During oil production in mature fields, the implementation of waterflooding projects plays an important role in increasing oil production and the recovery factor of the reservoirs, and this is the case in the Golfo San Jorge Basin (GSJB) in Patagonia, Argentina. As part of a comprehensive water-management strategy, this paper describes different process and operational considerations that are the result of 109 years of production in Argentina’s oldest basin.
Water Production and Management in GSJB
The production history of the GSJB has included water production from the beginning, although, in recent years, the volumes have been increasing. The objective of water management has been to maximize the value of the assets by increasing oil production and the reserves recovery factor, reducing the production cost, and limiting or canceling environmental effects.
Water Production, Treatment, and Distribution
Managing production water involves the following activities:
- Production
- Treatment, distribution, and injection
- Subsurface distribution
- Integrity control of injector wells and surface installations
In terms of production, the water associated with oil is collected in production batteries and transferred to treatment and injection plants (Fig. 1 above). In some cases, the water is separated in these facilities and delivered to treatment plants.
