Simulation-Based Technology for Rapid Assessment of Redevelopment Potential inStripper-Gas-Well Fields-Technology Advances and Validation in the Garden PlainsField, Western Canada Sedimentary Basin

摘要

It is often difficult to quantify the redevelopment potential ofmarginal oil and gas fields due to a wide range of depositionalenvironments, variability in reservoir properties, largenumbers of wells, and limited reservoir information. Withtraditional simulation methods, evaluation of infill potentialfor these fields is time consuming, labor intensive andfrequently cost-prohibitive. Without adequate assessmenttechnology, some unprofitable infill campaigns may beinitiated while other promising infill campaigns may beterminated prematurely due to disappointing early results.In this study, we developed a simulation-based regressiontechnique to assess infill drilling potential in stripper gas wellfields. With limited, basic reservoir information, thistechnique first estimates the spatial distribution of subsurfacereservoir properties by rapid history matching of wellproduction data. We implemented a sequential regressionalgorithm to estimate not only the permeability distribution,but also, the pore volume distribution from available flow ratemeasurements. Future production is forecast and infill drillingpotential is determined using the estimated permeability andpore volume distributions. Because the method employs anapproximate reservoir description, it identifies regions of thefield with promising infill potential rather than individual infillwell locations.The proposed technique provides rapid, reliable and cost-effectiveassessment of redevelopment potential in stripper gaswell fields. In the paper we first validate our approach usingsynthetic reservoir data. We then apply the approach to theSecond White Specks formation, Garden Plains field, WesternCanada Sedimentary Basin. Prediction of infill potential in thisgas field, which has more than 700 wells, demonstrates thepower and utility of the proposed technique.