Maximizing Heavy Oil Production and Reserves Through a Multidisciplinary Well Construction Process

Haugen, Vibeke Eilen Jensen; Lima, Claudio Jose Teixeira de; Galletti, Eduardo; Loures, Luiz Geraldo Lucchesi

doi:10.4043/24510-ms

All Days 2013

DOI: 10.4043/24510-ms

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Maximizing Heavy Oil Production and Reserves Through a Multidisciplinary Well Construction Process

Vibeke Eilen Jensen Haugen

Claudio Jose Teixeira de Lima

Eduardo Galletti

et al.

Abstract: The paper discusses the aspects of the multi-disciplinary well construction process (WCP) that is being applied in the development of Peregrino field located offshore Brazil. Peregrino field is a heterogeneous sandstone reservoir containing a large volume of viscous oil in a complex depositional geological environment. The field development is based on a large number of long horizontal and multilateral wells equipped with high energy-demanding Electrical Submersible Pumps (ESP) for artificial lift.The well con… Show more

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Lessons Learned from Further Development of the Peregrino Heavy Oil Field Offshore Brazil

et al. 2015

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The Peregrino heavy oil field is located 85 km off the coast of Cabo Frio, Rio de Janeiro. The water depth in the area is approximately 120 m. Phase I of the development comprises a FPSO and two wellhead/ drilling platforms. Production of oil started in April 2011. Statoil is operator with 60% equity and partner Sinochem holds 40%. To date, more than 80 million barrels of 14°API oil has been lifted and close to 30 development wells have been drilled. The drive mechanism of the reservoir is reinjection of produced water and pressure support from the aquifer.The new Phase II development involves a third wellhead platform tied back to the FPSO. It targets oil resources that cannot be reached from the two existing wellhead platforms. An extensive exploratory drilling program with a total of six reservoir penetrations and a detailed data collection program were undertaken in 2011-2012. From the drilling campaign the Peregrino field was found to have a large southern extension with additional 1-2 billion barrels of oil in place that could be developed. In spite of many similarities with the geology in Phase I, the new reservoirs held a number of surprises with respect to reservoir fluid (lighter oil was found) and different reservoir properties.This paper describes the experiences and challenges with developing this offshore heavy oil field from a subsurface point of view: These include appraisal strategy for optimum data collection, reservoir modelling, and impact on design parameters such as production capacities. Many of these challenges are generic for heavy oil fields: how to handle large amounts of water circulation, identifying reservoir data that are critical for field planning such as absolute and relative permeability. Heavy oil reservoirs with oil viscosity of several hundred centipois are usually high quality reservoirs with relatively homogenous sandstone, as is the case with the Peregrino field for the most part. This paper discusses critical factors in determining reservoir performance for a wide range of reservoir parameters, and includes a section on how this was implemented in the uncertainty analysis.Safe water injection into the oil zone to avoid fracturing the cap rock is very important. This has been assured both through theoretical work and data from an injection well in the Peregrino field. All producers in Peregrino are horizontal wells (with open-hole gravel packs) in order to improve productivity and drainage. Flow assurance and oil-water transport in wells and flow lines are also described. Use of inflow control valves in horizontal wells have shown potential in Peregrino and will be described in the paper.

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Lessons Learned from Further Development of the Peregrino Heavy Oil Field Offshore Brazil

et al. 2015

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Understanding ESP Performance Under High Viscous Applications and Emulsion Production

et al. 2021

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Although being widely used as an artificial lift method for heavy oil field developments, Electrical Submersible Pump (ESP) performance in high viscous applications is not fully understood. In order to improve knowledge of pump behavior under such conditions, Equinor has developed stage qualification tests as part of the technical requirements for deploying ESPs in Peregrino Field located offshore Brazil and has funded a series of research efforts to better design and operate the system more efficiently. Qualification tests were made mandatory for every stage type prior to field deployment in Peregrino. It is known that the affinity laws don´t hold true for high viscosity applications. Therefore, extensive qualification tests are required to provide actual stage performance in high viscous applications. Test results are used to optimize ESP system design for each well selecting the most efficient stage type considering specific well application challenges. In addition, the actual pump performance improves accuracy in production allocation algorithms. A better understanding of ESP behavior in viscous fluid application helps improving oil production and allows ESP operation with higher efficiency, increasing system run life. Shear forces inside ESP stages generate emulsion that compromises ESP performance. Lab tests in controlled environments have helped Equinor to gather valuable information about emulsion formation and evaluate ESP performance in conditions similar to field application. Equinor has funded studies to better understand two-phase flow (oil-water) which allowed visualization and investigation of oil drops dynamics inside the impeller. In addition, experimental procedures were proposed to investigate the effective viscosity of emulsion at pump discharge and the phase inversion hysteresis in the transition water-oil and oil-water emulsion. In addition to qualification tests and research performed to better understand system behavior, Equinor has developed and improved procedures to operate ESP systems in high viscous applications with emulsion production during 10 years of operation in Peregrino field. Such conditions also impose challenges to ESP system reliability. Over the years, Equinor has peformed failure analysis to enhance ESP system robustness which, combined with upper completion design, have improved system operation and reliability decreasing operating costs in Peregrino field.

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Understanding ESP Performance Under High Viscous Applications and Emulsion Production

Pastre

Biazussi

Verde

et al. 2022

Day 3 Wed, May 04, 2022

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Although being widely used as an artificial lift method for heavy oil field developments, Electrical Submersible Pump (ESP) system performance in high viscous applications is not fully understood. A miscomprehension of challenges and equipment performance in such conditions might lead to operation inefficiencies and equipment failures. This paper presents results of single-phase and multiphase tests performed by University of Campinas (UNICAMP). It also presents operation data, lessons learnt, and failure examples gathered over 10 years of ESP operation in Peregrino field which is a heavy oil, high viscous oilfield offshore Brazil operated by Equinor. Affinity laws commonly used for ESP simulations don't hold true for high viscosity applications. Hydraulic performance of centrifugal pumps is affected by fluid parameters like viscosity and density; operation parameters such as flow rate and rotational speed; and specific stage design characteristics. To determine degradation in head and efficiency as well as power requirement increase in viscous applications, Equinor performs one-phase high viscosity flow loop test to qualify each stage type prior to deployment in Peregrino field. For the qualification of ESPs, single phase qualification tests are performed using mineral oil with viscosities specifically chosen to cover the viscosity range of the specific field. Each stage type is qualified using a prototype with reduced number of stages due to flow loop limitations. Qualification tests for the Peregrino field confirmed that affinity laws are not accurate for high viscous applications and provided important insights regarding pump performance that are used in equipment specification and system surveillance. The UNICAMP research team has designed and performed multiphase flow tests to evaluate emulsion formation inside centrifugal pump stages and effective viscosity behavior. Phase inversion phenomenon investigation was also included in studies. Studies performed using a prototype stage allowed visualization and evaluation of oil drops dynamics inside the impeller in different rotational speeds. Two phase flow loop tests investigated the shear forces influence in effective viscosity inside pump stages and downstream pump discharge. Phase inversion phenomenon was also a point of great interest during the studies. Data gathered during lab tests was used to evaluate accuracy of mathematical models existing in the literature when a centrifugal pump is added to the system. Hysteresis effect associated to catastrophic phase inversion (CPI) was confirmed and replicated during flow loop tests. Such behavior can be related with operation parameters instabilities and equipment failures noticed in actual application in Peregrino field which are also presented in this paper.

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Maximizing Heavy Oil Production and Reserves Through a Multidisciplinary Well Construction Process

Cited by 4 publications

References 0 publications

Lessons Learned from Further Development of the Peregrino Heavy Oil Field Offshore Brazil

Lessons Learned from Further Development of the Peregrino Heavy Oil Field Offshore Brazil

Understanding ESP Performance Under High Viscous Applications and Emulsion Production

Understanding ESP Performance Under High Viscous Applications and Emulsion Production

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