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

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

doi:10.4043/20397-ms

“…All subsea wells are equipped with real time permanent downhole gauges and well head gauges to collect pressure and temperature data. The subsurface complexity and challenges have been described in literature in details (Sprague et al, 2010;Bartlett et. al., 2010).…”

Section: The Journey Of Rate Allocation In Atlantis Oil Fieldmentioning

confidence: 99%

Enhancing Production Allocation in Intelligent Wells via Application of Models and Real-Time Surveillance Data

Wu¹,

Humphrey²,

Liao³

2012

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The accuracy and precision of well rates are paramount in reservoir management, well performance surveillance, flow assurance, and any third party processing arrangements. Rate allocation is traditionally based on well rate tests and downtime. This method is usually time-consuming and thus performed relatively infrequently. This could be inadequate for proactive asset management especially with wells that may produce in transient state.This paper discusses methodology to improve well rate allocation quality and save engineering time. In practice, many fields face some or all of the following challenges that are related to well rate allocation: 1) reservoir communication, 2) well interference, 3) changing skin factors or other near wellbore boundaries, 4) uncertainties around reservoir fluid properties, and 5) difficulty in obtaining well rate tests for a variety of reasons. For many intelligent wells, it is a common practice to install permanent downhole gauges which are playing critical roles in field management. This paper describes a framework on how to capitalize on the real time data from well pressure and temperature sensors and use the data in Integrated Asset Modeling (IAM) to allocate the well rate with enhanced accuracy, increased frequency, and reduced processing time.The paper uses Atlantis in Gulf of Mexico as an example to demonstrate this process. The real-time data supported model based allocation process becomes virtual flow meters for the intelligent wells. For Atlantis, field-wide allocation accuracy has been improved from previously +/-10% error using the traditional allocation method based on well rate test and downtime method to current +/-3% error using the new method. This paper also shows model maintenance is a journey that needs strenuous attention especially after water injections commences and more production wells come online.

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“…Both fields have water injection facilities as part of the base development plan. 4,5 While the projects were in the Execution phase, both teams made aggressive attempts to improve the subsurface image of the reservoirs. The programs were developed in tandem and were continuous with a number of activities in BP that were designed to improve subsalt imaging techniques.…”

Section: Subsurface Imaging and Reservoir Managementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Thunder Horse and Atlantis: The Development and Operation of Twin Giants in the Deepwater Gulf of Mexico

Todd¹,

Replogle²

2010

Proceedings of Offshore Technology Conference

5

0

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Since their discovery in the late 1990s, Thunder Horse and Atlantis have shared many aspects of the journey from development concept to production operations. These include significant project challenges in subsea and topsides, substantial preparation for production operations, and resounding success during production ramp-up and early operations. This paper will outline some of the similarities and key differences between the two, and emphasize the shared ingredients for success despite the frontier environment of the fields. Thunder Horse and Atlantis are both giant oil and gas fields and together produce more than 400 mboed, about 10% of BP's global production and about 6% of the U.S.'s oil production, producing through semi-submersible facilities that are respectively the biggest and the deepest moored in the world. Despite the frontier nature of the developments, and several major challenges encountered and shared by the two projects, both have been delivered and are performing at world class levels of efficiency, with long sustained futures ahead of them. The experience of the journey of these twin giants from discovery to world class operating assets holds several key lessons for megaprojects of the future, particularly in the challenging conditions of deep water.

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“…4,5 While the projects were in the Execution phase, both teams made aggressive attempts to improve the subsurface image of the reservoirs. Both fields had an appraisal program that focused on the delineation of the accumulations and static descriptions of the reservoirs.…”

Section: Subsurface Imaging and Reservoir Managementmentioning

confidence: 99%

SS: Thunder Horse and Atlantis Deepwater Frontier Developments in the Gulf of Mexico: Thunder Horse and Atlantis: The Development of Twin Giants in the Gulf of Mexico

Todd

¹

,

Replogle

²

2010

All Days

1

0

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Since their discovery in the late 1990s, Thunder Horse and Atlantis have shared many aspects of the journey from development concept to production operations. These include significant project challenges in subsea and topsides, substantial preparation for production operations, and resounding success during production ramp-up and early operations. This paper will outline some of the similarities and key differences between the two, and emphasize the shared ingredients for success despite the frontier environment of the fields. Thunder Horse and Atlantis are both giant oil and gas fields and together produce more than 400 mboed, about 10% of BP's global production and about 6% of the U.S.'s oil production, producing through semi-submersible facilities that are respectively the biggest and the deepest moored in the world. Despite the frontier nature of the developments, and several major challenges encountered and shared by the two projects, both have been delivered and are performing at world class levels of efficiency, with long sustained futures ahead of them. The experience of the journey of these twin giants from discovery to world class operating assets holds several key lessons for megaprojects of the future, particularly in the challenging conditions of deep water.

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

Cited by 8 publications

References 1 publication

Enhancing Production Allocation in Intelligent Wells via Application of Models and Real-Time Surveillance Data

Enhancing Production Allocation in Intelligent Wells via Application of Models and Real-Time Surveillance Data

Thunder Horse and Atlantis: The Development and Operation of Twin Giants in the Deepwater Gulf of Mexico

SS: Thunder Horse and Atlantis Deepwater Frontier Developments in the Gulf of Mexico: Thunder Horse and Atlantis: The Development of Twin Giants in the Gulf of Mexico

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