Water fracture provide cost-effective well-stimulation alternative

Low production rates of high-viscosity crudes from wells in the Kern County , California area made production enhancement through cost-effective well s timulation difficult. After a successful water fracture increased injectivi ty of a water-injection well in the Edison field, water fracturing was cons idered for the Tejon oil field near Bakersfield, California. Previous gel f ractures had not been economical because of poor results and high treatment costs associated with equipment requirements. The full-length paper descri bes how a small-scale water-fracture treatment improved production for one well in the Tejon field. Production rates increased from 6 BOPD to 30 to 50 BOPD initially with a sustained production rate greater than 20 BOPD.