Methodology for Data-Driven Performance Analysis of a Pattern Waterflood in West-Siberia

Tuesday, 07 July 2015 Read 11248 times
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We present a novel, data-driven approach to integrated well/reservoir performance analysis and opportunity identification for mid- to late-life pattern waterfloods.

The Salym group of oilfields is located onshore in Western Siberia, Russia’s prime oil producing province, and is operated by Salym Petroleum Development (SPD), a 50-50 joint venture between Shell and Gazprom Neft. The main productive formation, comprising strongly layered, deltaic/fluviatile sandstones, has been developed as a pattern waterflood, with over 950 deviated wells drilled since 2004. Overall watercut is currently around 85% and with oil production declining at 7% year on year, waterflood management is an absolute strategic priority.

The operator has responded to this challenge by investing heavily in its enterprise information architecture and developing a purpose-built online waterflood management tool (WMT). All Salym geological, completion, production and well status data is automatically quality-checked, stored and updated in an integrated waterflood database and made accessible through the WMT. The WMT provides a wide range of functionality for data visualization, performance diagnostics and analysis. Furthermore, it is coupled to a full-field surveillance simulation model, which auto-updates with new oilfield data as it becomes available and outputs streamlines, well-allocation factors, maps of remaining oil distribution and pattern- and block-level calculated properties.

These technologies have enabled the development and implementation a structured methodology for waterflood performance evaluation that comprises systematic assessment of blocks of 20-50 wells in the form of an Annual Field Review (AFR) followed by a series of deep-dive Integrated Block Reviews (IBRs). During the AFR, each block is assessed against a set of KPIs and scored and prioritised in terms of its health status and projected recovery shortfall. Based on this prioritisation, blocks are scheduled for review in an IBR during the course of the year. The IBRs focus on individual wells, patterns and reservoirs and during the reviews concrete well, reservoir and facilities management (WRFM) opportunities are identified to address performance gaps and sweep or accelerate remaining oil. These opportunities are captured in an online Opportunity Register coupled to an online database for workover strategy preparation.

The framework of technologies and processes presented in this paper was instrumental in planning and executing over 260 WRFM activities (not including simple pump change-outs) across the Salym fields in 2014 alone, delivering in excess of 3.2 Mln bbls of additional produced oil.

 

 

About Authors

Yakov Volokitin

Director of the Geology and Development Department at Salym Petroleum oil company. In 1992, Yakov graduated with honors from the Moscow Physical and Technical Institute (Department of General and Applied Physics). In 1997, he earned a PhD degree in Physics from the University of Leiden in Netherlands. From 1997 to 2006, he worked for Shell in Rysvike, Netherlands and New Orleans, USA as a petrophysicist and reservoir engineer.

From 2006, he has been working at Salym Petroleum Development (Tyumen, Moscow, Joint Venture of Shell and Gazpromneft, oil production 6.6 mln t/year). From February 2013, he has been working as Head of Geology and Development Department. This Department is responsible for wellwork managing and planning, new deposits appraisal and development projects (deep horizons). Yakov is responsible for implementing “game-changing” technology, such as ASP enhanced oil recovery technology, development of hard-to-recover reserves and Smart Field Development project.

2011-2013 – Chairman of the Moscow Section of the International Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE). He is the author of more than 15 papers published in SPE and SPWLA magazines, as well as more than 20 internal Shell publications. He co-authored a special feature at NTV called “Logger”.

Runo Mijnarends

Runo Mijnarends joined Shell UK in 2007 as a reservoir engineer working on Central North Sea gas assets before moving to Shell’s research and study centre in the Netherlands, where he was involved in field studies of assets in West Africa and the Middle East. He transferred to Salym Petroleum Development (a 50%-50% joint venture between Shell and Gazprom Neft) in Russia in 2013, where his current focus is waterflood management of the Salym fields. Runo holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in applied physics from Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands.

Andrey Gladkov

Andrey Gladkov is General Director of Modeling Technologies Center.

Previously, he held engineering and management positions in Yukos Oil Company. Flexible leader demonstrating adaptability and on time delivery while managing multiple projects: production optimization, reservoir simulation, in-house software development. Before starting his petroleum career he taught mathematical courses and worked in R&D group in Ufa State Technical Aviation University.

He had completed MS in "Applied Mathematics and Computer Science". Andrey got PhD degree in Physics and Mathematics with major "Mathematical Modeling".

Andrey joined SPE in 2003. Andrey served as IT Director of Moscow SPE Section in 2005-2008, Chairperson of Moscow Section in 2008-2011, SPE regional SPE director of Russia and Caspian Region in 2011-2014.

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