Decision making in waterflooding operations is a crucial process in petroleum oilfield activities where numerous attributes and uncertainties exist in the complete process. This study investigates the reservoir management of waterfloods in terms of injection/production practices. A well-organized historical database that also collects real-time data is especially important in utilization of data-driven methods in the process of determination of optimum injection/production practices for waterfloods that will result in better recovery and sweep, which is illustrated in this paper. Statistics is a strong tool to turn information or data into knowledge when used with care and physical understanding of the cause-effect relation between attributes and the outcome. Unfortunately, historical data and learnings from the past cannot be used in an efficient way in oilfield decisions due to the lack of systematically organized historical data where there is a huge potential of turning terrabytes of data into knowledge and understanding for improved decisions and results. Historical injection and production data at pattern level is utilized to determine the optimum injection levels in light of significant factors that affect the success of a waterflooding displacement process with commercial data analysis tools. Analysis of injection/production data at associated injectors and producers reveals the optimum injection levels depending on the significant factors including but not limited to subsurface conformance, number and location of producers, vintage of wells, completion practices and injection history. The optimum injection levels change depending on the changing variables that affect the displacement and injection processes, thus, a real-time data flow from producers and injectors is required to capture and maintain the optimum operating levels. The significance of each parameter in this process is obtained in a dynamic manner with real-time feed of field data and efficiently used to determine the optimum levels of injection at a specified time. Change of important factors in the process in time is also important by means of adding another dimension on the relative significance of parameters in the process, thereby shedding light on future decisions.

Objectives/Scope: In this study, Managed Pressure Drilling (MPD) is investigated in a naturally fractured Iranian oil field as a tool to mitigate under balanced drilling hazards due to its high Sulfur content; and fluid losses and other problems that are inherent to conventional over balanced drilling. Methods, Procedures, Process: MPD was identified, planed, and applied in an already drilled well, as an alternative technology, to calculate the increase in its rate of penetration (ROP). The calculations were made by Schulumberger Drilling Office package and quality checked by using Signa ERDS software. The software simulates drilling fluid dynamics to investigate application of drillind hydraulics to better chose the optimum drilling technique. Well drilling fluid properties, bottom-hole assembly, casing/completion design and rock formation properties are implemented as an input to the software to start calculations. Results, Observations, Conclusions: The subject of this study was drilled in south west of Iran. Drilling experiences in this area identified the rock formation as a brittle, highly fractured, which negatively impacts drilling time and cost. Also, in certain instances, elevated mud weights are required to deal with high-pressure high sulfur content gas and/or water flows. Calculation shows that in shallow depths (0-470.8 ft, dd) due to low pore pressure, drilling mud is in balance and within pressure window. At deeper depths (470.8-7211.3 ft, dd) drilling is MPD and increase in mud pressure is required. At (7211.3-9530.8 ft, dd) depths, sharp changes in reservoir pore-pressure cause different increases in mud pressure (from 90 to 600 psi). At deeper depths (9530.8-13154.5 ft, dd) an increase in mud pressure may cause formation fracture, so it is suggested to continue overbalance drilling or separate the well bore by casing. If the formation is separated in previous section, drilling from 9530.8 to 13154.5 ft, dd, pressure management can be continued with an increase in applied back pressure in order to stop toxic gas hazards. At deeper depths (more than 13154.5 ft) according to high depth and dramatic pressure increase, it is suggested to continue MPD to prevent formation damage or induced fracturing and also prevent H2S influxes into annulus. Novel/Additive Information: Tts the first time to apply MPD technique in a drilling well design in this filed as a solution to challenging drilling conditions like narrow pressure window, Toxic gas hazards, sever mud loss problems, differential stocking and blow out risks. Such results may result in a significant improvement in drilling economics.

There are certain online tools that serve as a comprehensive toolbox in specific areas of engineering including but not limited to chemical and mechanical engineering. These tools provide quick online access to a broad range of equations used in the area of interest while serving as a convenient tool for professionals that do not have access to a comprehensive library or that are not familiar enough with the subject to locate the equation required. Thus, the objective of online Petroleum Engineering Toolbox is to provide users in academia and the industry - with or without petroleum engineering background - a comprehensive and convenient 24/7 accessible source for petroleum engineering and related calculations, offering calculations and technical description of over 1000 formulas. Petroleum Engineering Toolbox consists of 2 main sections: (1) Equations, (2) Technical Manual / Reference featuring a total of over thousand calculations in Reservoir, Drilling, Production, Well Testing, Flow, Laboratory Experiments, Economics, PVT, Logging, Optimization, Well Stimulation, EOR and Thermodynamics. The Technical Manual/Reference section is to serve as a library for reference tables, charts, tables in petroleum engineering, thus, providing a very convenient tool for engineers working anywhere in the world where it is hard to access sources of information including fields, offshore and onshore remote locations. It outlines the theory of equations used in calculations with units for the most convenient and user-friendly experience. The Petroleum Engineering Toolbox is available online and as a mobile application for better use on mobile devices. Its online interface is entirely built on top of open source technology. Server side connection is done by Apache 2.4.9 Web Server and PHP Version 5.2.4. MySQL Version 5.5 is used as Database. JQuery (version: 1.4.1), a JavaScript library is used to traverse the HTML document and to make AJAX requests. Formula representations are done by MathJax open source library. Petroleum Engineering Toolbox is available for all PCs’ (Windows and Mac), tablets and mobile devices through a mobile friendly online user interface. It is also accessible to iPhone and iPad users as a mobile application. There is no such comprehensive and globally-available toolbox in the oil and gas industry, thus, the Petroleum Engineering Toolbox is a first of its kind serving professionals in the oil industry and academia.