Integration Tools To Streamline Reservoir-Management and Field-Development Workflows

Abstract

This article, written by Technology Editor Dennis Denney, contains highlights of paper SPE 93697, "Integration Tools To Streamline Reservoir-Management and Field-Development Workflows for Mature Fields in South Oman," by M.A. Naguib, SPE, E. Shahin, J. Saeby, and J. Moore, Petroleum Development Oman, prepared for the 2005 SPE Middle East Oil and Gas Show and Conference, Bahrain, 12-15 March. Enhancements in software, hardware, expertise, and data collection and interpretation continue to improve the industry’s ability to build detailed 3D geologic and dynamic-flow models of the subsurface and to make rational reservoir-development decisions. There continues, however, to be much skepticism about the ability of the same process to contribute to day-to-day reservoir management and optimization of mature assets. A truly integrated approach can shorten the planning and study timeframe and reduce uncertainty for reservoir management in such mature assets. A system was developed that links field and corporate data to ensure that models are up to date to optimize the asset performance. Introduction The last decades have witnessed increasing emphasis on maximizing returns from existing assets through optimization of existing wells and surface facilities. Also, there is an increased demand for performance monitoring of each asset. Recent advances include the proliferation of real-time data from sources such as “smart wells” and the generation of multiple 3D subsurface-model realizations. These improvements in production-data acquisition and data-management technology are not always translated into real and quantifiable productivity gains, often because of a lack of suitable visualization and interpretation tools or insufficient manpower to handle the enormous volume of data, especially in brownfields. To achieve real performance gains from step changes in data acquisition and data management requires tools and people skills to integrate data across multiple disciplines. In the southern part of Oman, an online system was developed that links (real-time and near-real-time) downhole, surface, and corporate data to ensure that reservoir, well, and facilities models are constantly monitored and updated to reflect actual operating conditions. With this “real-time” monitoring of the production system, a wide range of analysis is carried out to manage the asset performance (e.g., production optimization, facilities design, production forecasting and allocation, and loss management). The system integrates existing software applications and streamlines the number of complex engineering tasks. The system has been applied in operational environments, and the results of some of these applications are detailed in the full-length paper.