Integrated analysis of data together with fit-for-purpose modelling can help in fast track maturation of opportunities. In 2012, an opportunity to increase oil by implementing waterflood was identified, and last year was further reviewed by Shell. An integrated approach helped the team to mature ten development wells within three months which were subsequently drilled and helped the operator to surpass their production targets. The field located in Western Desert, Egypt comprises of an Upper Cretaceous tidal channel system across four key reservoirs where sand thickness ranges between 2-15 m. Large uncertainties in reservoir extent, architecture and properties required the integration of data across multiple disciplines for identifying new development wells. It was recognized early on that the construction of full-field fine-scale static models would be time-consuming and hence a simplified fast-track approach was used for maturing the opportunity. Conceptual depositional models were built by integrating dipmeter data, image logs and core facies descriptions to understand the direction of continuity of tidal channels, tidal bars and mud flats. Net sand thickness maps were then constructed to represent the conceptual depositional model and integrated with the production behaviour of the wells. Production from historical wells drilled up to 2012 caused non-uniform pressure depletion across reservoirs. The pressure data from Modular Dynamic Tester (MDT), along with the production-injection history, was reviewed to identity both areal and vertical stratigraphically connected areas which were incorporated in the net sand maps. The constructed maps were quality checked with pressure and production data so as to validate the range of in-place volumes. Net sand maps, porosity maps and saturation models were combined to generate Hydrocarbon Pore Volume (HCPV) maps used to identify new well opportunities. Separate sector models were also constructed to evaluate the waterflood and to optimise the decision parameters like injector-producer spacing, injection rates, voidage replacement ratio and target reservoir pressure. A range of type curves were generated from Monte Carlo simulation runs for all key sub-surface uncertainties then was used to estimate the low, base and high case recoverable volumes for the identified well locations and patterns. The identified wells were drilled between February and August 2015 and helped increase production rates of the field by over 5,000 stb/d.A fit-for-purpose modelling using sand maps and connectivity maps can often greatly help in fast-tracking opportunity maturation and fine-scale detailed simulation modelling may not provide additional value.
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