North America

A successful water injection management is a key to increase or stabilize oil production and to maximize oil recovery from a mature field. This paper describes an approach to draw maximum benefit through existing set up of a water injection in a mature offshore carbonate field of India. Water injection initiated after the six years of oil production and field is under water flood since last 28 years. The field witnessed favorable water flood condition and almost negligible aquifer support. During its long production period most of the producers had been sideracked from one to three times to target better saturation areas which has led to uneven subsurface water distribution. The field has also suffered less voidage compensation for quite some time.

To understand and mitigate the problem, a small pilot area within a field has been selected for implementing a good surveillance and monitoring program with pattern injection and possible intervention strategy. It was decided that based on the success of this pilot, the concept would be developed for implementation in step by step manner for entire field. The importance of multidisciplinary team has been recognized and detailed SWOT analysis was done for effective implementation of plan. Initially pilot area comprised of 15 oil producers and 4 water injectors. Conversion of one producer to water injector and restoration of water injection in 3 injectors were done as per plan and optimized injection rate (in this case maximum 3000 bbl per day) per injector were implemented. Peripheral pattern for pilot area with 5 injectors and 5 spot inverted patterns from rest 3 injectors were decided.

After one year of the implementation a thorough performance analysis of the pilot has been carried out which indicates the overall improvement of liquid and oil production rates along with reduction in GOR and decreasing trend of oil decline rates of producers.

The pilot approach has certainly helped to understand the Reservoir conformance in short duration of time. Encouraging results of this methodology guides to extent and implement this approach in other parts of field to cover the entire field in phased manner.

The objective of the paper is to present the methodology adopted for dual artificial system modeling in Aishwariya field– an onshore oil field located in prolific Barmer Basin, India. This paper presents a conceptual and feasibility study of combination of Jet pump (JP) and Electrical Submersible Pump (ESP) together as means of artificial lift for production enhancement in a well. It discusses the workflow to model a well producing on dual artificial lift (ESP producing in combination with Jet-Pump) via industry standard software and demonstrates the same with a successful case study.

Requirement of ESP change outs to restore/enhance well production in cases such as undersized pumps, pump head degradation requires an expensive work-over. However, an option for secondary additional lift (JP) installation along with primary lift (ESP) in completion system can eliminate the costly wok-over requirement if both lifts can operate simultaneously.

The procedure to model the dual artificial lift (JP and ESP) has two major components: a) Psuedo IPR at ESP discharge node and b) Standard JP modeling using pseudo IPR. Pseudo IPR is generated by modifying well specific IPR using ESP pump curve for a specific frequency. The down-hole ESP pump intake & discharge pressure sensors help calibrate the model accurately for further prediction.

The existing completion in the Aishwariya field is ESP completion with the option of JP installation in cases of ESP failures as contingency. Moreover, jet pump can be installed using slick line with minimum well downtime (∼ 6 hrs). Therefore, installing and operating the Jet pump above a running ESP will not only increase the drawdown but will result in production enhancement with minimal cost.

Novel Technique: No standard industry software can help model such dual lift systems with ease. The in-house developed workflow allows engineers to successfully model such complex lift scenario for routine production optimization and well surveillance activities.

Oil production decline and excessive water production are prevalent in mature fields and unconventional plays, which significantly impact the profitability of the wells and result in costly water treatment and disposal. To seek for a sustainable development of those wells, reducing the operation cost and extending their economic lives, this paper presents a method of synergistic production of hydrocarbon and electricity, which could harvest the unexploited geothermal energy from the produced water and transfer heat to electricity in the wellbore. Such method is cost-effective, since it does not require any surface power plant facility, and it is replicable in numerous wells including both vertical wells and horizontal wells. By simultaneous coproduction of oil and electricity, the value of existing assets could be fully developed, operation cost could be offset, and the economic life of the well could be extended.

This recently proposed method incorporated thermoelectric power generation technology and oil production. In this method, electricity could be produced by thermoelectric generator (TEG) mounted outside of the tubing wall under temperature gradient created by produced fluid and injected fluids. The aim of this paper is to illustrate the economic practicability of oil-electricity coproduction by using thermoelectric technology in oil wells based on previously proposed design. We examined the technical data of high water-cut oil wells in North Dakota and collected required information with respect to performance thermoelectric power generations. Special emphasis was placed on the key parameters related to project economics, such as thermoelectric material, length of TEG and injection rate. Sensitive studies were carried out to characterize the impact of the key parameters on project profits. We showed that by simultaneously production of oil and electricity, $234,480 of additional value could be generated without interfering with oil production.

The proposed method capitalizes on the unexploited value of produced water and generates additional benefits. This study could provide a workflow for oil and gas operators to evaluate an oil-electricity coproduction project and could act as a guidance to perform and commercialize such project to balance parts of the operation cost and extend the life of the existing assets.

Wellbore instability is caused by the radical change in the mechanical strength as well as chemical and physical alterations when exposed to drilling fluids. A set of unexpected events associated with wellbore instability in shales account for more than 10% of drilling cost, which is estimated to one billion dollars per annum. Understanding shale-drilling fluid interaction plays a key role in minimizing drilling problems in unconventional resources. The need for efficient inhibitive drilling fluid system for drilling operations in unconventional resources is growing. This study analyzes different drilling fluid systems and their compatibility in unconventional drilling to improve wellbore stability.

A set of inhibitive drilling muds including cesium formate, potassium formate, and diesel-based mud were tested on shale samples with drilling concerns due to high-clay content. An innovative high-pressure high temperature (HPHT) drilling simulator set-up was used to test the mud systems. The results from the test provides reliable data that will be used to capture more effective drilling fluid systems for treating reactive shales and optimizing unconventional drilling.

This paper describes the use of an innovative drilling simulator for testing inhibitive mud systems for reactive shale. The effectiveness of inhibitive muds in high-clay shale was investigated. Their impact on a combination of problems, such high torque and drag, high friction factor, and lubricity was also assessed. Finally, the paper evaluates the sealing ability of some designed lost circulation material (LCM) muds in a high pressure high temperature environment.

The paper describes the feasibility of revisiting old sands, for improving the recovery factors and enhancing production, which otherwise were already abandoned. The paper also outlines the systematic methods for predicting the onset of liquid loading in gas wells, evaluation of completions for optimization and comparison of various deliquification techniques. ONGC is operating in two gas fields in eastern and western regions in India. Earlier in both the fields, many sands had to be closed/isolated after the wells ceased to flow due to liquid loading in the absence of continuous deliquification. In order to predict liquid loading tendencies and identify opportunities for production enhancement, performance of 150 gas wells has been analyzed. To select most suitable deliquification technique for the present condition, all technically feasible methods have been evaluated and compared in order to get the maximum ultimate gas recovery possible.

After an extensive study, 3 wells were identified in the preliminary stage and SRP was selected as the most suitable Deliquification technique. Initially, two non-flowing wells, which had ceased due to liquid loading and were about to be abandoned, were selected. After SRP installation and sustained unloading of water for about 30 days, these wells started producing 12000 SCMD gas. In the third well, one of the top sands had earlier been isolated due to liquid loading and production history indicated that the isolated sand had a very good potential. Also, production from the well was declining in the current bottom operating sand as well due to liquid loading. Encouraged by the results that deliquification had yielded in the initial two gas wells, the isolated sand interval in the third well was opened again with the aim to revive production. The well was re-completed with SRP with both the reservoirs open. Before deliquification, the well was producing about 15000 SCMD gas from the bottom sand. After SRP installation and continuous deliquification, the well started producing gas at a stabilized rate of 45000 SCMD, thereby resulting in an additional gas recovery of 30000 SCMD for nearly one year as on date. The approach of putting in place continuous deliquification techniques has not only helped in enhancing production from the existing reservoirs, but has also opened up new avenues to revisit the earlier isolated / abandoned reservoirs for possible enhanced recoveries.

Due to complex characteristics of shale reservoirs, data-driven techniques offer fast and practical solutions in optimization and better management of shale assets. Developments in data-driven techniques enable robust analysis of not only the primary depletion mechanisms, but also the enhanced oil recovery in unconventionals such as natural gas injection. This study provides a comprehensive background on application of data-driven methods in oil and gas industry, the process, methodology and learnings along with examples of data-driven analysis of natural gas injection in shale oil reservoirs through the use of publicly-available data.

Data is obtained and organized. Patterns in production data are analyzed using data-driven methods to understand key parameters in the recovery process as well as the optimum operational strategies to improve recovery. The complete process is illustrated step-by-step for clarity and to serve as a practical guide for readers. This study also provides information on what other alternative physics-based evaluation methods will be able to offer in the current conditions of data availability and the understanding of physics of recovery in shale oil assets together with the comparison of outcomes of those methods with respect to the data-driven methods. Thereby, a thorough comparison of physics-based and data-driven methods, their advantages, drawbacks and challenges are provided.

It has been observed that data organization and filtering takes significant time before application of the actual data-driven method, yet data-driven methods serve as a practical solution in fields that are mature enough to bear data for analysis as long as the methodology is carefully applied. The advantages, challenges and associated risks of using data-driven methods are also included. The results of comparison between physics-based methods and data-driven methods illustrate the advantages and disadvantages of each method while providing the differences in evaluation and outcome along with a guideline for when to use what kind of strategy and evaluation in an asset.

A comprehensive understanding of the interactions between key components of the formation and the way various elements of an EOR process impact these interactions, is of paramount importance. Among the few existing studies on natural gas injection in shale oil with the use of data-driven methods in oil and gas industry include a comparative approach including the physics-based methods but lack the interrelationship between physics-based and data-driven methods as a complementary and a competitor within the era of rise of unconventionals. This study closes the gap and serves as an up-to-date reference for industry professionals.

Cement sheath is a critical barrier for maintaining well integrity. Formation of micro-annulus due to volume shrinkage and/or pressure/temperature changes is the major challenge in achieving good hydraulic seal. Expansion of cement after the placement is a promising solution to this problem. Expanding cement can potentially close micro-annulus and further achieve pre-stress condition because of the confinement. Primary aim of this paper is to investigate mechanical integrity of different pre-stressed cement system under loading condition.

To achieve the objectives, finite element modelling approach was employed. Three dimensional computer models consisting of liner, cement sheath, and casing were developed. Pre-stress condition was generated by modelling contact interference at the cement-casing interface. Three cement (ductile, moderately ductile, and brittle) were considered for simulation cases. Wellbore and annulus pressure were applied. Resultant, radial, hoop, and maximum shear stresses were investigated at the cement-pipe interface to assess mechanical integrity. For comparison purpose, similar simulations were conducted using cement sheath without pre-stress and cement system representing uniform volume shrinkage and presence micro-annulus.

For constant wellbore pressure, the radial stresses observed in all three types of cement system were practically similar and decreased as pre-stress was increased. Hoop stress also reduced with increase in compressive pre-load. However, their absolute values were distinct for different cement types. These results indicate that cement system with compressive pre-load can notably reduce the risk of radial crack failure by providing compensatory compressive stress. However, on the contrary, the maximum shear stress developed at cement-pipe interface, increased because of pre-load. This can compromise the mechanical integrity by reducing the safety margin on shear failure. Thus, the selection of expansive cement should be made after carefully weighing reduced risk of radial failure/debonding against the increased risks of shear failure.

This paper provides novel information on expanding cement from the perspective of mechanical stresses and integrity. Modelling approach discussed in this work, can be used to estimate amount of pre-stress required for a selected cement system under anticipated wellbore loads.

The case study demonstrated here is the innovative workflow for fault delineation technique on a 3D seismic volume in B-173A Field of Heera Panna Bassein (HPB) Sector, Western Offshore Basin, India. B-173A is located 50 kms west of Mumbai at an average water depth of about 50 m. The field was discovered in the year 1992 and it was put on production in Aug 1998. In B-173A field there are two hydrocarbon bearing zones one is gas bearing Mukta (Lower Oligocene carbonates) Formation and oil bearing Bassein (Middle to Upper Eocene Carbonates) formation.

The present study is an extended workflow on Advanced Seismic Interpretation using Spectral Decomposition and RGB Blending for Fault delineation. Iso-frequency volumes are extracted from Relative Acoustic Impedance data instead of seismic data itself.

The workflow is for effective fault delineation and it consists of Spectral Decomposition of relative acoustic impedance data and RGB Blending of discontinuity attributes of different Iso-frequency volumes.

It is observed that RGB blend volume of discontinuity attributes provided more convincing results for fault delineation as compared to the results of traditional discontinuity attributes.

In recent years, the oil and gas industry has gained greater operational efficiencies and productivity by deploying advanced technologies, such as smart sensors, data analytics, artificial intelligence and machine learning — all linked via Internet of Things connectivity. This transformation is profound, but just starting. Leading offshore E&P operators envision using such applications to help drive their production costs to as low as $7 per barrel or less. A large North Sea operator among them successfully deployed a low-manned platform in the Ivar Aasen field in December 2016, operating it via redundant control rooms — one on the platform, the other onshore 1,000 kilometers away in Trondheim, Norway. In January 2019, the offshore control room operators handed over the platform's control to the onshore operators, and it is now managed exclusively from the onshore one. One particular application — remote condition monitoring of equipment — supports a proactive, more predictive condition-based maintenance program, which is helping to ensure equipment availability, maximize utilization, and find ways to improve performance. This paper will explain the use case in greater detail, including insights into how artificial intelligence and machine learning are incorporated into this operational model. Also described will be the application of a closed-loop lifecycle platform management model, using the concepts of digital twins from pre-FEED and FEED phases through construction, commissioning, and an expected lifecycle spanning 20 years of operations. It is derived from an update to a paper presented at the 2018 SPE Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) that introduced the use case in its 2017-18 operating model, but that was before the debut of the platform's exclusive monitoring of its operations by its onshore control room.

Understanding the behavior of water-in-crude-oil emulsions is necessary to determine its effect on oil and gas production. The presence of emulsions in any part of the production system could cause many problems such as large pressure drop in pipelines due to its high viscosity. Electrical submersible pumps (ESPs) and gas lift are commonly used separately in lifting crude oil from wells. However, the use of downhole equipment and instruments such as ESPs that cause mixing can result in the formation of an emulsion with a high viscosity. The pressure required to lift emulsions is greater than the pressure required to lift non-emulsified liquids. Lifting an emulsion decreases the pressure drawdown capabilities, lowers production rate, increases the load on the equipment, shortens its life expectancy and can result in permanent equipment damage. Methods and apparatus which reduce the load on the pump, therefore, are desirable. The present paper is directed to understand the behavior of water-in-oil emulsions in artificial lift systems, mainly through gas lift.

Two stable water-in-oil synthetic emulsions were created in the laboratory and their rheology and stability characteristics were measured. One contained crude oil and the other, mineral oil. The second stage included measuring the effect of gas lift exposure on the emulsion behavior and characteristics. The results of the present work indicate that water-in-oil emulsions can be destabilized, and their viscosities lowered under gas exposure. The effect of gas injection on the emulsion was linked to the initial conditions of the emulsion as well as the gas type, injection rate and exposure time.

The present study is directed to methods and systems for combining both ESPs and gas lift for the purpose of improving and simplifying the lift of water-in-oil emulsions from oil wells. The novel methods and apparatus are based on the discovery that by adding gas above the ESPs in the wellbore, the viscosity of an oil-in-water emulsion is actually reduced, thus making it easier to lift oil from the well and extending the life of the ESP. Therefore, in addition to the normal benefits of gas in aiding the lift of liquids, if the gas lift valve is installed at a calculated distance above the pump location, the emulsion viscosity can be reduced. This reduces the load on the ESP.