Milestone in Production Using Proactive Azimuthal Deep-Resistivity Sensor Combined with Advanced Geosteering Techniques: Tarapoa Block, Ecuador

摘要

A recent challenge of drilling a horizontal well in a M1 Sandstone reservoir presented high seismic uncertainty and limited lateral extent; this well is located in the Napo formation of the Oriente basin in Ecuador. The geology in this basin is complicated; most of the reservoirs are formed from a small, stacked-channel sandstone sequence. As a result, well-to-well reservoirs are difficult to correlate because of their limited lateral extent. Horizontal wells placed in this kind of environment generally require adjustments in the planned directional well trajectory and modification of the navigation TVD when required. The primary goal of this project was to maintain the well in the sweet spot of the reservoir to improve productivity. As a final delivery, the structural map of the top of the M1 Sandstone enabled the customer to adjust the seismic information in the zone of influence of the well. A major drilling company assumed the challenge by using a rotary steerable system, proactive logging-while-drilling azimuthal resistivity sensors, and 3D geosteering techniques to place the well in the sweet spot of the reservoir and to ensure the permanence in the sandstone reservoir. The azimuthal deep resistivity sensor can provide a broad quantity of curves with various depths of investigation (DOIs). Having this information as an entry, the geoscientists applied the three logical geosteering phases of model, measure, and optimize. At the modeling stage, the geosteering team selects the appropriate proactive set of variables to transmit in real time, including compensated resistivities at various ranges of investigation, images, and geosignals according to the geology in the area, reservoir thickness, and existing resistivity contrast. The measuring stage begins by obtaining the selected variables in real time with average resistivities that enable the calculations of the distance-to-bed boundary (DTB) using a forward-modeling technique, while real-time images are compared against modeled information for stratigraphycal positioning. During landing, the drilling and geology departments agreed that the reservoir top was 35 ft (10.7 m) shallower than expected. At this point, the directional drilling plan needed to be changed, beginning the optimization stage even before the horizontal section began. The appropriate combination of reactive and proactive logging-while-drilling sensors enabled the well to be placed parallel to the top of the reservoir, maintaining an optimal distance of 1 to 3 ft, with 100% reservoir exposure in the pay zone and no exits. The main objectives of geosteering were achieved. The well produced 6,800 BOPD after an initial estimate of 800 BOPD. The top of the reservoir was mapped, thereby improving knowledge of this zone for future study.