Objective
Objectives and problems to be solved: This project addresses the performance of wells in hydrocarbon reservoirs. The productivity of an oil or gas well determines the efficiency of extracting fluids from the subsurface formations, and hence the well performance has a direct and immediate impact on economic returns from a reservoir asset. Hydrocarbon delivery, or drive fluid injection, can be reduced to far below its potential by loss of effective permeability in a near-well bore zone (termed formation damage) or by obstructions to flow in the well completion assembly. This reduction can be provoked by inappropriate decisions or activities related to the selection of well fluids or completion solutions, the implementation of the same, or unprepared ness for incompatibilities between system components. WP-2002 aims to deliver petroleum engineering development strategies and products to drill, complete and maintain well bores in such a manner that the optimum delivery potential of a hydrocarbon reservoir is protected and maintained throughout its entire economic life. Description of work: The WP-2002 project explores and delivers new strategies and products for petroleum engineers and specifically well fluid engineers. It is being performed by a consortium of 5 companies, and exploits the multidisciplinary knowledge available in teams of engineers, chemists and petrophysicists. The objectives are approached by laboratory experiments and analyses as well as development of supportive software to simulate down hole and near well bore reservoir processes affected by the physic chemistry of well fluids. The project contains six inter-related work packages, each with a specific objective and managed by the most appropriate consortium member. The first work package (developing unified lab test protocols) aims to develop cost effective laboratory formation damage diagnostic methods, which will be made available to the industry. Work packages 2 and 3 (polymer-induced damage and damage from emulsion-based fluids) will increase the knowledge base by systematic applied research into well fluid design. Packages 4 and 5 (low-damaging fluid systems and well clean-up) are focused on developing field products and processes to maximize well productivity. All these work packages contribute to package 6 (developing a well productivity simulator), which aims to develop a prototype simulation tool able to transfer laboratory results to field performance and aid well planning. Expected results and exploitation plans: The deliverables include well planners' guidelines for the selection of drilling, completion and other well treatment fluids taking into consideration the short and long term effects of the systems of choice. The guidelines will concentrate the individual work package findings and provide: improved knowledge on formation damage mechanisms; unified laboratory practices to simulate and analyse formation damage; modified, formation-protective fluid additives and fluid systems; novel, improved well clean-up procedures; and a new simulation tool for well productivity. Dissemination of WP-2002 results throughout the European oil and the joint efforts and interests of the partners, including application workshops and publication at technical conferences, will secure gas industry. If the project is successful, it will make significant contributions towards the Key Action and Frame Programme goals. Further spin-offs will be generated reducing the risk in marginal field developments and the environmental impact of field developments at large.
The actual outcome of the project answering the following key questions:
-How the formation potential for a given well fluid can be quantified before it is put in the ground;
-What polymers are really needed for a specific use and how to select them for a given reservoir;
-How an oil-based mud can damage an oil reservoir, when it contain largely the same fluid that is already there;
-Whether one can extrapolate the expected performance of an emulsion-based fluid to the next reservoir;
-Which suppliers in a supplier's palette to apply for a given critical field;
-What is the best procedure to put the recently completed wells on production/injection. The logical culmination of the project are prototype simulation tools for estimation, selection and decisions assistance specifically on well productivity.
Fields of science
Not validated
Not validated
- natural scienceschemical sciencesorganic chemistryhydrocarbons
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringenergy and fuelsfossil energypetroleum
- natural scienceschemical sciencespolymer sciences
- social scienceseconomics and businesseconomicsproduction economicsproductivity
- natural sciencescomputer and information sciencessoftwaresoftware applicationssimulation software
Call for proposal
Data not availableFunding Scheme
CSC - Cost-sharing contractsCoordinator
4091 STAVANGER
Norway