Most reservoirs in the Niger Delta are characterized by relatively thin oil columns that are overlain by a primary gas cap and underlain by bottom water. The completion pattern in such reservoirs is such that perforation intervals fall somewhere between the gas-oil contact and oil-water contact. A review of the production performance of producing wells from the oil-rim reservoir in the Niger Delta shows the attendant problems associated with coning, including but not limited to high GOR/water cut, which may lead to early abandonment of wells with attendant loss of recoverable reserves, and the depletion of reservoir energy. Coning is caused by high pressure drawdown and high production rates. Horizontal wells are usually drilled to minimize coning tendencies. The exact location of the horizontal well between the gas-oil contact and the oil-water is very important in maximizing the critical rate and minimizing water and gas coning.This article is therefore aimed at proposing a model for determining the optimum horizontal well placement in a thin oil rim reservoir in order to control coning tendencies effectively and optimize oil production.
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