KERN RIVER STEAM FOAM PILOTS.

Shell has conducted two steam foam pilots in the Kern River Field, one on the Mecca Lease (1980-1985) and the other on the Bishop Fee (1982-1986). The pilots consisted of four contiguous inverted five-spots covering 12 and 14 acres (0. 047 and 0. 057 square km), respectively. The pilots were thoroughly monitored; there were eight logging observation wells at Mecca and eight at Bishop. This is what was found: 1. The volumetric growth rate of foam was roughly constant and the same for both pilots, equal in reservoir pore volume to 2/3 of the volumetric injection of liquid. 2. The in-situ apparent foam viscosities in the pilots were similar and exceeded steam viscosity by a factor of 20-60 near the injectors (as in laboratory experiments). 3. Neutron logs and temperature surveys in the observation wells provided us with evidence of improved vertical sweep due to steam foam. 4. The major oil responses occurred in both pilots after 2 years of foam injection.