Dynamic modeling aids field study

摘要

Approximately 80,000 wells are drilled a year worldwide, but 40% of those are dry or economically marginal. Sub-optimal drilling, operational and reservoir management decisions result in nearly 60% of known hydrocarbons being left in the ground. The average rate of depletion, based on the first year of production, is accelerating in mature basins like those found in the United States. In the last decade, this rate increased from 19% to 28%, highlighting the challenge E&P enterprises face in both replacing and growing their reserve base. We call this "going up the down escalator." In response to these challenges, the industry has pursued new strategies such as moving to more high-risk basins internationally, drilling deeper in mature basins, specializing in and dominating regional plays, and focusing on unraveling more complex geology. Yet the technologies dedicated to furthering the understanding of the subsurface and thus supporting the pursuit of these strategies have aged and are often times inadequate.