This paper tells the success story of the Komsomolskoye field which was brought on stream in 2008, some 24 years after its discovery in 1984. Ramp up of oil production to peak of some 7,000 bopd was achieved within only five years. The field is located in a remote location of Western Kazakhstan - onshore on the Buzachi Peninsula, some 350 km from the regional city of Aktau and 110 km from the nearest village Kyzan. Road access from Kyzan is available only through a gravel road. The subsurface field development since 2008 consists of five horizontal oil producers, five vertical water injectors and two vertical gas injectors. The horizontal producers contribute the bulk of the field's oil production and were drilled from two well pads due to the semi-offshore nature of the Komsomolskoye field - seasonal flooding restricts access to a large portion of the surface area during half of the year. Produced gas and produced water are re-injected at the periphery of the field for pressure support, in addition to a weak aquifer support. Moreover, additional injection water is sourced from two dedicated shallow water wells and likewise injected into the reservoir. In addition to the five major horizontal producers, there is a pre-2008 well stock often vertical producers, which were successfully re-entered and of which eight were brought online to date. The favourable areal layout of the composite vertical/horizontal pattern plus the improved/enhanced oil recovery effects of water injection and miscible gas injection, respectively are key factors which enabled the following achievements: a. fast track ramp up of oil production rate to some 7,000 bopd within only five years. b. zero gas flaring, due to gas re-injection and own consumption for power generation. c. reservoir pressure throughout the field being safely above bubble point pressure. d. a current recovery factor of 12% as of July 2015. e. a projected recovery factor by year 2039 of 36% for a development scenario with no additional wells. f. a projected recovery factor by year 2039 of some 45% for a development scenario with 5 additional vertical producers. As a case study, this paper illustrates a recent "fit for purpose" development project and may serve as an example for sustainable oilfield development in remote locations. It could be of benefit to organizations and individuals who are involved in the operation of comparable assets.
展开▼
