Kuwait Oil Company

Abstract: Achieving excellent HSE performance is one of the main objectives of any industry, especially by High Hazard or Major Accident Hazardous (MAH) industries. Considering various national and global market demands, Oil & Gas industry must be ready to embark on challenging scenarios. To ensure such challenges are successfully addressed, the role of business partners (Business Partners) is very much vital and important as many projects are to be executed to achieve the set objects/targets safely. In many organizations, HSE (Health, Safety and Environment) or HSSE (Health, Safety, Security and Environment) has been considered as one of the strategic objectives. In order to achieve such objectives, moving together with Business Partners (Contractors) bring lot of importance. In addition, this makes organizations to uphold a safe work environment at the work sites that demands and expects collaboration and support from the Business Partners who are on board as well as who will be on board with the respective organizations. Considering the dynamic challenges, achieving and sustaining excellent HSE performance is very essential, specifically in High or Major Accident Hazardous (MAH) industries such as Oil & Gas. Such industry who is having Business Partners from various countries, having multi-nationals as work force gives challenge to ensure Organization's HSE expectations are understood and implemented.

Abstract: This paper highlights an unconventional approach of using DPDP (Dual Porosity Dual permeability) simulation technique for modelling hydraulic fractures in a full field simulation model during the forecast analysis performed on a tight carbonate reservoir in Kuwait. This was a part of integrated study in which ‘multi-stage hydraulic fracturing’ was recommended as the most optimum stimulation technique in order to enhance the productivity of all the proposed horizontal producers. Importance of DPDP model increases multi-fold when contrast between fracture and matrix permeability is in the order of 10 times or more. In the studied case, as average matrix permeability of the reservoir is in the range of 2-3 mD, this contrast is magnified to the order of 1000-10000 times (considering fracture permeability is in Darcies) which further complements the use of DPDP model. Three different approaches were tried to model the impact of multi-stage hydraulic fracturing in the full field simulation model; 1) ‘Enhance Well PI’ for all the stimulated wells, 2) ‘Enhance Matrix Permeability’ in the vicinity of all the stimulated wells, hereby referred as SPSP (Single Porosity Single Permeability) approach, and 3) build ‘DPDP Model’ by using upscaled fracture porosity and fracture permeability without changing the matrix properties. First two approaches are very common in the industry but most of the times are not able to capture the real impact of hydraulic fracturing on flow behaviour (bi-linear flow), whereas DPDP model is designed to capture the flow through dual medium. In both SPSP and DPDP approaches permeability anisotropy (increased permeability in the direction perpendicular to horizontal section of the well) in the fractured zone was very well captured and was needed to honour the hydraulic fractures direction. Fracture permeability was calculated using the Poiseuille's law; few sensitivity cases were run to address the associated uncertainty. Field cumulative oil production and recovery factor were analysed for ‘Enhanced Well PI’ case, SPSP cases and DPDP cases. Field oil cumulative production in DPDP cases is 6% more than SPSP cases and around 10% more than ‘Enhanced Well PI’ case. The hypothesis for the higher recovery in DPDP case with respect to other two cases is that bi-linear flow (fractures are getting filled with the matrix fluid and then feeding to well) is better represented in the DPDP model. Impact in this case is more significant due to the big contrast between matrix and fracture permeability. Low capacity with high conductivity signature of hydraulic fracture is difficult to model in the SPSP or just by enhancing the well PI. Study clearly demonstrated the benefits of DPDP model for modelling hydraulic fractures over the conventional methods.

Abstract: In the current and future scenario of increasing demand for hydrocarbons, Multi-Disciplinary Integrated Reservoir Management team is the key to achieve maximum production rates and ultimate recovery. In Raudhatain Upper Burgan reservoir production started in 1959 with initial reservoir pressure of 3850 psi. Decline in reservoir pressure with sustained rate of production indicated weak aquifer support and initiated water injection during the year 2001 with three flank injectors. Production rate was sustained at 30 to 35 MBOPD for long time and it was decided that to go the next level of production and to meet KOC's strategic production target. Various alternative pressures – production plans were scrutinized by the multi-disciplinary team consists of Geologists, Reservoir Engineers, Petrophysicists and Petroleum Engineers and identified bottlenecks, constraints and action plan to address the problems and to accelerate the production. Some of the bottlenecks to accelerate the production were decreasing pressure, unavailability of required volume of water for injection, delay in commissioning of effluent water injection facility and low productivity of flank wells with viscous oil. The integrated Reservoir management team initiated number of projects to increase the productivity like Paradigm shift in drilling practice by way of drilling Horizontal, Multilateral wells and completing with ICD's for better production and injection sweep efficiency. Liquidated the sick wells with no potential in any other Reservoirs (Multiple Reservoirs) are identified for Horizontal Sidetracking to sweet spot areas. Decreasing Reservoir pressure and Voidage Replacement Ratio has been addressed by changing the water injection strategy and aligning the injectors in right areas. The results were rewarding as the production rate doubled from a sustained level of 35 MBOPD to more than 70 MBOPD in a span of 3 to 4 years. The initiatives taken to convert the producers to injectors resulted in increased water injection volume and doubled the Voidage Replacement Ratio. This paper presents the details of Integrated Reservoir Management team efforts and what are the initiatives and strategic actions taken by overcoming the current constraints to double its production. It discusses the effective Reservoir Management of a mature oil field to enhance and accelerate production.