Micro Reservoir Management Leading to have Mega Production from Upper Burgan in Last 3 Years: Stepping Stones, Challenges Look Up for Next 3 Years

摘要

North Kuwait is an active asset with significant challenges to build the production, while ongoing development using water flood in major reservoirs. One of such reservoirs, Upper Burgan (UB), has witnessed several stiff milestones to maximize sweep & recovery. Micro Reservoir Management (MRM), as described in this paper, has helped the team to identify sweet spots; have prudent artificial lift management; achieve Water flood optimization as well as encash opportunistic recompletions of non-producing wells of other stacked reservoirs in UB to double the production in last 3 years. MRM aims to optimally utilize all resources available to maximize the benefit. Well Analysis & Review (WAR) sessions had been the key to the success thus capturing all production, reservoir monitoring and performance diagnostic requirements. North Kuwait, being endowed with stacked reservoirs, provides a window of opportunities to recomplete the wells which are not required for other reservoirs. The paradigm shift in the development strategy of the giant carbonate Mauddud to switch over to 100% horizontal wells resulted in many vertical wells to be phased out steadily. This concept was a blessing in disguise for UB for re-completions. Understanding of the aquifer support in peripheral segments helped to place new wells. The water flood expansion initiated in 2014 proved to be a boon to support the ongoing production build up actions. The pressure response due to water flood was timely diagnosed to implement ESP upsizes / conversions. Water flood flow regulators were installed to improve vertical sweep. Comprehensive segment review with proactive action list led to further optimization of the allowable for injectors to maximize the benefit. Injectors for the upcoming water injection projects have been pre drilled to have either short-term production or dump flood initiated. New technology applications aided to the efforts. Workflow processes have been developed for effective knowledge management within North Kuwait, paving the way forward for UB to support the Asset's strategy to meet 1 Million BOPD by 2020. UB production has been doubled in last 3 years due to consistent efforts via MRM, augmented by tenfold increase in water injection. This approach made the team highly focused to reap the benefits and smartly adjust to the changing status of dynamic performance & overall portfolio balance of the asset. Standardized Workflow processes have been useful to engineers to be cohesive & consistent in MRM efforts. The proposed paper is an excellent example of micro reservoir management to smartly adjust to the resources within the Asset and the dynamic performance of the reservoir.