Successful 1st Eocene Carbonate Reservoir Steamflood Pilot Mitigates Key Technical Uncertainties for Full Field Development of Wafra Field, PZ Kingdom of Saudi Arabia & Kuwait: Part 1 Steamflood Results

Abstract

Abstract A large-scale steamflood pilot test has been successfully completed in the 1st Eocene reservoir. The 1st Eocene is a multi-billion-barrel heavy oil carbonate reservoir in the Wafra field, located in the Partitioned Zone (PZ) between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. The pilot was the first multi-pattern steamflood in a carbonate reservoir in the Middle East. The pilot consisted of sixteen 2.5-acre inverted 5-spot patterns with associated steamflood and production facilities. The primary objective of the pilot was to identify and mitigate technical and economic risks and uncertainties in carbonate steamflooding to assist in the broader Wafra Steamflood full-field development decisions. In the execution of the pilot, performance measures were developed to assess steamflood success in a carbonate reservoir. These success measures included key metrics that were prerequisites for the full field steamflood development of the field. In September 2013, the pilot reached a key milestone and success measure when steam zone development was assessed in the pilot area. Another key success measure was the successful validation of pilot results using thermal reservoir simulation. The 1st Eocene reservoir in Wafra field, PZ is a challenging asset, with the potential for large reserve additions, in which steamflood technology and learnings from conventional steamflood fields are being leveraged. In this paper, we will share the steamflood results achieved in the pilot with focus on the accomplishment measures set for the project and the progress made in identifying and mitigating key uncertainties in carbonate steamflooding.