Successful Field Evaluation of the Efficiency of a Gas Gravity Drainage Process by Applying Recent Developments in Sponge Coring Technique in a Major Oil Field

Durandeau, Marc; El-Emam, Medhat; Anis, Abdel-Hamid; Fanti, Gianni

doi:10.2118/29809-ms

Cited by 5 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…Durandeau et al (1995) studied the application and integration of the new sponge coring technology to obtain the fluid distributions and efficiency of the gas gravity drainage floods in one of the Arab D sub-reservoirs of a major oil field in offshore Abu Dhabi. SCAL and centrifuge tests were conducted on the cores to determine effective oil saturations.…”

Section: Field Studies Of Gravity Drainagementioning

confidence: 99%

Development and Optimization of Gas-Assisted Gravity Drainage (Gagd) Process for Improved Light Oil Recovery

Rao¹,

Ayirala²,

Kulkarni³

et al. 2004

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Section: Field Studies Of Gravity Drainagementioning

confidence: 99%

Development and Optimization of Gas-Assisted Gravity Drainage (Gagd) Process for Improved Light Oil Recovery

Rao¹,

Ayirala²,

Kulkarni³

et al. 2004

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“…It has previously (7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14) been established that GAIGI is a highly effective oil recovery operation, yielding best performance on reservoirs that are water wet and have significant dip to the structure. In a water wet reservoir, in the presence of a free gas phase, oil will tend to spread out over the water film.…”

Section: Gaigi and Cdpd Processesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The gravity drainage process is a very effective and efficient method for obtaining high oil recoveries from water wet, dipping reservoirs. This has been born out in laboratory (7)(8)(9)(10) and field studies (11)(12)(13)(14) .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Application of Improved Oil Recovery Methods to Offshore Oil Fields: Expanding On a New Philosophy

Aikman

Kantzas

Moore

1999

Journal of Canadian Petroleum Technology

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A literature survey of both improved oil recovery ("IOR") methods, and offshore oil operations, has been performed. The survey of IOR methods examined both current field applications (commercial and pilot operations), and "horizon" research investigations. The survey of offshore oil operations has focussed upon the European North Sea, to understand the implications for marginal field development there, and also in the Canadian East Coast. It is believed that oil recovery can be increased above a base waterflood development. This would be accomplished by earlier application of improved oil recovery methods, rather than the application of same late in the life of a watered-out field. The specific IOR method would require very early studies to design and tailor a method that is appropriate for the unique qualities of a given reservoir. In this paper, a "Type Field", hypothetical, but representative of a marginal field or isolated fault block, is used to illustrate this philosophy. Evaluation of various operational enhancements are performed via numerical simulation. Cases compared are a base waterflood, and IOR operations utilizing Gravity Assisted Immiscible Gas Injection ("GAIGI"). A novel operational scheme has been developed and is termed "Coupled Dual Phase Displacement" ("CDPD"). The oil recovery factor obtained for certain models using CDPD is 58%. This compares to a base waterflood recovery factor of 44% for the same models, giving an incremental recovery of 14% oil initially in place. Hurdles that must be overcome are early characterization of the reservoir prior to production, and the identification of the optimal depletion process. This will require an integrated study team. Nonetheless, novel IOR schemes can be designed in some circumstances that can be insensitive to some forms of geological traps under displacement processes. The benefits of early IOR applications are enhanced by the deferral of abandonment, which, on an incremental basis, will contribute positive cashflow to an already economic process. It is pointed out that although the concept is outlined here for offshore oil fields, the natural extension of these ideas to onshore oil fields should also be considered. Introduction A literature survey has been conducted regarding the status of Improved Oil Recovery (IOR) methods and the historical developments of the North Sea oil industry. This was done in order to understand potential IOR applications for offshore oil production operations. In the context of this survey, IOR was considered to be any process that obtains oil production and recovery incremental to either primary or waterflood pressure maintenance operations. The survey included all major IOR forms, and encompassed the time period up to late 1996. Increases in recovery by mechanical methods, such as infill drilling of new wells, were considered as enhancements to a given process, and not the base IOR operation itself. There are many reasons why IOR methods should be strongly considered for offshore oil operations. Those issues that are pertinent to this paper are the very high cost of abandonment, large volumes of oil initially in place, and large volumes of remaining oil in place at the end of a waterflood operation.

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Gas Injection Pilot Field Case: An Integrated Monitoring Plan to Tackle Pilot Results and Identify Uncertainties in Heterogeneous Reservoir

Al-Marzouqi¹,

Al-Zaabi²,

Schaeffner³

et al. 2010

Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference

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The Upper Jurassic formation in Offshore Abu Dhabi is formed of regressive cycles of sedimentation divided into four highly heterogeneous reservoirs (labelled Zones A through D) made up of dolomites/limestones/anhydrytes alternations. In these reservoirs, a fairly dense fault network can also affect fluids movements. Down-dip gas injection is one of the options currently being screened to sustain long term plateau duration of a major offshore Abu Dhabi field. In order to reduce uncertainties related to sweep efficiency in this complex environment, a gas injection pilot, made up of 2 gas injectors and 2 observers, was initiated late 2004.The Pilot objectives were to: Quantify the impact of tertiary gas injection in lowest Zone D water flooded sub-reservoirs,  Evaluate at microscopic scale the remaining oil saturation after gas FRONT,  Evaluate the vertical and areal sweep efficiencies,  Assess performance of oil producers associated with down-dip gas injection,  Evaluate gas injectivity in the pilot area.A full integrated monitoring and data gathering plan covering all formation reservoirs in the area of the pilot was implemented at project start, including: Extensive data acquisition on newly drilled wells : CMR, FMI, MDT, cores,  Tracer injection and analysis,  Regular time lapse Cased Hole Neutron and Saturation Logs on observer wells,  Interference test between injectors and producers,  Regular shut-in bottom-hole pressure data,  Frequent production tests including gas sampling for tracer detection and chromatography analysis.A full integration of all available data led to build a comprehensive and consistent understanding of gas movement and impact over pilot life: Tracer confirmed that gas has been detected in all upper sub-zones (A -D), suggesting vertical communication within the pilot area.  Significant vertical differential pressure depletion has been observed between zones.  Gas movements are mostly governed by heterogeneities in a multi-layer reservoir that showed the influence of the related fault system and differential pressure depletion. RST time lapse logs show that microscopic sweep efficiency has been improved by gas injection in water swept zones. This will be confirmed by coring of the observer side track hole planned soon.

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Successful Field Evaluation of the Efficiency of a Gas Gravity Drainage Process by Applying Recent Developments in Sponge Coring Technique in a Major Oil Field

Cited by 5 publications

References 4 publications

Development and Optimization of Gas-Assisted Gravity Drainage (Gagd) Process for Improved Light Oil Recovery

Development and Optimization of Gas-Assisted Gravity Drainage (Gagd) Process for Improved Light Oil Recovery

Application of Improved Oil Recovery Methods to Offshore Oil Fields: Expanding On a New Philosophy

Gas Injection Pilot Field Case: An Integrated Monitoring Plan to Tackle Pilot Results and Identify Uncertainties in Heterogeneous Reservoir

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