Unlocking Atlantis: An Integrated Approach to Reservoir Management of a Giant Subsalt Field

Bartlett, Rick; Singh, Pramod K.; Howie, James; Humphrey, Kathryn; Kurtz, Jessica; Croft, Mike

doi:10.2523/20397-ms

Cited by 3 publications

References 2 publications

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Development Strategies and Profitability Assessment of Semisubmersible Production Units in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico

Kaiser

2016

Exploration and Production of Petroleum and Natural Gas

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The U.S. Gulf of Mexico is one of three major deepwater-producing regions in the world, but surprisingly little information exists that methodically examines project profitability. Reliable economic assessments in the deepwater space generally is lacking, and even basic performance measures and comparative issues have not been addressed. Deepwater developments are expensive, complex, and risky endeavors, and significant delineation work is required before a reservoir produces. The major challenge in development is achieving an acceptable financial return in an uncertain environment. The purpose of this chapter is to review semisubmersible developments in the Gulf of Mexico and to estimate their profitability. Through 2013, 11 semisubmersibles produced 777 MMbbl oil and 2,350 Bcf natural gas and generated about $78 billion in gross revenue. Development cost for the projects totaled approximately $38 billion, and if operating cost average $10/boe, total cost circa 2013 is estimated at $50 billion, yielding a benefit-cost ratio of 1.6. In 2013, 8 semisubmersibles produced 80 MMbbl oil and 178 Bcf natural gas worth approximately $9.3 billion. Na Kika is the most successful development with a net present value greater than $5 billion and an estimated 34 % return on investment. Atlantis and Thunder Horse are valued in excess of $2 billion each with expected returns in the 15 to 20 % range. Three semis have been decommissioned, none of which were profitable, and Telemark and Independence are not expected to generate positive returns. Operators spent $13/boe to develop fields with more than 300 MMboe reserves, and $50/boe for fields with less than 100 MMboe reserves. Remaining reserves circa 2013 for the semisubmersible inventory are estimated at 364 MMbbl oil and 740 Bcf natural gas, and $23 to $50 billion in future revenues are expected for oil prices between $60 to $120/bbl. Telemark and Thunder Hawk appear near the end of their life cycle.

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Development Strategies and Profitability Assessment of Semisubmersible Production Units in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico

Kaiser

2016

Exploration and Production of Petroleum and Natural Gas

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Insights From History Matching and Forecasting Work for a Steeply-Dipping, Faulted Volatile Oil Reservoir

Kaul

Ambastha²,

Eme³

et al. 2013

SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition

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History matching and subsequent forecasting work becomes a challenging task if limited supporting production data is available and the reservoir is severely depleted. For an offshore, volatile-oil reservoir, added to this challenge was an uncertainty in fluid PVT, where the data clearly suggested presence of condensate, but with black-oil properties. The permeability distribution from logs was counterintuitive to the production data from the wells. The reservoir had a structural relief in excess of 1000 ft., most likely having API gradient, but both the API and the GOR data indicated that there were possible errors in measurement. There was uncertainty associated with original oil-water contact also. The production data showed the reservoir to follow primarily a classical solution gas-drive response, but simple material balance analysis proved a weak aquifer effect as well.The approach followed in simulation was the process of elimination. Pressure match was first achieved, but questions remained about its robustness around the main sealing fault. GOR was targeted next and several different condensates and one full compositional fluid model of a nearby reservoir were unsuccessfully tested. For matching the historical gas production, a new high condensate yield fluid PVT was used. The idea of another oil-water contact (OWC) was tested in the saddle of the reservoir to account for most likely early water breakthrough in a well there. The secondary gas cap formation and its effects were crucial in achieving satisfactory history match.The confidence in the history match, as having captured the physics of the flow, led to forecasting scenarios which were not possible with a black-oil model. Most of the data was found not to be erroneous. What was needed was judicious data interpretation to achieve satisfactory history match. To produce these kinds of depleted, faulted reservoirs further, a strategy to better manage the evolution of secondary gas cap was of utmost importance.

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Retrievable Inflatable Bridge Plug used as Solution Product for Through Tubing Intervention in Deepwater GoM

Ramnath

Pocza

Reynolds

2017

SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition

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This paper discusses how the application of a Retrievable Inflatable Bridge Plug (RIBP) helped overcome the challenges encountered in a subsea deepwater intervention operation. The technical details of the challenges are first outlined, followed by the salient features of the RIBP that facilitated its successful use. The RIBP was used to isolate the reservoir prior to change-out of the upper completion tubing as per the intervention scope of work. The monobore completion for which the intervention was planned did not have any nipple profiles to allow for reservoir isolation using a traditional lock and plug. Therefore, through-tubing Mechanical Bridge Plug (MBP) technologies had to be considered. Only the RIBP was able to provide the functionality for the intervention operation. This RIBP technology was applied successfully to two different wells with identical scopes of work. The inflatable technology provided a robust solution to the compound challenges faced during the planned intervention operation. Since these challenges are common to the industry, especially in the deepwater subsea environment, the successful RIBP application discussed in this paper increases confidence in the future use of such technology.

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Unlocking Atlantis: An Integrated Approach to Reservoir Management of a Giant Subsalt Field

Cited by 3 publications

References 2 publications

Development Strategies and Profitability Assessment of Semisubmersible Production Units in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico

Development Strategies and Profitability Assessment of Semisubmersible Production Units in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico

Insights From History Matching and Forecasting Work for a Steeply-Dipping, Faulted Volatile Oil Reservoir

Retrievable Inflatable Bridge Plug used as Solution Product for Through Tubing Intervention in Deepwater GoM

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