Gumusut-Kakap Project: Geohazard Characterisation and Impact on Field Development Plans

Abstract

Gumusut-Kakap Project: Geohazard Characterisation and Impact on Field Development Plans Christopher Hadley; Christopher Hadley Shell International E&P Inc Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar David Peters; David Peters Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Andrew Vaughan; Andrew Vaughan Shell International Exploration and Production Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Daniel Bean Daniel Bean Sarawak Shell Bhd Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Paper presented at the International Petroleum Technology Conference, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, December 2008. Paper Number: IPTC-12554-MS https://doi.org/10.2523/IPTC-12554-MS Published: December 03 2008 Connected Content Related to: Gumusut-Kakap Project: Geohazard Characterization and Effect on Field Development Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Twitter LinkedIn Get Permissions Search Site Citation Hadley, Christopher, Peters, David, Vaughan, Andrew, and Daniel Bean. "Gumusut-Kakap Project: Geohazard Characterisation and Impact on Field Development Plans." Paper presented at the International Petroleum Technology Conference, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, December 2008. doi: https://doi.org/10.2523/IPTC-12554-MS Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex Search Dropdown Menu nav search search input Search input auto suggest search filter All ContentAll ProceedingsInternational Petroleum Technology ConferenceIPTC International Petroleum Technology Conference Search Advanced Search AbstractShell and venture partners encountered numerous seafloor and near seafloor geohazards at the deepwater Gumusut-Kakap field on the continental slope offshore Sabah, Malaysia. The geohazards included subsurface gas hydrates, steep seafloor slopes, a history of mass transport activity, seafloor expulsion, shallow faulting, low seismicity, shallow gas and shallow water flow.Early identification of the geohazards, by interpretation of exploration 3D seismic data and evaluation of discovery and appraisal well logs, provided the impetus necessary to undertake an extensive data acquisition program to determine the extent of the hazards and the mitigation needed for a successful development. A deeptow survey, high-resolution 3D seismic survey and a geohazard investigation employing geotechnical methods and oilfield well logging techniques, were executed to characterise the geohazards. Numerical modeling was employed to further evaluate the hazards of gas hydrate dissociation and slope instability. Characterization of gas hydrate saturations and analysis of gas hydrate dissociation, caused by heat flux from production wells, was novel work, which is not commonly performed within the deepwater oil industry.This paper describes the characterization of the near seafloor geohazards encountered within the Gumusut-Kakap field and presents sample data from the site surveys and results from analytical models used to determine the potential impacts of the geohazards. The geohazards are likely to be common to other deepwater prospects within the basin. The site survey activities and analytical techniques used at Gumusut-Kakap can serve as a model for future developments. As a result of the geohazard risks, as well as other project drivers, a field development plan with subsea drill centers and an FPS host was selected over a centralised development with direct vertical access wells.IntroductionThe Gumusut-Kakap field in the Malaysian deepwater province offshore northwest Borneo was discovered in 2003, with the drilling of the Gumusut-1B well. The field is located 120km (75 miles) offshore, in the southern portion of Sabah Block J and Block K (Figure 1). Four appraisal wells, Gumusut-2 and Gumusut-3 in Block J and Kakap-1 and Kakap-2 in Block K, were drilled between 2004 and 2005.The seafloor slopes regionally to the southwest, with a gradient of approximately 5 degrees and water depths within the development area vary from 900m to 1,200m (2,950 to 3,940 ft). Seafloor and near seafloor sediments are hemipelagic, interbedded with turbidites and mass transport deposits.A number of geohazards were identified:Gas hydratesSteep seafloor slopesMass transport activitySeafloor expulsion featuresShallow faultingLow seismicityShallow gasShallow water flowThis paper describes the characterization of the above geohazards, with the exception of the shallow gas and shallow water flow hazards, which were prevalent throughout the field and did not significantly influence field development plans. Keywords: log analysis, Reservoir Characterization, Upstream Oil & Gas, Drill Center, bulge, core sample, gumusut-kakap field, well logging, gas hydrate saturation, hydrate Subjects: Reservoir Characterization, Formation Evaluation & Management, Seismic processing and interpretation, Open hole/cased hole log analysis This content is only available via PDF. 2008. International Petroleum Technology Conference You can access this article if you purchase or spend a download.