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The Leading Edge; July 2001; v. 20; no. 7; p. 744-751; DOI: 10.1190/1.1487285
© 2001 Society of Exploration Geophysicists
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Geologic study and multiple 3-D surveys give clues to complex reservoir architecture of giant Coalinga oil field, San Joaquin Valley, California

Michael S. Clark and Louis F. Klonsky

Chevron USA, Bakersfield, California, U.S.

Karla E. Tucker

California State University, Long Beach, California, U.S.

Corresponding author: M. S. Clark, mscl@chevron.com

The first 20% of the full text of this article appears below.

Coalinga is a giant oil field in the San Joaquin Valley of California (Figure 1) with an extremely complex subsurface stratigraphy, resulting in high operating costs relative to many other fields in the basin. Integration of stratigraphic interpretations based on core and outcrop with recently acquired 3-D seismic data and an extensive well log database enabled development of a sequence stratigraphic model encompassing the main producing reservoirs in West Coalinga Field. Our understanding of horizon maps and vertical reservoir connectivity has undergone significant changes, influencing development decisions for the field. Further integration of this new model with lithofacies descriptions, distributions, petrophysical, and production data are ongoing. Computer-based reservoir models for fluid-flow simulation and optimizing steam injection are being developed and hold additional promise for minimizing operating costs and maximizing production from this giant field.


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  		Figure 1. Proximity of Coalinga Field to the San Andreas Fault on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley.

 

   Overview
 
Lower to Middle Miocene strata are prolific hydrocarbon reservoirs in several San Joaquin Valley oil fields. On the west side of the valley, these rocks, called the Temblor Formation, have produced about 1.2 billion bo from several fields. Coalinga, by far the largest, has produced 850 million bo since 1887. Although recent development has significantly increased production from Pliocene sandstones of the Etchegoin Formation (Taschman, 1982), 90% of the current production is from nearshore to nonmarine, Middle Miocene sandstones of the Temblor Formation at depths of 500–4500 ft. Porosity averages 34% and permeability is 20–4000 millidarcies. Most reservoirs in the San Joaquin Valley are sourced by the Upper Miocene Monterey Formation. In contrast, Temblor Formation oil at Coalinga derives from organic-rich shales of the underlying Middle Eocene Kreyenhagen Formation (Peters et al., 1994; Clark et al., 2000).

Although the field was discovered in 1887, significant production . . . [Full Text of this Article]






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