Challenges of Producing Middle East Oilfields During the Maturation Stage—A Paradigm Shift

Abstract

Abstract The Middle East oil fields provide an important energy source for the world. They hold two-third of the world oil reserves (Figure: 1, Table: 1), provide one-third of the world's oil supplies and have the highest Reserves to Production ratio in the world of 821. Even though most of the Middle East oilfields are still prolific, many are already approaching the end of their primary stages as evident by increasing trends in water and gas productions. This is a natural process caused by maturation whereby a depleting oil reservoir looses its energy which results in oil productivity decline associated with intrusion of aquifer water and gas cap gas, when present. The challenge would be to transform the operation from Primary production to Secondary and Tertiary. This not only requires a change in the operation, but also a paradigm shift in reservoir management style and approach. This requires the identification of the pertinent issues and challenges that need to be resolved early and subsequently setting a roadmap plan to investigate, experiment and devise solutions. It also requires a quick, efficient and effective decision making process supported by modern corporate management style. In this paper we attempt to document the Primary to Secondary and Tertiary transition experience based on the 77 years old Maturing Bahrain Field which was the first oil discovery in the southern part of the Arabian Gulf. The paper does not discuss in detail the decision making process and the corporate management styles of mature field operation.