Field Results of Adding Surfactant to Cyclic Steam Wells

A water soluble surfactant was added during the steam cycles of four low-gravity oil producers in Conoco Inc.'s Cat Canyon Field, Santa Barbara County, California. This enhanced oil recovery process was attempted to improve the response from "huff and puff" steaming of older wells that had only been previously stimulated with steam. Three of the four wells tested responded better than previous steam-only cycles. Improvements have been demonstrated by the higher peak production rates, generally greater cumulative produced volumes, decreased initial water production periods, and shorter investment payback periods.