Lubbock Avalanche-Journal from Lubbock, Texas • Page 4

UNIQUE CARBON DIOXIDE UNIT THE OIL PATCH ler Looking To Secondary Recovery For Oil Comeback i MIKE WESTEK SNYDER (UPI) Oil, that slimy substance often referred to in the Lone Star State as black gold, made a boom town out in 1948 left its scar a few years later when the wild hblps played out. Since'then the city has been trying to rebuild. It has progressed enough that in 1968 it was among the selected few cities receiving the All-America award Look Magazine and the National Municipal League. Now.a process started back in 1954 hearing a new goal which will help get more oil out of the old process which when completed will be a pilot process for future oil drillings. The Scurry Area Canyon-Reef Operators Committee (SACROC) was founded in March 1953, after oil from the Kelly-'Snyder field discovered in Novxcmbor, 1948, began to play out.

Through some 300 working interest owners in a process was started to tnjeel water under pressure into the oil to bring the oil to the surface. During the past 15 years more than 500 million barrels of water have been injected into the oSl field to produce over 440 million barrels of oil. However, now the injection of water to the oil is beginning to slow down oil production, Last October the Texas Railroad Commission was approached by Standard Oil operator SACROC, requesting an increase in the barrel allowable. The increase request is based on an ideal injecting carbon dioxide with water under pressure into the old fields to by Ray Westbrook, Oil Editor HUMBLE'S MONTHLY PUBLICATION "Oilways" recommends a way to break the monotony while driving along in a rainshower: "Take the square root of the pressure in your tires. (If you carry around 30 pounds it's about 5.5).

Multiply by 10 and you get The magazine explains that this is the spee'd at which your car tends to "hydroplane," or glide along on a film of water without adequate control of or braking. "In dynamic hydroplaning," the publication Kays, "a cushion of wate builds up In front of the rotating As speed increases, the tire literally mounts this layer of water and glides along as if on skis." IT TAKES A WATER' FILM only one thirty- second of an inch'deep to cause even a new tire to hydroplane at 54 mph. WESTBROOK Worn 1 lose their grip on pavement In less water: "Viscous hydroplaning occurs on mirror-smooth pavements with badly worn tires and at much lower speeds and water depths (like 1-24 of an inch) because slick tires can't break through the film's surface tension." The condition is even more hazardous because it Is deceptive. Under normal circumstances the driver still has some control over his until a sudden gust of wind deflects the vehicle or until a fast is necessary. Tire pressure apparently is the key.

Tho weight of the car has nothing to do with Immunity from hydroplaning, Oilways says. "Your best bet is to remember the square root rule of thumb, drive only on good tires properly inflated, and keep it slow on wet pavement," it concludes, CRUDE OIL PRICES recently have been the object of national scrutiny. They were hotly defended at a recent Southern District meeting of the American Petroleum Institute at Houston. IPAA president Robert E. Mead told the group, "We have an unusual and unique story to tell the nation's consumers about oil prices.

Oil is culprit "Political economists condemn oil prices even though those prices have been far more stable over longer periods of time than the price of most other major commodities," he said. THE CONSUMER COULD HAVE substantially cheaper petroleum liquids only by becoming dependent on Middle East oil, according to Mead. "The price advantage even then would be minimal and short-run," he added. "Once our dependence on that oil is irreversible, the United States like Western Europe would be at the mercy of foreign governments for both supplies and prices of essential petroleum products. "Oil and gas, which supply two-thirds of U.S.

energy needs, have a price record that is far from inflationary," Mead continued. "If all prices had followed oil prices, there would be no problem of inflation today." gain a larger production. The Involved the construction and operation of a pipeline and compressor facilities to transport large volumes of carbon dioxide about 200 miles from certain Val Verde Basin jas fields in South Texas where it is now being vented to the atmosphere, "The carbon dioxide will be njected In the oil band ahead of the advancing injected water to 'urther improve the ultimate oil recovery," said Dudley Carmer of'Standard Oil, superintendent of the Kelly-Snyder field. "The facilities are due to be completed this Summer, and we injection of carbon dioxide by Summer.1971." Major Reservoir The Kelly-Snyder field, about "ive miles wide and 20 miles long running northeast to and on the boundry of he west side of Snyder's city imits, Is recognized as one of the major oil reservoirs in the nation. The SACROC unit Is one of the largest waterfiood pro- ieots in the world.

The injection of carbon dioxide has never been ried the way it is being planned here. "The proposal to initiate a carbon dioxide injection project conjunction with the required an increase oil allowable to compensate for the anticipated huge expenditure of million," said Cramer. Cramer said SACROC hit upon he ideal of using carbon dioxide about a year ago. He said the decision followed a year's experiment on a limited scale. "In the miscible injection pro- iect carbon dioxide is dissolved water and oil," he said.

'Through the process we are able to get oil which before was with the use of water." Cramer said the new process as expected to produce 156 million additional barrels of oil. He said there was no anticipated significant change in the life of he field. Snyder, a quiet West Texas own of 4,000 people, broke out 20 years ago with a case of galloping growth. The major oil ield discovery attracted 11,000 ortune hunters. Drilling rigs rew thicker than mesquite.

Cities Service Begins Design On Gas Plant OILMEN OPTIMISTIC Ecuador Well Be Major Strike May By GUY A. GOODINE TULSA (UPI) They are not talking much but under their breath oilmen are looking optimistically at what could be a major gas field off the coast of Ecuador. The industry is being so secretive a coded message was misinterpreted and a report indicating the size of a discovery was doubled. The oversight did not dim hopes, however, for the actual figure was still a worthwhile 10 million cubic feet of gas daily. Wi th cIo ly guard anonymity, Informed sources indicate hundreds of millions oE dollars are likely to be mvested in the discovery -if early indications are substantiated.

Ada Oil Co. pf reported a successful test of 4.2 million cubic feet daily at 10,000 feet. Ada Is drilling for an eight- member group Including Phillips Petroleum; OKC a cement producer; Chicago; the Ultramar group, London, and a funding corporation in Beverly Calif. The project Is being carried out in the Gulf of Guayaquil in 120 feet of water. The well Is 25 miles from shore.

About $4- millfon has been Invested so far and that, according to sources, Is only the beginning. Some oilmen are saying the find may make it one of giants in the Western Others are saying sine fine could be over-estimated, no 1 knowing how much of the gas bearing sand is commercial and how much non commercial. Venture discovered the error. Still the expedition partners are not unhappy and some cx- iect to begin deriving earnings out of the field in as soon as four years. That find came on the heels of renewed interest in the Gulf late ast year.

Since November, new exploration grants have been ap- by the government for American Oil companies, expansion of another American group's territory and another offshore wildcat venture, Adobe oil and Gulf Offshore of Texas won a farrnount agreement with tests yet to be made on their site. Acreage Expanded And Bradco Pacific Oil Co. oi -louston won an expansion oJ 886,000 acres to its exploration crritorial license. Bradco expects to spend million in the area in five years. Especially in view of recently forecast shortages in nalura supplies is the find off the Ecuadorian Coast significant.

Seyeral firms have indicator not be able to handle all the requests for, natural because of dwindling supplies. The biggest problem arising from the find will be transports tion. Spokesmen say liquefication would, be the most feasible method. Natural gas, treated at ex tremely cold temperatures, can be reduced from 500 cubic fee of gas to one cuhic.foot of liquid Barges could then transport it a point where It would be re-con verted and transported Gulf Oil reported a Corp, highly last year successftf venture In the area, bringing In 10 producers from 11 wells. Tex aco combined resources 'with Gulf ton that expedition arid the partners are 'now building pipeline across Andes moun tains to handle up to 500,000 bar rek d4ily.

When an early? en made last coded message was read to mean the tett measured 20 million cub! feet ot gas. OKC published that amount In 1U rtockhoMer report and later pipeline. That process, too, wil represent a tremendous in vestment In the area. Estimates of plants and barges to conver the gas and transport it range tc 5500 Although oilmen are rcluctan to discuss the possibilities such a large, discovery news releases are equally tersi it Is apparent drilling activltji In that part of the Pacific is on the increase and those Jri.the in diistry planning to import larg amounts of Mideast gas to offse domestic shortages will tak another look at the Ecuadorian TULSA (Special) iervlce Oil Co. has Cities announced hat.it has released a contractor begin design and construction of a new 60,000 barrel per day natural gas liquids fractionation )Iant at Mont Belvicu, near fouston.

The contractor has begun design and is ordering major equipment. On-sitc con- truction will begin in May. The fractionation plant is part af a $16 million Gulf Coast ex- lanslon project that the firm announced last Fall. Included In he project is the construction of additional underground storage at the West Hackberry Salt Dome near Lake Charles, and conversion of the company's 2-inch crude oil pipeline from Houston to Lake Charles to natural gas liquids; use. All prp- ects are scheduled for completion by Jan.

1, 1971. Daily fractionation capacity of he Mont Belvieu plant by product will be 20,000 barrels of ethane, 18,000 barrels 'of pro- sane, 4,000 barrels sobutane, 11,000 barrels of normal butane and 7,000 barrels of natural lasoline. The initial design will nclude provisions for expanding he plant to a capacity of 100,000 barrels of total products daily. Texas Eastern Transmission provide the storage service of the incoming stream and the finished products at its Mont Belvieu terminal. The new plant wil! fractionate mixed products transported Mont Belvieu by way of Chaparral Pipeline, as well as natural liquids from other sources.

5anta Fe Industries, Inc. plans to construct the line. It will be a common carrier line xarisporting natural "gas liquids Tom the West Texas-New Mex- co area. By Gordon The driller is showing some young graduate engineers what real crude oil like." SPACE QUOTA MET Offshore Meeting Set In Houston The exhibits display for. Offshore Technology Conference to be held in Houston, April 2224, has been sold out and approximately 500 exhibits booths wiil be Thomas housed in Convention the Albert Center for the three day meeting.

The announcement of the successful exhibit sales was made from the conference headquarters i Dallas by OTC Exhibits Manager Michael D. Corley. Approximately 250 companies involved in all phases of offshore operations have reserved exhibit space for this year's Offshore Conference. The exhibits show for the 1970 Conference will cover both the lower and upper levels of the giant Albert Thomas Center and will occupy approximately 120,000 square feet of space in the hall. Corley feels that the successful exhibit sales for the 1970 Conference is directly related to the first meeting held in May 1069.

"Obviously, the exhibitors all went away happy after last year's meeting," Corley said, ''so they're all coming back this year. In fact, last year's exhibitors have all expanded ihoir space and will be offering more sophisticated exhibits this year." Submarine Tanker One company plans to use the conference unveil a model of a 900-foot long submarine tanker that the company proposes to build. The submarine would be used by oil companies to ship their oil but'of Prudhoe Bay in Alaska, and the model the tanker will be displayed in the firm's exhibit. One of. the exhibits at the conference will feature an underwater "Christmas Tree," used for production of offshore oil wells.

Other meeting will exhibits feature at the a wide range of models of undenvat.er transportation, exploration and production units, plus numerous products and new developments used in offshore exploration. The first offshore conference in 1969 had an exhibit show with booths and approximately 200 companies. Corley said that this year's display represented an increase of about 50 companies and 115 booths. "The majority of our booth sales came from repeat business companies that exhibited last year and wanted to return to the meeting this year," Corley said. "During the first four weeks of sales we took reservations on a priority basis from companies that exhibited last year.

After four weeks we had sold out the lower floor of the convention center and approximately one- fourth of the upper floor." "The success of this year's exhibit show is definitely related to the tremendous response generated by the first offshore conference last year," Corley said. Registration Fees Set Registration fee for the 1970 Conference will be 515.00 for members of the OTC sponsoring societies and $30.000 for nonmembers. Blocks of rooms have been set aside in more than a dozen Houston hotels, and room reservations arc being handled by the" OTC Housing committee headed by Donnell A. Davis, TRW Systems Group. Cosden Appoints Refinery Chief AtBigSpruig BIG SPRING (Special) Paul p.

Meek, president of Cosden Oil Chemical has announced that Curl E. Rogers, superintendent of the American PetroCina refinery nt Ml Pleasant, Spring on will move April 1 to to Big become refinery manager of Cosden's refinlng-petrochemicat complex. Leon Randolph, senior refinery process engineer, has been named technical assistant to the Big Spring Refinery manager, Randolph has been with Cosden since June 1958 in the technical department, and for the past couple of years has been senior refinery process engineer. The Borger native holds a BS degree in chemical engineering from Texas Tech. He is affiliated with American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

Rogers holds a BS degree in petroleum engineering, with refining major, from the University of Tulsa. He is a registered professional engineer in Texas and is on the operating practices committee of the American Petroleum Institute, A native of Independence, Rogers began his career in refining in 1942 at Arkansas City with Kanotex Refining Co, (now Andorson-Pritchard). He was with Standard Oil of New Jersey at Aruba, Dutch West Indies, and with Derby Refining Co. at Wichita, prior to joining American Liberty Oil Co. in 1S52 at Mt.

Pleasant, later acquired by American Petroflna. He has been refinery superintendent there since 1960, THE U.S.'PETROLEUM INDUSTRY IN 1969 Percent Change Since 1956 pomeslic Demand Hourly Wages paid -f -Oil Well Cosing Prices -Oil Field Machinery Prices Crudo Oil Production Oil Prict (Current Dollars) CrudoOil Price (Constant Dollars) Tptol Footage Drilled Idol Rolary Rigs 168 1969 OIL DEVELOPMENTS Although there were several encouraging developments during the year 1969, were also many discouraging ones, leaving the domestic petroleum producing industry a considerable distance to go If it Js to regain the position which existed a few years ago. The above chart shows the percentage changes in Important Indicators of tfie health.rince 1056. The recent persistent downward trends In exploration and development appear to have been at least temporarily reversed. On the negative side, costs of drilling and equipping wells continued to Increase at a greater rato than did crude oil prices, New Gasoline Expensive To Industry SACRAMENTO, Calif, (Special) oil Industry will be required estimated $4 to invest billion In a new facilities to manufacture and distribute unleaded gasoline lor new model cars to be introduced by the automobile industry beginning this Fail, This wns the statement by Marion Eplcy, president of Texaco, before the California Air Resources Boari which recently met here to consider fuel composition and emission controls.

Epley said, "These large investments, which I fie would not be required, will also necessitate hlpher prices to the consumer." He estimates thai "the combined effect of these additional refining and distribution activities will add at least two to three cents gallon the average price of the- total volume of gasoline, including both leaded and unleaded, sold throughout the country." The oil executive asserted that "the 84 cars presently in use must be protected by the availability of proper fuels." He said adjustments could be made to permit the use of lower oc- tanes, but operational difficulties might be experienced if only unleaded fuels are available. He recommended thai an extended phase-out program bo provided to take core of existing cars. "If unleaded fuel is rcquircc! to help reduce exhnusi emissions, the maximum and earliest contribution environmental improvement tvoulc be realized If new cars were equipped with advance emission control devices requiring the use of unleaded fue at the earliest possible Epley said government's responsibility to the public "can best be met by defining standards based on emis.tlon goals which ore reasonably achievable and limiting these to the extent actually necessary protect the environment. "The concentrated technical resources of the individual companies, petition stimulated in the market com place rather than government action could then be depended upon to achieve these standards at the least possible cost to the con sumer," he added. Commenting on California's leadership in air pollution control, Epley pointed ot the unique geographic and climatic situation existing in the Los Angeles Basin.

"We feel confident that California will recognize thai overiysevcres tandards adoptct' on a unilateral basis conic establish harsh precedents for other states and jurisdictions as well as cause difficulties for its residents who might wish to use their automobiles for transportation to other states, Canada, or Mexico," he stated. "Conversely, products marketed in California must, be able to provide satisfactory performance for the many hundreds of thousands of oul-of- state vehicles that visit this nrea each year." New Completions Total 138 Wells AUSTIN CAP) i- The Texas Railroad Commission reported Saturday that 101 oil wells nn(3 37 gas were completed during the past week in Texas, That raised the total oil well completions for the year to 995, compared with 872 a year ago, and gas well completions to 331, compared with 547 at this time in 1363. The commission said 140 wells were plugged, Including 40 dry holes. Fifteen wildcat gas wells were in the Corpus Chrlstl District, 3 In San Antonio's No. 2 District, 2 in the Kiigore District, nnd.

1 each In the Houston, Kiigore trlcts. Nine and Midland Dis- wildcat oil weibi wcro In San Antonio's No. 1 district, and one each In San Antonio's No. 2 district and in the Kiigore, Abilene, Midland and Wichita Falls Districts. PAGE LUBBOCK, TEXAS SUNDAY, MABCH TO FILL DATA GAP New Arctic Voyage Set By Manhattan By MAX B.

8KELTON HOUSTON ond voyage (AP) A see- by the SS Manhattan to the Arctic ice regions offers encouragement that stu- dbs still under way will de- ermine that a Northwest Pas- sago oil tanker route Js economically feasible; The second and shorter expedition scheduled to 'start 1 will concentrate rather consistent The first expedition ice that within just about April on Ice of thickness. countered a lew hundred yards ranged in thickness from just a few feet to more than 20 feet. The first voyage proved that a tanker route to movo Alaskan oil to East Coast refineries is operationally feasible. The decision on economic feasibility, towcver, mid-1970. was postponed until Only detailed studies, includ- the use of computers, could determine the advisability at committing billions of dollars to construction of jumbo supertankers for use in moving oil North Slope to to Western En- Alaska's possibly, the second voyage 'rom and, rope.

In effect, has been designed to fill "holes" in the data essential to the bH- iion-doliar decision on economic feasibility. The Manhattan had Its winter problems. There was something new almost every day. The objective, however, is a yenr- on hand has little on the hazards, If any, of new win- Engineers have a pretty good Idea what Inconsistent patches of Ice ranging to more than 20 feet in tnlokness can do a want to know that problems, if any, can be generated through consistent thicknesses of two to four feet or oven Is It possible: that long runs through such comparatively thin ice could build up greater stress or strain than inconsistent, utop- and-go thrusts through more sharply fluctuating thickness- es? "We want to obtain the teat data which wai impossible to obtain during fall trip," said a Humble Oil 4 Refining Co. spokesman, "Our objective in making the trip now would be to get the ship into the ice before the start of Ihe melt season so tests could be conducted in ice of uniform thickness.

By making the voyage now we will encounter wide areas of annual ice, that Is, ice from one season's freeze, which is of uniform thickness." Humble, Atlantic Jlichflcld and Petroleum Corp. earmarked $40 million for the Manhattan experiment nnd timatc the spring test cost, another $1,750,000, It Li not in current for the second through the voyage move entire Northwest 10,000 miles to be cut to 5,000 round tanker route nnd the daUjwilh emphasis on new in jthe Baffin Bay or Parry Chan(nel sims. I Baffin It wirte expanse of water and ice between tfw? Are- tic Lslamh and Greenland. Parry Channel actually forms Ihc Northwest nrw! tram jeast to west Lancaster iSound, Barrw Strait, Viscount Melville Sound, nnd McClure Strait. Currant plans call for any entry Channel to KAKL.W.

KLEMKXf Geologist Named Recipient Of Levorsen Award DALLAS (Special) Dr. Karl W. Klcment of the Geescicnces Department. Texas Tech. will receive an A.

I. Levonen Memorial Award plaque Mondayi" 1 volve only Lancaster Sound ami Barrow Struil to the area of Resolute on Conswnllto Wand. The announcement of the April-June run coincided with some reports the Manhattan tanker was being abandoned. Such reports may have Jinked with reports on 30 foot hoSe torn in water twillast as Uic Manhattan strucl: heavy ice on her return trip, answer Js ihat the Manhattan, a Specially converted tanker, was never for a regular nortbwtfjit ruji. The objective was to convert a tanker to engineering standards through practical for gOch an uncharted voyage.

The jumbo supertankers for regular runs would be patterned after the strong points proven by the Manhattan on her historic Northwest Passage ven- during a joint exploration' meeting of petroleum and gcophysiclsU. Sponsoring organizations the Southwest section of American Association of Petroleum Geologists and the are the Midwestern Society of societies the Exploration Exhaust Device 'Demonslrdted At Conference PRINCETON, J. Geophysicista, More than 1,000 The Du Pont Co. recently oil exploration scientists are ex- demonstrated a standard 1970 pccted to attend. The Levorsen Award is made espeeialiy io recognize creative thinking petroleum in the geology.

field It goes to Dr. Klement for his paper. "Phylioid Algal Banks," presented in Lubbock i February 19S9, at regional meeting of the AAPG Southwest Section. A panel of 16 judges will review technical papers presented during the Dallas meeting next week. The 1370 winner of the "best paper" award will be announced immediately following close of the meeting on Wednesday.

Odessa Company Names Manager HOUSTON (Special) B. L. Choate has been named area manager at Odessa for the exploration and production department of Gulf Oil replacing Larry A. Turner, who has been transferred, according to L. Pelrcc, vice president.

D. L. Henry has been named area manager at Venice, replacing Choate In position, Henry has been serving as area manager at Houma, La, A native of DcQuincy, Choate joined Gulf in 1949 after receiving a B.S, degree, In chcmicHi engineering from Rico University, He has subsequently served as petroleum engineer, gas engineer, production engineer, district engineer nnd area production manager. Henry is a native of Fort Worth, and joined, the firm in 1949 after receiving a degree In mechanical engineering from the University of Oklahoma, He has served as a gas plant engineer and a gas engineer in various area nnd district offices in Texas and Louisiana. In 1966, he was' named an a Eastern Region gas snips for Warren Petroleum a wholiy-owned subsidiary of Gulf, nnd in 11)68 he was nnmcd arcn production mnnnger at Houma.

a rba the next automobile which controls hydrocarbon and carbon monoxide exhaust emissions through use- of a mechanical device developed by the company. Samuel vice president, Enid the device, thermal exhaust manifold, reactor, will enable automobiles to meet emission standards proposed for hydrocarbons and monoxide through decade. He said the eompany is declaring the reactor to be in the public domain, and "we offer the technology behind It for ute withotrt payment," Lcnhcr made the declaration and described the device in recent speech to the Princeton University Conference on "Ecolosy and Politics America's Environmental Crisis." The reactor, when used In a totnl emission control system for which technology and hardware already exist, will greatly reduce auto emissions of hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides, Lenher said. These exhaust fumes are the leading cause of air pollution. The executive said the reactor can be mass-produced for Installation on new automobfles.

At the conclusion of his speech, ho demonstrated the 'equipment to government leaders, efUicatbrn, and Industrialists attending the meeting. "It Is a proven device, rtot Just a research possibility. We have installed it on stock. cars and tested It for more than 100,000 miles. Our test units have required no maintenance.

Gasoline mileage has not been significantly affected. Because the thermal renctor utilized no chemical there Is no need for periodic replacement of materials," Lcnhcr snld, to the Prin. Lcnher was npcnly crlticftl of over-nil performance In the environmental arcn and the failure of the Federal Government to establish a clearly defined na- 'ionni policy on environment. In his remarks conference,.