in predicted ultimate recovery from 33.4 to 21.0 MMSTB. Operational problems are being corrected, and infill drilling to develop part of the unit on 80-acre (32 ha.) spacing is in progress. These actions should assure the current predicted ultimate of 21.0 MMSTB will be realized.

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