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An Integrated Approach to Mature Field Production Optimization

Oil pumps in the desert.
Among the many challenges of managing a mature oil field is the need to obtain an accurate understanding of its remaining recovery potential. Greater accuracy in assessing characteristics that influence recovery—geologic variability changes in fluid saturation, water cut, microseismic events, location and viability of aging infrastructure—enables asset teams to make better decisions regarding mature field production optimization. With the right software tools that take advantage of the wealth of reservoir data, geoscientists and engineers can more easily determine when, where, and how to improve well performance.

Integrating Data to Assess Remaining Recovery Potential

Mature fields have the inherent benefit of a long history of geologic and operational data, complemented by even larger volumes of recent surveillance data made available through increased oilfield instrumentation. When these data (seismic surveys, cores, geocellular modelling, reservoir simulations, completion plans, production data, tracers, and well stimulations) are integrated, visualized, and analyzed asset teams more accurately determine how much ultimate recovery potential has already been achieved and how much remains.

Further analysis can help determine the appropriate mature field optimization methods. Below, we highlight three of the many ways that integrating relevant subsurface data, and collaboratively evaluating it, facilitates mature field production optimization.

1. Efficiently Evaluate Opportunities for Production Optimization

Shared access to relevant data enables team members to more easily explore the interdependencies of their various datasets. Collaborative 3/4D visualization and interpretation enables teams to more readily identify and diagnose factors that can extend the reservoir’s economic life. For example:

  • Compare wells with similar geologic characteristics but different production metrics to isolate factors affecting performance.
  • Visualize geologically complex reservoirs in 3D to determine the feasibility of drilling and recovering residual hydrocarbons (attic oil).
  • Diagnose downhole pressure issues, to determine why pressure doesn’t match production volumes in a specific well. Is the reason associated with problems in cement, safety valves, tubulars, or artificial lift equipment? Or due to interference with a nearby well?
  • Correlate permeability with oil viscosity and recommend alternative tertiary recovery strategy.
Once identified, the team can then evaluate the feasibility of various options, prioritize the recommendations, then develop detailed implementation plans.

2. Identify Bypassed Pay

The ability to opens in a new windowidentify and evaluate bypassed hydrocarbons and monitor fluid movement are vital in improving recovery in mature fields. Fortunately, the volume and details of reservoir data acquired in recent years can make it easier to identify bypassed pay. Time-lapse seismic surveys, reservoir fluid analyses, tracer data, and updated geocellular models can reveal current fluid pathways as well as previously undetected promising zones. Utilizing data that changes over time (4D) engineers can see the extent and effectiveness of previous secondary recovery efforts , as well as uncover zones that have not been swept and drained.

3. Optimal Infill Drilling Strategy

When reservoir analysis reveals opportunities for infill drilling, reservoir engineers need to determine the proper well density and determine the best location of infill wells to reach areas of high oil saturation. However, mature fields often contain a high density of existing wellbores and sidetracks that challenge well planners and drilling engineers to place wells in the context of existing offset wellpath data.
With a detailed 3D model of geologic structures, existing wellbores, including well logs and completions, well planners can evaluate various infill drilling strategies. Comparison with nearby well logs can help predict drilling hazards. Clear delineation of faults helps avoid problematic drill angle intersections. Proposed trajectories can be intersected with interpreted horizons to ensure the maximum length of the wellbore remains in the pay zone. To proactively prevent collisions, wellpath planning software should automatically maintain minimum allowable separation distance (MASD) from a reference wellpath.
By using the most up-to-date data to visualize and evaluate various infill well options, well planners can select those options that most cost-effectively reach the targets while opens in a new windowminimizing risks that could negatively impact the recovery of remaining potential.

Case Study: Mature Field Production Optimization

An opens in a new windowoil field established in 1932opens PDF file characterized by highly-faulted asymmetrical anticlines was producing with water cuts exceeding 96% as the reservoir was reaching its economic limit. By combining and analyzing a range of subsurface data, geologists and engineers were able to isolate inconsistent horizon data and apply corrections to create a more accurate geologic model. Combining the geologic model with computerized maps, simulations, and detailed petrophysical attributes to create highly-accurate 3D visualizations of reservoir models enabled the asset team to:

  • Identify and capture bypassed oil with a tight-radius horizontal well.
  • Determine the optimal wellpaths and drilling techniques using updated geologic models.
  • Optimize the steamflood strategy by replacing vertical wells with carefully located horizontal wells.
Highly accurate 3D visualizations of evolving reservoir conditions (provided through the integration of all relevant subsurface data) give asset teams greater confidence in determining the most suitable strategies for mature field production optimization.

The ability to easily integrate relevant data and collaboratively analyze it gives reservoir engineers a better understanding of current reservoir characteristics and remaining reserves.

CoViz 4D: An Essential Tool for Mature Field Production Optimization

CoViz 4D is a powerful tool that opens in a new windowsupports rapid, integrated, quantitative analysis and statistical comparison of a wide range of oil field datasets. The ability to easily integrate relevant data and collaboratively analyze it gives reservoir engineers a better understanding of current reservoir characteristics and remaining reserves. Analysis of time-series data clearly depicts changing oil field conditions and their impact on production, allowing engineers to evaluate the efficacy of various production techniques and apply this insight in determining the optimum techniques to further enhance recovery.

In addition to CoViz 4D, DGI’s WellArchitect allows geoscientists and engineers to accurately plan infill drilling in complex maze of older producing wells eliminating the risk of collisions while producing drillable plans that hit the required targets. The planning process is straightforward and can be completed efficiently in a relatively short period of time

CoViz 4D, a data visualization and analytics software from Dynamic Graphics Inc., gives oil and gas professionals the ability to easily integrate and analyze all relevant data associated with mature oil fields. Powerful visualization capabilities enable you to explore data relationships that affect production, more accurately estimate remaining hydrocarbons, and confidently determine the best strategies for mature field production optimization. To learn more about CoViz 4D contact our team.

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