Secondary Natural Gas Recovery: Targeted Technology Applications for Infield Reserve Growth: Case Studies Evaluating the Benefits of Secondary Gas Recovery, Onshore Gulf Coast, South Texas. Topical Report, January 1, 1992-April 30, 1993

摘要

Economic recovery of natural gas in reservoirs with near-tight to conventional porosity and permeability can be improved through geologically based infill-development strategies. Old gas fields may contain new infield reservoirs, incompletely drained reservoir compartments, untapped reservoir compartments, and bypassed reservoirs. These secondary resources may be identified by a combination of log evaluation and production and pressure analyses, and they are controlled by structural and stratigraphic heterogeneity. Exploration for new, untapped, or incompletely drained reservoir compartments or bypassed gas zones in old fields can be improved by using state-of-the-art formation evaluation tools and engineering, production, petrophysical, and geological analyses. The economics of developing and producing the secondary gas recovery (SGR) resource is evaluated for two producing properties in existing fields. The case I study area (North McFaddin field) had total operational and development costs (excluding royalties) of $0.58 per mcf, compared to total costs in case II (Agua Dulce field) of $0.83 per mcf. Future application of SGR concepts and technology to strategically targeted well locations and recompletions could further lower development costs.