Field Revitalization – Rework Oil Wells

Rework Oil Wells with Aresco’s Field Revitalization Services

Waterflooding Oil and Gas

Rework oil wells by utilizing a method of secondary recovery, such as waterflooding. It can provide a new life to fields that have come to the end of their economic life in primary production. The mechanical push of water into the reservoir is used to increase pressure and physically sweep the displaced oil to the production well. Potential complications in the waterflooding process exist including inefficient recovery due to variable permeability, or similar conditions affecting fluid transport within the reservoir and early water breakthrough affecting the production and surface processing. In determining whether waterflooding is a possible solution, the following questions need to be answered. How do you lay out flooding patterns? How do you group reservoir targets for optimal sweep? How much water should be injected? Answering these questions unlocks those hydrocarbon molecules trapped in the subsurface.

Mature Oil Field Production Development

Mature oil fields throughout the United States offer an exciting opportunity for renewed production without the risk and cost of exploration. These opportunities to rework oil wells exist for any number of reasons, including misinterpretation of data, market forces, and mechanical failures. The task at hand to bring old production back to life relies on investigating these reasons for shut-in production. Utilizing data management, geologic assessment, and re-evaluating field with new technology supports finding the answers that permit a new lease on life for these mature fields.

Rework Oil Wells with Enhanced Oil Recovery Methods

Enhanced oil recovery (EOR) represents the latest in the revitalization of oil and gas production and a key tool of our reworking operations. The enhancement processes include gas injection (CO2, natural gas, nitrogen), miscible solvents (polymers, microbial, supercritical CO2), and thermal methods (steam, fire). Each of these processes represents a technique that has its specific use depending on reservoir characteristics, field evolution, and fluid properties. Ultimately, these techniques allow for a tertiary stage of hydrocarbon recovery.

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Oil Well Abandonment

Oil well abandonment is a standard practice in the lifecycle of oil production, typically occurring when a well is no longer economically viable under current operating conditions. However, many wells are abandoned prematurely—often without the use of secondary or tertiary recovery methods that can significantly enhance output. Technologies such as waterflooding, gas injection, or chemical EOR (enhanced oil recovery) can extract substantial additional volumes of crude oil that primary recovery methods leave behind. In fact, it’s estimated that primary extraction alone may only recover 10% to 30% of a reservoir’s total oil content.

This early abandonment creates a strong case for well rework, where previously shut-in or plugged wells are revisited and revitalized using advanced recovery techniques. Reworking existing wells is often more cost-effective than drilling new ones, particularly as oil prices rise or technological innovations reduce the cost of alternative extraction. By re-entering and optimizing these wells, operators can unlock significant untapped potential—contributing to domestic energy supply while making efficient use of existing infrastructure.