Pertamina Hulu Energi operates numerous wells that produce gas from unconsolidated, tight sands in the Mahakam Delta. The company maintains a zero-sand production policy as its surface facilities are not designed to handle sand. If sand is produced, the wells are choked back, thus impairing the overall field production. To fix sand and fines in place, the primary sand control method used has been multizone single-trip gravel packing, sometimes in conjunction with sand consolidation or ceramic screen for noneconomic zones. However, the current state of the Tunu shallow portfolio renders sand consolidation infeasible, as more than 50% of the remaining reservoirs are either low-stakes (i.e. not economical) or are located in low-permeability zones. Against this backdrop, sand conglomeration is being considered as an alternative solution to produce the remaining reservoirs. A trial has been conducted to assess the feasibility of using sand conglomeration technology as an alternative to sand consolidation in the Mahakam Delta, the results of which will be reviewed in this paper.

Nowadays, the stakes of operating hydrocarbon producing wells in mature field are getting higher. Advanced technologies are needed, and the industry must improve the cost efficiency of maturing assets to compensate for declining production and high fixed costs. One of the methods developed for efficient operation in producing hydrocarbon in mature field is one-phase-well (OPW), which is a well architecture without 9-5/8" surface casing. For safety reason, the conventional pressure temperature fluid analysis (PT-FA) logging can no longer be performed in OPW; alternative approaches are required to determine the potential of reservoirs. Pulsed neutron log (PNL) is proposed as a one-stop-shop solution to determine main reservoir characteristics and fluid status in anticipation of future OPW implementation. Latest generation PNL technology utilizes high-counting neutron generator coupled to high-resolution nuclear detectors to measure accurate oil and gas saturation by means of carbon/oxygen ratio (COR), in-situ total organic carbon, sigma, neutron porosity and novel fast neutron cross section (FNXS) measurements, while simultaneously providing accurate lithology volumes and porosity by means of advanced elemental spectroscopy combined with cased-hole porosity (TPHI). To evaluate the robustness and applicability of the method, the latest generation PNL was run in three recently drilled wells which have complete open-hole (OH) logs dataset along with fluid analysis (FA) and mudlog information. The PNL data were processed and interpreted independently, without utilizing any input from the OH log data and without the support of fluid analysis and mudlog information. A criterion based on comparison and correlation between fluid volumes and saturation defined by the PNL and the fluid analysis from FA was defined. For all the wells, the PNL interpretation results matched the hydrocarbon information from FA with success ratio higher than 90 percent over the logged interval, confirming its ability to perform accurate standalone evaluation and its value as alternative technology for effective fluid analysis. Because of the complexity of the system, conditions and potential risks must be properly analyzed case-by-case to encourage more massive application in the future.

As conventional fishing assembly offers a degree of recovery chance, such chance can be increased by utilizing an Oscillating Fishing Tool (OFT). The OFT is a fishing Bottom Hole Assembly (BHA) component that delivers low-magnitude; high-frequency oscillation. The continuous motion that the tool provides complements the impact generated by the fishing jar. This paper reviews the successful case history in Field X, which was in fact the first utilization of OFT for a fishing application in the field. Method of analysis involve comparing fishing sequence without and with the OFT. The OFT was used in Offshore Field X to recover a mechanically stuck 550-meter long Tubing Conveyed Perforating Gun assembly inside 9 5/8" casing that could potentially lead to loss of access into the 6 oil reserves candidate perforation zones. Initially the assembly had been stuck for two days, during which conventional fishing BHA was used to retrieve it to no avail, even after jarring for most of that time. OFT was then incorporated in the final fishing BHA and operated in combination with jarring operation. After around twelve hours of oscillating and jarring, the fish was able to be released from the initial stuck point. When tripping the string out, however, the assembly was stuck at high dog-leg severity area near the surface. At that point, in combination with applying substantial overpull, OFT was utilized further to recover the entire string. Upon fish retrieval, it was evident that post detonation, the TCP gun had swelled into 8.6 inches in diameter. In summary, oscillating and jarring for thirty-six cumulative hours successfully released the swelled TCP gun assembly from the stuck occurrences. In conclusion, the operation showed that the OFT serves as a higher level of fishing tool option that offers a particular excitation mode to the stuck assembly. Stuck assembly in a cased hole presents potential loss of oil reserves. Particularly in offshore application, the situation can also be costly. With reduced chance of recovery as time passes by, operation is hindered from being able to proceed to the next completion phase. The case proved OFT to have played an important role in improving fishing probability of success and should be considered as standard fishing BHA in the future.