Enhancing Mature Field Development for Bypassed Pay Extraction

Analyzing geologic structure, reservoir temperature and infill well placement for extracting bypassed pay with CoViz 4D.

Analyzing several individual, temporally-spaced datasets is the basis for defining bypassed pay in mature field development. Bypassed pay identification requires the use of several individual datasets that have been simultaneously acquired throughout the productive life of a field. Analysts need software with the capability to integrate these datasets into a single viewing system.

Data visualization and analysis software provides the necessary 4D capacity that enables clearer realizations of bypassed reserves. It can also integrate data of differing formats—giving analysts the ability to assess a mature field comprehensively. From there, staff members can create the best strategies that maximize hydrocarbon extraction.

Operators of mature oil fields have successfully used 4D modeling to understand complex reservoirs. When discussing the North Sea oil fields, for instance, data visualization software can enhance the analytical process within mature fields that may harbor bypassed pay potential. It will provide crisp visuals that will highlight bypassed reserves in greater detail. But it’s not enough to utilize 4D visuals; analysts need a system that successfully merges datasets, such as reservoir fluid saturations and seismic attributes. The tie between reservoir fluid saturations and seismic attributes in 4D can’t occur without quality seismic data and fluid momentum within the reservoir.

A cohesive seismic-reservoir model tie-in can assist in the calibration of 3D seismic attributes to fluid saturations—allowing users to determine water and oil/gas saturations within a 3D seismic survey of an area in question. When 3D seismic and reservoir models are displayed in a 4D setting, the interface will display fluid variations within the reservoirs with impressive accuracy. From there, users can spot seismic attributes that remain undisturbed, indicating bypassed reserves.

To maximize hydrocarbon production from bypassed reserves, analysts need superior data integration strategies to make sense of the information. Consider the heavy oil fields of California’s San Joaquin Basin, for example. These fields are very mature—some discovered in the late 1800’s—and many are using steam injection as a means of enhancing oil recovery. Many of these fields are drilled on very tight spacing and there can be several hundred producing and steam injection wells per township section (approx. one square mile), creating large volumes of data to be analyzed.

The long history of injection and thermal monitoring makes these fields ideal candidates for 4D reservoir/production monitoring. The thermal data can be tied to the geologic model of the reservoir to determine the effectiveness of the oil production related to the steam flood. Visualization of the geologic model and the 3D/4D thermal-steam distribution would graphically display where the steam EOR is/has been effective and would also illustrate reservoir zones that haven’t been swept by the steam injection. These cold zones could contain bypassed pay which are prime candidates for mature field development.

Since mature fields can offer decades of important data, analysts must have software that can integrate different datasets into a single viewing hub. This is possible via CoViz 4D, which not only integrates different data streams but also adopts other datasets relegated to alternate formats. Through CoViz 4D’s visualization and analytic capabilities, teams can simplify the data-gathering process and focus more on extracting key insights from the data streams.

When it comes to mature field development, CoViz 4D highlights complex reservoir conditions, allowing analysts to see potential obstacles that could endanger operations. CoViz 4D also provides a simple interface that allows team members to understand the full scope of a project, in addition to crafting creative solutions that lead to the extraction of bypassed reserves. Data visualization and analysis via CoViz 4D enhance mature field development and assist analysts in detecting overlooked areas that could yield substantial financial rewards.