Modern seismic, drilling, and production technologies allow petroleum engineers to generate or acquire substantial volumes of data that characterize well performance—from initial exploration up to yesterday’s production metrics. These data can provide valuable insight when reservoir engineers are considering wells to be drilled into offset prospects or wells drilled to extend an existing producing reservoir.…
Efficient oilfield development requires a multidisciplinary team that consists of geologists; geophysicists; reservoir, drilling, facility, production, and logistics engineers; and more. This phase of operations is where the majority of the data is acquired and requires the most investment capital. When looking to enhance this phase of operations to maximize recovery, petroleum professionals need to…
Tracer technology for the oil and gas industry has become an increasingly important tool for reservoir surveying and monitoring. Tracers can help portray reservoir characteristics more clearly, depict fluid pathways, reveal communication—planned or unexpected—between wells, and provide better estimates of remaining oil saturation. Tracer technology in oil and gas has become indispensable for showing fluid…
A mechanical issue in a well is a common occurrence, but issues found in more than one well could indicate a larger problem within the reservoir. To avoid reservoir dilemmas that can hamper well-placement strategies and incur long-term costs, analysts need a complete visual of the reservoir. To prevent operational stalls, analysts also need accessible…
A bad completion can ruin a well and waste millions of development dollars. Petroleum engineers who know how to exploit the inherent value of subsurface geologic and wellbore data are better prepared to design, drill, and complete wells to safely deliver maximum oil recovery. Every stage of the development process yields additional data that…
Oilfield well control procedures commonly include plans for containing oil kicks, but it would be ideal if teams could prevent them in the first place; this is why analysts need a way to analyze subsurface profiles. According to The Center for Public Integrity, more than 1,500 workers died in the process of extracting oil between…
Well stimulation is a highly technical and precise solution to decreased reservoir flow and production resulting from the accumulation of particles and fluids near the wellbore or formation damage resulting from the well drilling and completion process. Vital to the industry, well stimulation is a necessary intervention intended to enhance permeability and improve the flow…
Nearly every asset management team contends with the difficulties in well pressure management. Thankfully, advancements in technology have made it easier to mitigate risk and manage potential hazards associated with reservoir pressure fluctuations. These same advancements have contributed to the increase in well completions over the past few years, as reported by the American Petroleum…
When determining how to increase oil well production, analysts must consider the ways in which production can be improved through reservoir analytics. By analyzing surface and subsurface data, potential roadblocks—such as sediment clogging, condensate blocks, and reservoir compartmentalization—that stymie production can be reduced or even eliminated. To thoroughly visualize such issues, analysts should rely…
Seismic forward modeling is an important step to better understand complex subsurface conditions when using 3D, and especially 4D, seismic data. However, to fully appreciate the impact of the modeling results, data integration is required to set the findings in their full and correct context. Analysts are well aware of the challenges of sifting through…