Using time-based analytics to examine production and injection cycles on a target well with surrounding offset wells can lead to improved production and reduced costs.
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 on advanced technology that allows for comprehensive, integrated data analysis. Viewing multiple data streams on a single interface will give users an advantage during the analytical process.
Integrating Data for Sand Control
Sand has a tendency to clog vital equipment during operations; this issue can be resolved with the proper sand control strategies. To implement effective strategies, surface and subsurface data should be merged together for a complete view of reservoir conditions. The integration of these datasets allows users to:
- craft a sand control method based on surface and subsurface conditions
- implement proper operating procedures that mitigate sand production
- determine the economic consequences of sand control techniques and the impact on the campaign
With data integration, analysts can assess whether sand production volumes will have an impact on production flows. Run-throughs and sand-control simulations can also be established, predicting how a remedial implementation would fare during the operational phase and providing a wider window of course correction when needed. Once all datasets have been analyzed, operators can commence real-world operations with bolstered confidence and plan accordingly during the sand production process.
Enhanced Secondary Recovery Strategies
The second stage of hydrocarbon extraction can be especially precarious, as the ability to maintain reservoir pressure can falter if fluids aren’t injected into the well properly. Even though operators can extract between 20% and 40% of oil reserves using primary and secondary techniques, there is the potential to extract a higher percentage using precise analytical tools.
One problem that can prevent wells from producing at full potential is pressure instability, especially pressure fluctuations that don’t coincide with predictive models. If talking about a water injection problem in an offshore oilfield, for instance, a team can pinpoint discrepancies between reservoir simulation models and seismic responses when subsurface data are combined seamlessly, particularly the assimilation of reservoir simulation data and time-lapse geophysical data. With the convergence of subsurface data, analysts could leverage data visualization software to provide:
- instant snapshots of the field using a temporal animation sequence
- subsurface datasets that include a succession of seismic surveys
- integration of time-lapse seismic responses and temporal visualization
The merging of time-lapse seismic data and temporal data is highly important due to the ability to detect such anomalies as a gas breakout stemming a pressure dip. For instance, the time-lapse data can read the pressure drop, while the temporal production data can extract data from nearby wells for further context, helping users better understand the nature of a suspected anomaly. From there, analysts can determine if a water injector perforation blockage is hampering water injection in a particular zone and make necessary adjustments, keeping the field in sync with the predictive models. Additionally, analysts can monitor the pressure within the well regularly to ensure a stable flow of oil and allow users to mitigate unstable pressure that could foster unwieldy production streams.
Decisive Tertiary Recovery
Reservoir engineers know that they can extract a higher percentage of the recoverable reserves during the final phase—especially in mature fields that may harbor bypassed reserves—but many fail to realize that clear visualization schemes and a straightforward data consolidation plan are a vital part of the process. Data visualization software can help users make a proper decision on the best tertiary recovery technique, such as gas injection, chemical injection, or thermal steam flooding. Users can also improve tertiary measures with a system that utilizes the following:
- Seismic Data: viewed in a 2D, 3D, or 4D capacity, including depth and time analysis
- Geologic Models: a view of property models, geocellular models, or structural models
- Reservoir Simulation Models: static and temporal data, in addition to seismic history matches that enhance the analytical process
Seismic history matching is especially noteworthy, as it can improve reservoir flow models from fluid and pressure variations that derive from time-lapse seismic shifts. As a result, managers can make informed decisions based on updated information.
Data visualization software can help users make a proper decision on the best tertiary recovery technique, such as gas injection, chemical injection, or thermal steam flooding.
How to Increase Oil Well Production with CoViz 4D
CoViz 4D has the ability to combine multiple data streams to highlight areas of contention that may prevent operators from maximizing hydrocarbon goals. The unique tool not only shows hazards and anomalies using a high resolution, but it also offers cross-correlation features that allow teams to make connections between varying data streams, providing a haven for creative solutions to some of the toughest reservoir conditions. It is only through the cross-correlation of data that users can find alternative strategies that wouldn’t have been obvious with software applications incapable of integration.
As operators and managers learn how to increase oil well production, another important factor that is often overlooked is teamwork. CoViz 4D can play an integral role in bringing professionals from varying disciplines into a single team, yielding simple data that all members can understand, regardless of discipline. Its 4D viewing system allows interpreters to see temporal datasets overlapping with spatial and temporal ranges, creating a universal timeline that’s displayed in modular, sequential, or animated form. When dealing with oil production, it’s best to have all information displayed on a single visual medium, reducing the risk of missing data strands that could have contributed to vital decisions and pushed production goals beyond expectations.
