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Collaborating Authors
Results
Economic Assessment of Strategies for CO2-EOR and Storage in Brownfield Residual Oil Zones: A Case Study from the Seminole San Andres Unit
Ren, Bo (The University of Texas at Austin) | Duncan, Ian (The University of Texas at Austin) | Male, Frank (The University of Texas at Austin) | Baqués, Vinyet (The University of Texas at Austin) | Lake, Larry (The University of Texas at Austin)
Abstract Brownfield residual oil zones (ROZ) may benefit from specific strategies to maximize production. We evaluated several strategies for producing from the Seminole ROZ. This ROZ lies below the main pay zone (MPZ) of the field. Such brownfield ROZs occur in the Permian Basin and elsewhere, formed by the action of regional aquifers over geologic time. CO2 can be injected into these zones to enhance oil recovery and carbon storage. Since brownfield ROZs are hydraulically connected to the MPZs, development sequences and schemes should influence oil production, CO2 storage, and net present value (NPV). We conducted economic assessments of various CO2 injection/production schemes in the Seminole stacked ROZ-MPZ reservoir based on flow simulations. First, we constructed a high-resolution geocellular model from a seismic survey, wireline logs and core data. To calibrate the geological model and constrain the interface between the ROZ and the MPZ, we performed a comprehensive production-pressure history matching of primary depletion and secondary waterflooding. After this, we conducted flow simulations of water alternating gas (WAG) injection into the reservoir while considering several injection/productions schemes (e.g., switching injection from the MPZ to the ROZ, commingled production). For each scheme, various WAG ratios (i.e., reservoir volume ratio between injected water and CO2) were tested to find the maximum oil production and maximum CO2 storage. We assessed the economic results for each WAG ratio case on NPV. The results from simulating various injection/production schemes showed that simultaneous CO2 injection into the MPZ and ROZ favors oil production. If instead, CO2 is injected into the MPZ and ROZ, then into the ROZ alone, this leads to increased CO2 storage. Storage performance is influenced by the interplay between the crossflow from the MPZ to ROZ and WAG ratios. As the WAG ratio increases, the amount of CO2 stored decreases more for commingled injection cases than for separated ROZ injection cases. Also, the WAG ratio leading to maximum oil production does not necessarily yield the largest NPV, because of the complicated interactions among CO2 consumption, reservoir heterogeneity, and oil recovery. Brownfield ROZs are common below San Andres reservoirs in the Permian Basin, and they can be exploited to increase oilfields’ NPV and carbon storage potential. Our case study on the Seminole MPZ-ROZ is an analog for other similar reservoirs. We demonstrate that development sequences and WAG ratios influence the performance of CO2 EOR and storage. Thus, this work provides valuable insights into the further optimization of brownfield ROZ development and helps operators to plan flexible storage goals for stacked ROZ-MPZ reservoirs.
- Geology > Rock Type > Sedimentary Rock > Carbonate Rock (1.00)
- Geology > Sedimentary Geology > Depositional Environment (0.69)
- Geology > Geological Subdiscipline (0.68)
- Geophysics > Borehole Geophysics (1.00)
- Geophysics > Seismic Surveying (0.68)
- Energy > Oil & Gas > Upstream (1.00)
- Government > Regional Government > North America Government > United States Government (0.46)
- North America > United States > Texas > Permian Basin > Yeso Formation (0.99)
- North America > United States > Texas > Permian Basin > Yates Formation (0.99)
- North America > United States > Texas > Permian Basin > Wolfcamp Formation (0.99)
- (28 more...)
- Reservoir Description and Dynamics > Storage Reservoir Engineering > CO2 capture and sequestration (1.00)
- Reservoir Description and Dynamics > Improved and Enhanced Recovery > Waterflooding (1.00)
- Reservoir Description and Dynamics > Improved and Enhanced Recovery > Miscible methods (1.00)
- Reservoir Description and Dynamics > Improved and Enhanced Recovery > Chemical flooding methods (1.00)
Abstract One of the key uncertainties associated with miscible water-alternating-gas (WAG) projects is the well injectivity. The underestimation of productivity indexes of the injectors always results in the loss of additional oil production. This paper describes the current solutions and approaches to the design and implementation of nitrogen injection pilot into the injection well on the remote oil field in order to adjust the technical and economic indicators of miscible WAG process. First of all, according to the probability distribution of permeability on the field, the well selection process was carried out. At the second stage, due to the high capital costs of pipeline construction, a gaseous agent(nitrogen) that may be transported in the liquid form was selected. Then, for each well, based on the simulation models, the required nitrogen resources were estimated to ensure that the steady-state flow was achieved. The final stage of pilot works design includes the selection of the measuring instruments to record injection rates, pressures (BHP, THP), temperatures in the well and production logging. The main result of the pilot injection of the nitrogen into the reservoir was the confirmation of the key success criteria: productivity indexes and gas injectivities, tightness of the cement in the wells and the possibility of displacing the water from the wellbore to the reservoir at the current tubing head pressure. During the analysis of the results, the simulation model which were designed to calculate the predicted effects of the implementation of the miscible WAG on the field were adjusted to match pilot tests results. Application of the results of pilot injection allowed to increase a duration of the water injection cycles without loss of the gas injection volumes and gas utilization levels. The duration change in the operating cycles of the WAG, in turn, makes it possible to increase the displacement efficiency, which leads to an increase of the cumulative oil production by 10%. Based on the key uncertainty management studies: laboratory studies to study the processes of oil and gas interaction (slim-tube test, asphaltenes precipitation test), special core analysis, pilot gas injection and economical evaluation, a decision was made to launch a miscible WAG project in the oil field. In this paper, it is shown that the implementation of a nitrogen injection pilot allows us to reduce the uncertainties in injectivity for wells originally constructed not for gas injection. Correct analysis of the results gives a deeper understanding of the processes occurring in the injection wells during the transition period from water to gas injection. This field test of nitrogen injectivity gives a good opportunity for the full filed WAG project implementation.
Comprehensive Review of Fracture Control for Conformance Improvement in the Kuparuk River Unit - Alaska
Mishra, Ashok (Conoco Phillips) | Abbas, Sayeed (Conoco Phillips) | Braden, John (Conoco Phillips) | Hazen, Mike (Conoco Phillips) | Li, Gaoming (Conoco Phillips) | Peirce, John (Conoco Phillips) | Smith, David D. (Conoco Phillips) | Lantz, Michael (TIORCO, a Nalco Champion Company)
Abstract This paper is a field case review of the process and methodologies used to identify, characterize, design, and execute a solution for a waterflood conformance problem in the Kuparuk River Unit in late 2013. In addition, post treatment analysis in a complex WAG flood will be discussed. The Kuparuk River Field is a highly fractured and faulted, multi-layer sandstone reservoir located on the North Slope of Alaska. Large scale water injection in the field was initiated in 1981 and overall the field responded favorably to waterflood operations. In 1996, Kuparuk implemented a miscible WAG flood in many areas of the field. However, natural fault and fracture connectivity has resulted in some significant conformance issues between high angle wells in the periphery. Methodologies employed to identify and characterize one specific conformance issue will be outlined. Details of diagnostic efforts, and how they were used to identify, characterize and mitigate an injector/producer interaction through a void space conduit will be discussed. The solution selected to resolve this conformance issue involved pumping a large crosslinked hydrolyzed polyacrylamide (HPAM) gel system. The solution used a tapered concentration design with one of the highest molecular weight HPAM polymers available. Before execution of this solution, extensive history matching and modeling of the solution design and benefits were used to justify this effort. These modeling efforts and their projections will be reviewed. This solution was pumped into the offending injector in late 2013, and offset producers were carefully monitored for gel breakthrough. The polymer treatment design parameters, including rates and pressure limits were used to generate an effective solution. A discussion of this active design approach, a complete review of the well problem dynamics, treatment operations, products used, and potential complications associated with these products will be discussed. Post solution execution performance analysis was difficult due to the active nature of this MWAG flood. A variety of plotting and analysis techniques were used to identify and quantify the results. A discussion of these results will be provided. Finally, a summary of lessons learned, and a limited discussion of future plans will be presented.
- North America > United States > Alaska > North Slope Borough (1.00)
- Europe > United Kingdom > Irish Sea > East Irish Sea > Liverpool Bay (0.24)
- Geology > Rock Type > Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Rock > Sandstone (0.68)
- Geology > Structural Geology > Fault (0.66)
- North America > United States > Wyoming > Wertz Field (0.99)
- North America > United States > Texas > Permian Basin > SACROC Unit > Lower Clear Fork Formation (0.99)
- North America > United States > Texas > Permian Basin > SACROC Unit > Cisco Sand Formation (0.99)
- (6 more...)
- Reservoir Description and Dynamics > Unconventional and Complex Reservoirs > Naturally-fractured reservoirs (1.00)
- Reservoir Description and Dynamics > Reservoir Characterization > Faults and fracture characterization (1.00)
- Reservoir Description and Dynamics > Improved and Enhanced Recovery > Waterflooding (1.00)
- (3 more...)