EXPLOITATION AND OPTIMIZATION OF RESERVOIR PERFORMANCE IN HUNTON FORMATION, OKLAHOMA

Kelkar, Mohan

University of Tulsa (United States)

关键词: Oil Wells;    02 Petroleum;    Oil Fields;    Productivity;    Waste Management;   

DOI  :  10.2172/815450
RP-ID  :  NONE
RP-ID  :  FC26-00BC15125
RP-ID  :  815450

美国|英语

来源: UNT Digital Library

【 摘 要 】

The main objectives of the proposed study are as follows: (1) To understand and evaluate an unusual primary oil production mechanism which results in decreasing (retrograde) oil cut (ROC) behavior as reservoir pressure declines. (2) To develop better, produced water, disposal techniques so as to minimize lifting costs, surface separation costs and water disposal costs. (3) To improve calculations of initial oil in place so as to determine the economic feasibility of completing and producing a well. (4) To optimize the location of new wells based on understanding of geological and petrophysical properties heterogeneities. (5) To evaluate various secondary recovery techniques for oil reservoirs producing from fractured formations. (6) To enhance the productivity of producing wells by using new completion techniques. These objectives are important for optimizing field performance from West Carney Field located in Lincoln County, Oklahoma. The field, which was discovered in 1980, produces from Hunton Formation in a shallow-shelf carbonate reservoir. The early development in the field was sporadic. Many of the initial wells were abandoned due to high water production and constraints in surface facilities for disposing excess produced water. The field development began in earnest in 1995 by Altex Resources. They had recognized that production from this field was only possible if large volumes of water can be disposed. Being able to dispose large amounts of water, Altex aggressively drilled several producers. With few exceptions, all these wells exhibited similar characteristics. The initial production indicated trace amount of oil and gas with mostly water as dominant phase. As the reservoir was depleted, the oil cut eventually improved, making the overall production feasible. The decreasing oil cut (ROC) behavior has not been well understood. However, the field has been subjected to intense drilling activity because of prior success of Altex Resources. In this work, we will investigate the primary production mechanism by conducting several core flood experiments. After collecting cores from representative wells, we will study the wettability of the rock and simulate the depletion behavior by mimicking such behavior under controlled lab conditions. The overall project goal would be to validate our hypothesis and to determine the best method to exploit reservoirs exhibiting ROC behavior. To that end, we will collect and analyze core samples, and run a single well tracer test during the Budget Period I. We will continue to drill vertical wells during this period. Once we understand the mechanism and are able to quantify the geological model, in Budget Period II we will drill several, additional wells. Depending on the feasibility, we will equip some of the vertical wells with downhole separator, as well as surface compact separator. This will allow us to compare the new technology with the existing one. In the Budget Period III, we will monitor the field performance and revise and refine our models to further optimize the performance.