Burgan Field Research Articles

Petrography, sedimentology, palynomorphs and diagenesis of the Paleozoic Khuff and Unayzah formations in Kuwait

Integrated geological investigations using rock cores and well logs were performed on the Paleozoic Khuff and Unayzah formations to study their petrography, sedimentology and diagenesis. The formations occur at depths >15,000 ft, while the Unayzah was not reached in some wells up to 20,000 ft. Their depositional basins seem to be affected by the Kuwait Arch, where the Khuff Formation is fully penetrated only in the wells located over this Arch. The Khuff Formation shows complex lithological facies composed mainly of massive hard, fractured dolostone with frequent anhydrite veins and nodules. The Dolomite concentration ranges from 90 to 100% with varying percentage of anhydrite and low quartz percent (2.5%). Few minerals such as quartz, montmorillonite and pyrite are found at some depths. The Basal Khuff Clastics (BKC) is represented by a sequence of interbedded sand, muddy sand and carbonaceous shale with advanced diagenetic changes, deposited as calcareous grainstone within shallow marine environment (neritic zone) and has been diagenetically altered through several stages of dolomitization. Quartz concentration ranges from 5.3% to 100%, increasing with depth with relatively low percent of muscovite, clay mineral, illite and montmorillonite, microcline, pyrite and hematite. By contrast, the Unayzah Formation shows a fluvial siliciclastic sequence of conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone, mudstone and shale. Four sedimentation cycles of different thickness are recognized within the formation, each cycle starts with fining upward sandstone that grades to mudstone with shale intercalations and ends with red paleosoil sediments. The sandstone is a mixture of quartz, muscovite, and albite minerals. The polynomorphs study suggests that the formation was deposited in alluvial, fluvial, braided streams and a shallow marine environment. Signs of local incipient metamorphism are detected in the Unayzah clastics south of the Burgan Field may interpreted as a local phenomenon due to the lack of matching with the present-day normal thermal regime.

Effective bioremediation of soil from the Burgan oil field (Kuwait) using compost: A comprehensive hydrocarbon and DNA fingerprinting study

An innovative combination of metagenomic profiling of microbial communities and GC-MS & Pyrolysis-GC-MS fingerprinting methods were used to assess the biodegradation of contaminated soil from the Burgan oil field in Kuwait. The soil was treated with (sludge) compost in microcosms to evaluate the feasibility of this material for bioremediation purposes. The most favourable trial showed a > 80% decrease in TPH, thereby indicating strong potential for full-scale application using a cost-effective technology and thus in line with the principles of the circular economy. The microbial study showed that compost addition enhanced the organic matter and nutrient content of the soil. However, the microorganisms in the compost did not seem to play a relevant role in bioremediation, meaning that compost amendments serve as a biostimulation rather than a bioaugmentation approach. The chemical study of the distinct oil fractions revealed rapidly biodegraded compounds (alkanes, alkyl-aromatics, etc.) and others that were much more refractory (hopanes, benzohopanes, etc.). Of note, although heavy fractions are usually considered recalcitrant to biodegradation, we observed incipient degradation of the asphaltene fraction by means of double-shot thermodesorption and pyrolysis. Finally, chemical fingerprinting also revealed that the treated soil contained some of the compounds found in the compost, such as coprostanol, cholesterol, and plant sterols. This observation would support the use of these compounds as proxies to monitor the effects of compost and to adjust dosages in real-scale bioremediation treatments.

Investigation of the Cretaceous total petroleum system using wireline logs, core, and geochemical data in Bahrah Field, Northern Basin, Kuwait

We used wireline logs, seismic, core data, fluid analysis, and geochemical data to investigate the total petroleum system in the Cretaceous period. Also, we used thin sections and fluid analysis throughout the investigation. Python’s 1-D backstripping technique was used to determine the abrupt changes in subsidence rates and their effect on the reservoir’s quality. The results defined that the potential reservoirs include, from top to bottom, Mauddud, Upper Burgan, Lower Zubair, and Ratawi Limestone. The reservoir facies reflect different environments between the carbonate ramp (Mauddud, Ratawi Limestone, and Minagish reservoirs), delta plain (Zubair reservoir), and margin shelf (Burgan reservoir), and its quality is graded from Mauddud to Ratawi Limestone from top to bottom. The field lies up-dip under Kuwait Bay and represents the continuation of super-giant Greater Burgan Field. It filled with the spilled oil from the down-dip Raudhatain and Sabriyah fields through a structural saddle. Two major tectonic events subsided the deposited sediments by 0.25 mm/year, besides three minor events; however, these events did not affect all Cretaceous reservoirs but only according to their deposition times. Furthermore, according to burial history, thermal maturity, and reservoirs’ fluid geochemical analysis, the Sulaiy (Makhoul) and Minagish formations are likely the primary sources for all Cretaceous reservoirs.

Application of Comprehensive Mud Logging in Development of Directional Wells in Kuwait's Burgan Oilfield

Application of Comprehensive Mud Logging in Development of Directional Wells in Kuwait's Burgan Oilfield

An investigation into the roles of chlorides and sulphate salts on the performance of low-salinity injection in sandstone reservoirs: experimental approach

Numerous studies have been carried out to ascertain the mechanisms of low-salinity and smart water flooding technique for improved oil recovery. Focus was often on brine composition and, specifically, the cationic content in sandstone reservoirs. Given the importance of the salt composition and concentration, tweaking the active ions which are responsible for the fluids–rock equilibrium will bring into effect numerous mechanisms of displacement which have been extensively debated. This experimental study, however, was carried out to evaluate the extent of the roles of chloride- and sulphate-based brines in improved oil recovery. To carry this out, 70,000 ppm sulphates- and chloride-based brines were prepared to simulate formation water and 5000 ppm brines of the same species as low-salinity displacement fluids. Core flooding process was used to simulate the displacement of oil by using four (4) native sandstones core samples, obtained from Burgan oil field in Kuwait, at operating conditions of 1500 psig and 50 °C. The core samples were injected with 70,000 ppm chloride and sulphates and subsequently flooded with the 5000 ppm counterparts in a forced imbibition process. Separate evaluations of chloride- and sulphate-based brines were carried out to investigate the displacement efficiencies of each brine species. The results showed that in both high- and low-salinity displacement tests, the SO4 brine presented better recovery of up to 89% of the initial oil saturation (Soi). Several mechanisms of displacement were observed to be responsible for improved recovery during SO4 brine displacement. IFT measurement experiments also confirmed that there was reduction in IFT at test conditions between SO4 brine and oil and visual inspection of the effluent showed a degree emulsification of oil and brines. Changes in pH were observed in the low-salinity flooding, and negligible changes were noticed in the high-salinity floods. These results provide an insight into the roles of chloride and sulphate ions in the design of smart “designer” water and low-salinity injection scenarios.

UNRAVELLING THE COMPLEXITY OF THIN (SUB‐SEISMIC) HETEROGENEOUS CARBONATE RESERVOIRS: AN INTEGRATED STUDY OF THE ALBIAN MAUDDUD FORMATION IN THE GREATER BURGAN AREA, KUWAIT

The Albian Mauddud Formation is a prolific reservoir in Kuwait and nearby countries such as Iraq and Iran but has received far less attention than the under‐ and overlying units (the Aptian Shu'aiba and Cenomanian Mishrif Formations). Detailed reservoir characterization studies of the formation are required to support field development and improved / enhanced oil recovery (EOR) programmes. In this study, 26 wells penetrating the Mauddud Formation within the Greater Burgan area of Kuwait (Burgan and neighbouring fields) were investigated, integrating the logging of 910 ft of core with petrographic investigations of 113 stained and impregnated thin sections. In the Greater Burgan area, the Mauddud Formation can be divided into a lower Clastic Member and an upper Carbonate Member which is the main focus of this paper. The primary objective of the study was to present a new characterization of this thin, heterogeneous carbonate reservoir by integrating facies analysis and sequence stratigraphy with a detailed petrographic investigation. A second objective was to identify the relative importance of depositional characteristics and diagenesis on the distribution of reservoir properties.Sandstones in the Clastic Member of the Mauddud Formation were deposited on a delta which passed laterally to the north and east into a carbonate platform. During subsequent regional flooding, increased carbonate production resulted in the development of a larger‐scale carbonate platform covering the entire study area. The Burgan field area was part of the proximal zone of this carbonate platform. A number of depositional environments were identified by integrating core and thin section data. These range from outer platform to mid‐ and inner platform, the latter including both high‐ and low‐energy settings (shoal, shoreline; and lagoonal respectively). Mud‐supported textures characteristic of low‐energy inner‐platform and mid‐ to outer‐platform settings are volumetrically dominant in the Mauddud Carbonate Member.Sequence stratigraphic analysis suggests that the Mauddud Carbonate Member is part of a major regressive phase (or highstand systems tract) of a third‐order sequence, with the regional‐scale K110 MFS positioned close to the transition with the underlying Clastic Member. Two 4th order transgressive – regressive (TR) cycles or sequences, M1 and M2, were identified within the Carbonate Member. The top‐Mauddud surface corresponds to a sequence boundary with long‐lasting subaerial exposure during the latest Albian and is characterized by both micro‐ and macroscopic karst features (calcite dissolution vugs and recrystallization in thin sections; and cavities in cores). This study demonstrates that the Burgan field area experienced significant uplift, with increased differential erosion and/or non‐deposition of the upper M2 TR cycle towards the southwest.Eogenetic marine and meteoric calcite cements partially fill macropores close to the tops of the TR cycles and remaining macropores were occluded by shallow‐burial calcite cements. Cementation by ferroan dolomite cement, which resulted from the increased overburden and associated chemical compaction, has almost entirely occluded residual macropores in the lower part of the Mauddud Carbonate Member, close to the underlying siliciclastic deposits of the Clastic Member. As a consequence, porosity is mostly preserved in the middle part of the Carbonate Member. The predominance of mud‐supported textures in these intervals together with the effects of diagenesis explain the widespread occurrence of microporosity within both micritic matrix and grains. In the Greater Burgan area, meteoric diagenesis associated with subaerial exposure(s) of the top‐Mauddud preserved and/or enhanced micrite microporosity. Plug porosity may reach 35% or more, but permeability does not exceed 100 mD.The Mauddud Carbonate Member in the Greater Burgan area is a thin, microporous reservoir, with a dual porosity component which is linked to karst alteration and not to tectonic fracturing. The distribution of reservoir properties results from a combination of primary depositional characteristics and a multiphase diagenetic overprint. This study will guide the future development of the Mauddud reservoir in the Greater Burgan area. It also demonstrates the importance of an integrated approach to constrain sub‐seismic heterogeneities in carbonate reservoirs.

Years of Arabian Peninsula gravity exploration by Chevron and its legacy companies, including discovery of the Ghawar and Burgan super-giants

Exploration of the eastern Arabian Platform in the 1930s and 1940s by Chevron and its legacy company Gulf Oil resulted in discovery of Kuwait's super-giant Burgan Field by Gulf Oil in 1938 and Saudi Arabia's super-giant Ghawar Field by California Arabian Standard Oil Company in 1948. Ghawar Field and Burgan Field are widely regarded as the first- and second-largest oil fields in the world, respectively. Gravity methods featured prominently in Gulf's and Chevron's subsurface explorations. Gravity mapping identified the Burgan structure and was important in delineating the Ghawar structural complex. Gravimetric technology continues to provide value for deep exploration in Chevron's Partitioned Zone concession in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.

Fracturing and permeability enhancement with laser technology employing fuzzy logic

Increasing the rock permeability in low permeable zones of the hydrocarbon reservoirs by conventional methods will often cause formation damage and consequently will reduce the efficiency of recovery of the reservoirs in long term. The use of high energy laser technology as an alternative and innovative approach to mobilise heavy oil and improve permeability, as opposed to the conventional techniques, which have advert effects on the longterm reservoir productivity, was examined in this research. This paper will present study results of the employment of pulsed (Q-switched) Nd: YAG (Neodymium: Yttrium Aluminium Garnet) laser on impermeable heavy oil-bearing core samples which have been simulated in lab to be as close as possible to the real reservoir conditions.A unique technique was employed in this study where lasing experiment was conducted on samples followed by intervals of stopping lasing operation, known as relaxation intervals. The alternate lasing-relaxation intervals which were repeated for samples 3 times, yield positive and satisfactory results both for heavy oil mobilization as well as permeability improvement. Porosity increase was also observed due to fracture production. Specifications of applied laser pulses and their associated beam properties, samples characteristics and dimensions as well as the simulated experiment environment with that of the real reservoir conditions will be reported. Fuzzy logic was employed to normalize the varying and diverse parameters affecting the rock's thermal behaviour such as mineral content, fluid content and type and pressure.By employing the proposed technique on samples from heavy-oil-bearing low permeable zones of Burgan and Mauddud reservoirs of the Giant Burgan field in Kuwait, fractures were produced and permeability of the reservoir samples were improved to almost 3 times of their initial values in some of the samples. Upon the termination of the third lasing experiment, traces of oil could be observed on some of the core sample's surfaces, proving that the heavy oil was mobilised due to induced high temperatures generated in the samples during lasing.

Origin of oil geochemical compositional heterogeneity in the Radhuma and Tayarat formations heavy oil carbonate reservoirs of Burgan Field, south Kuwait

This is a qualitative assessment study to understand origin controlling lateral/geographic and vertical/stratigrahic heterogeneity of Radhuma (Palaeocene) and Tayarat (Maastrichian) Formation heavy oil reservoirs in the Burgan Field in south Kuwait. Data from oil analyses, including physical properties, bulk chemical composition, sulphur content, molecular chemical composition, and carbon and sulphur isotopes, were used to characterise the different oils in the reservoirs. Geochemical fingerprinting and characterisation suggest that the key impact on compositional heterogeneity has been the mixing of some petroleum—by the addition of lighter oil to extra-heavy oil. Therefore, the proposed complex filling history model for the Radhuma and Tayarat reservoirs consists of six episodes: two oil entrapments and four thermochemical sulphate reduction (TSR) fluid pulses. Finally, it is postulated that lighter fresh charge oils in the Burgan Field were sourced upward from deeper reservoirs associated with the reactivation of deep-seated faults as a result of structural compression events during Upper Cretaceous and Neogene time.

Technology Focus: Production Monitoring/Surveillance (March 2018)

Technology Focus The industry, bruised in the past few years by low oil prices, has gained some relief with a recent upward trend in prices. These lean years have reinforced an imperative for survival, which, for many companies, means keeping a check on operating costs while improving production with existing assets, a fundamental pillar of which is using best-in-class techniques in production surveillance and monitoring. In this regard, there are two ongoing trends in the industry. The first is an increasing wave of digitization, beginning with the reservoir and continuing all the way to the pipeline and beyond, driven by inexpensive data storage and advances in connectivity from production sites. This has enabled the operator access to data on a real-time basis, thereby allowing decision making in a more-collaborative and -efficient manner. One example of such a benefit is the remote operation of electrical submersible pumps on a fieldwide level that allows operators to control the movement of fluids in the reservoir better. Offshore Turkmenistan has examples of operators monitoring several hundred wells, enabling them to conduct optimization on a daily basis. Second, piggybacking on the increased access to sensor and equipment data, analytics and artificial intelligence are on an exponential rise in the industry. Cloud computing providers such as Amazon and Microsoft are increasingly democratizing the use of such analytics, and a company no longer needs to spend a large amount of capital on infrastructure to access computing resources. Machine learning has the potential to provide a large number of opportunities to automate processes and reduce downtimes. One such example would be intelligent algorithms controlling production and injection rates in the reservoir in order to achieve desired objectives, such as maintaining fluid contacts and preventing residual-oil-saturation losses. Indeed, increased digitization and intelligent algorithms will lead to new processes being developed and becoming industry standards in the future. Even though the industry is often labeled as being conservative and slow to change, the near future looks promising, resembling an athlete in a relay race, impatiently waiting to grab the baton and shoot off into glory. Recommended additional reading at OnePetro: www.onepetro.org. SPE 186216 Comprehensive Analysis of Time-Lapsed Well Productivity Index for Characterizing Well Behavior in Tight Volcanic Gas Reservoir by Utkarsh Vijayvargia, Cairn, et al. SPE 186205 Real-Time Application of Integrated Well and Network Models Through Smart Work Flows for Optimizing and Sustaining Production Targets in an Area of Kuwait’s Greater Burgan Oil Field by B. Al-Shammari, Kuwait Oil Company, et al. SPE 186955 Downhole Production Logging for Locating Water Sources in Openhole-Completion Oil-Producer Wells by Amirul Afiq Yaakob, Petronas, et al.

The Impact of Hydrocarbon Pollution on Soil Degradation Using GIS Techniques and Soil Characterization in Burgan Oil field, South Kuwait

Understanding the complex spatio-temporal relationships between environmental pollution and disease and identifying exposures to environmental hazards in high-risk populations are essential elements of an effective environmental and public health management program. Modern computer technologies, such as geographic information systems (GIS), provide cost-effective tools for evaluating interventions and policies potentially affecting health outcomes. Military activities during the occupation and subsequent liberation war at 1991 caused direct and indirect damage to Kuwait’s environment and ecosystems. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) provide a powerful tool in managing and analyzing spatial data. It has been applied successfully to large variety of fields, one field of particular interest is the field of disaster identification and mitigation represent in the impact of hydrocarbon pollution on soil degradation in Burgan oil field, South Kuwait. It is well understood that hazard identification and land management play a major part in the reducing the impact of natural disasters. This is a role GIS is well suited to especially when combined with field investigation work .This study highlights the high level achievements of the environmental assessment for the oil contaminated status in GC32 pipe line dry oil lake and wet oil lake, Burgan oil field, state of Kuwait by using GIS application and field investigation including soil sampling, logging in order to determine the magnitude of damage, mapping present day contamination boundaries, extent of contamination and volume of contaminated soil in the area of study. In fact, the study clearly indicates that the problems persist even after 25 years although the lakes and lagoons that contained oil have been drained and many of them have dried out, their hazard potential has actually increased.

PsInSAR based land subsidence estimation of Burgan oil field using TerraSAR-X data

Oil extraction over the years has increased tremendously resulting in land subsidence, which is a slow and gradual process and has long-term effects on ecohydrology and climate. For efficient measurement of land subsidence phenomenon due to oil extraction, an advanced PsInSAR technique was used in this study which overcame the obstacles such as temporal and geometrical decorrelation, phase delay due to atmospheric variation. The primary objective of the present study is to investigate the potential of PsInSAR technique to estimate total land subsidence in Burgan oil field, Kuwait, on a multitemporal scale from 2008 to 2011. A total of 26 datasets TerraSAR-X interferometric datasets were acquired from 31st January 2008 to 4th February 2011. Permanent Scatter Candidates (PSC) were selected based on amplitude stability index. Atmospheric Phase was estimated and removal of Atmospheric Phase Screen was carried using ensemble coherence. To measure the displacement between 31st January 2008 and 4th February 2011, a spatio-temporal displacement map was generated and overlaid on Google Earth to mark the areas of oil wells in Burgan oil field where subsidence has taken place. The total amount of subsidence was obtained from Integrated Cumulative Displacement Map, the value of which was estimated to be 10mm/year and an average of 25–30mm per 3 years. The land subsidence outcome of this study for three-years times was compared with already existing literature based results to show the potential of PsInSAR for subsidence mapping due to oil extraction. PsInSAR technique for land subsidence monitoring showed significant improvement in results after correcting for the atmospheric phase errors.

Organic geochemical evaluation of hydrocarbons in Lower Cretaceous Middle Minagish reservoir, Kuwait

Organic petrography and geochemical analyses of 72 core samples from the Minagish Formation revealed vertical variations in oil composition between four wells from the Burgan, Maqwa, Minagish and Umm-Gudair fields. The Burgan Field has a homogeneous oil column while variations in oil column were recognized between fields. The thickest heavy oil column, 46 m, was identified in Minagish Field. GC and GC-MS of the light and intermediate parts of the oil indicates a similar oil type, with a common oil pool in all of the oil fields. Thus, the variation in the nature and distribution of the heavy fractions of the oil in the Minagish reservoir is not be related to the source rock, expulsion and/or oil migration, but related to changes that occurred after or during oil accumulation in the reservoir.The methods and the results of this study are useful for planning drilling specially in reservoirs with heavy oil intervals such as the Minagish reservoir.

Occurrence of diagenetic alunites within karst cavity infill of the Dammam Formation, Ahmadi, Kuwait: an indicator of hydrocarbon gas seeps

Alunite minerals occur as white powdery lumps and laminated coloured deposits within cavity and solution channel infill of the palaeokarst zone of the Upper Eocene Dammam Formation. This formation is exposed in a quarry located on the Al Ahmadi ridge within the Greater Burgan oil field in southern Kuwait. Field occurrences and sedimentary structures of the alunite deposits were described. Collected samples were petrographically described, and their mineralogy and geochemistry were determined using X-ray diffraction and X-ray fluorescence, respectively. Microfabrics were investigated using SEM, revealing that they are primarily composed of fibrous alunogen (hydrous aluminium sulphate) and pseudo-cubical K-alunite (hydrous potassium aluminium sulphate). Their mode of occurrence suggests a hypogenetic origin, where sulphide gases associated with hydrocarbon gases reacted with an Al-rich solution leached from clay minerals and feldspars of the cavity-fill muddy sand sediments. The hydrocarbon gases may have seeped from sub-surface petroliferous formations within the Greater Burgan oil field along vertical fractures. This study suggests that these acidic seeps may have played a role in the development of the palaeokarst zone of the Dammam Formation.

Scaling Up a 900-Million-Cell Static Model to a Dynamic Model

This article, written by Senior Technology Editor Dennis Denney, contains highlights of paper SPE 164187, ’Answering the Challenge of Scaling Up a 900-Million-Cell Static Model to a Dynamic Model - Greater Burgan Field, Kuwait,’ by Eddie Ma, SPE, Kuwait Oil Company; Sergey Ryzhov, SPE, Schlumberger; Yuandong Wang, SPE, Petrobras; Reham Al-Houti, SPE, Laila Dashti, SPE, and Farida Ali, Kuwait Oil Company; and Muhammad Ibrahim, SPE, Schlumberger, prepared for the 2013 SPE Middle East Oil and Gas Show and Exhibition, Manama, Bahrain, 10-13 March. The paper has not been peer reviewed. The Greater Burgan field began producing in 1946. It remains under primary depletion with natural waterdrive. Subsurface modeling is an integral part of reservoir management. In 2001, the first comprehensive full-field geological model was built with 65 million cells, encompassing all of the major reservoirs. A reservoir-simulation study (1.6-million-cell dynamic model) was conducted in 2003 by use of parallel-simulation technology. During the last decade, active field-development plans have resulted in major surface-facility upgrades and the drilling of +more than 300 new wells. This paper discusses scaling up the high-resolution geological model and specific problems encountered by the study team. Introduction The Greater Burgan field is in southeastern Kuwait, with an area of 320 sq miles. Fig. 1 shows the five main reservoir units of the Greater Burgan field complex: the Wara sand, Mauddud, Burgan Upper sand, Burgan Middle sand, and the Burgan Lower sand. Areally, the field is separated into three producing areas, Burgan, Magwa, and Ahmadi. Mauddud, the only carbonate reservoir in the sequence, is relatively tight and, together with the extensive Wara shale, acts as a barrier separating the Wara sand from the massive sands of the underlying Burgan formation. However, extensive faulting prevents communication between the Wara and Burgan sands. The Burgan oil field was discovered in 1938, with first oil production in 1946. Burgan has good energy support from strong natural aquifers, and after 66 years of production, most of the field is still under primary depletion. More than 1,200 wells have been drilled across the field. While drilling spacing is dense in the crestal area, well control in the flanks is relatively weak, giving rise to more geostatistical uncertainty. As the field has matured, the reservoir pressure has declined, reducing productivity. Scaling-Up Approach Because the field comprises significantly different reservoir units, a detailed geological description is required. A very-fine-scale geological model with 900 million cells was required. This geological model was constructed as a master model integrating all types of data available, and will be maintained and updated over time with new data from drilling, production, and other activities. For dynamic modeling, the very-fine-scale geological model is too big and must be scaled up. A multiscale approach is needed for the Greater Burgan field. Several studies, including reservoir management and optimization, facilities design and planning, recovery optimization, and enhanced oil recovery, are envisaged for the field. These studies are expected to require different resolutions and different levels of reservoir-description detail. Use of a single model with the highest possible resolution for all of the studies is impractical for a field this size. Thus, each study had to formulate model-resolution requirements in accordance with the phenomena to be studied, which resulted in different scaling of the models.

Technology Focus: Well Testing (February 2013)

Technology Focus The times they are a-changin’, Bob Dylan sang in the mid-1960s. And it seems to be the case in our industry today. With the never-ending search for new sources of hydrocarbons in more-complex environments, the application of old technologies has not been satisfactory to help us fully realize the new exploration opportunities. As the oil industry endeavors to extract hydrocarbons from fields where, only a few decades ago, it seemed impossible, engineers and scientists are tasked with developing ideas to gain an understanding of the dynamic behavior of the reservoirs, sometimes requiring redundant information. Creativity and ingenuity are called upon when facing challenging projects. Both are particularly necessary when one is trying to extract as much information as possible by the clever integration of multiple groups within an organization and manipulation of complementary data sets. Despite the difficulties encountered in unconventional plays or in tight carbonates that normally require stimulation, along with patience and long-term commitment, the application of sound engineering principles has opened new areas around the world that, until recently, were perceived as not being economical. Two of the key parameters required for full exploitation of a hydrocarbon-bearing field—rock permeability and reservoir pressure—are probably the most elusive to determine in the exploration phase, particularly so in unconventional plays. Hence, any technique that decreases the uncertainty in those estimates is a new valuable tool to the engineers involved in the exploration of new frontiers. Once the size and properties of the container have been evaluated, knowledge of the fluid properties is required to under-stand the flow characteristics. In the early stages of developing a field, on the other hand, engineers and geoscientists continue to integrate as many data sets as possible to quantify the volume of hydrocarbons that may be produced. The well-test data, however, confirm whether the hydrocarbons are producible. With this information, field development can start in earnest. The integration of the static and dynamic data then provides encouragement to develop a field. The three articles chosen are good examples of data integration to understand a field or the clever use of well-test data to solve a specific problem. The interested reader should also check the three alternative articles, as well as other articles available in the OnePetro library (www.onepetro.org). Recommended additional reading at OnePetro: www.onepetro.org. SPE 159126 Reservoir-Connectivity Analysis Using Long-Term Interference Testing in a Waterflood Pilot in the Carbonate Marrat Formation of the Greater Burgan Field, Kuwait by Naz Gazi, Kuwait Oil Company, et al. SPE 159503 Sampling While Drilling: An Emerging Technology by Steven Villareal, Schlumberger, et al. SPE 159680 Investigation of Thermal Well-Test Analysis for Horizontal Wells in SAGD Process by Ashkan Jahanbani Ghahfarokhi, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, et al.

Further Investigation into the Stability of Water-in-Crude Oil Emulsions Formed in Burgan Oilfield: Effect of Toluene, Resins to Asphaltenes Ratio, and Surfactant

Factors controlling the formation and stabilization of water-in-crude oil (w/o) emulsions in oil fields are of great concern to the petroleum industry for the economic development of underground oil reservoirs. Controlling and minimizing the formation of w/o emulsions and demulsification of water from emulsions are also important for environmental development. Because of its importance, the mechanisms, formation, and stability of w/o emulsions have received considerable attention. This article deals with some of the factors responsible for the formation and stabilization of w/o emulsions formed in Burgan oil field in Kuwait. Some of the factors investigated in this study are the naturally occurred surface active components of crude oils such as asphaltenes and resins. Stability of emulsion samples with resins to asphaltenes ratio (R/A) contents of 3, 5, 9, 12, and 20 has been studied. It was found that Emulsion tightness is correlated with resins to asphaltene content of the sample. As the R/content increases the emulsion becomes unstable. The effect of additives such as toluene and dodecyle benzene sulfonic acid (DBSA) on the stability of various emulsion samples collected from oil field are also reported. A 2 wt% of DBSA was found to resolve all the water from emulsion samples collected from Burgan oilfield.

Potentiality of Zubair Formation for deep slurry injection in Kuwait

Selection of a suitable reservoir for fluid storage depends on the reservoir characteristics including permeability, porosity, depth, and reservoir volume. A prospective injection site requires certain quantitative or qualitative value for every parameter involved in a selection criterion. The Barremian–lower Aptian Zubair Formation, at the Burgan oilfield in southern Kuwait, was selected as a potential site for a deep slurry injection project. The Zubair Formation is a major siliciclastic wedge; the target zone (second sand layer) ranges in thickness from 85.3 to 115.8 m with lateral extension measuring 35 by 20 km. The Zubair Formation parameters were evaluated, using log information, provided by Kuwait Oil Company, from three existing oil wells in the Burgan oilfield, and applying Nadeem and Dusseault (Environ Geosci 14(2):61–71, 2007) geological assessment model for deep slurry injection. The results of the model show that the Zubair Formation is an excellent reservoir to receive injected slurried waste.

Role of Evaporation in Degrading the "Oil Lakes"

Problem statement: Oil Spills are degraded by aerobic bacteria, water washing, evaporation and oxidation. In the absence of water the first two of these processes cannot operate. Th is is the situation in the low rainfall environment of the Kuwaiti desert where oil lakes still persist 2 0 years after the initial spills. The oils contain lo nger chain n-alkanes but have lost light ends and evaporation appears to be the dominant degradation mechanism. Approach: We have simulated evaporation of Kuwaiti oil (from Burgan field) at t emperatures from 20-50°C and at various air flow rates. Results: Compositional changes monitored by gas chromatography show losses of volatile components (<C8), including alkanes, aromatics and naphthenes. Normal alkanes are lost more rapidly than other hydrocarbon types with the same carbon n umbers. Conclusion: Evaporation increases viscosity and density leading to compositional stra tification. It seems likely that a devolatilized s kin forms, protecting the underlying oil and decreasing the rate of evaporation. Oils degraded by evaporation show final compositions similar to thos e observed in the residual oil lakes.

Development of an Integrated Reservoir-Surveillance Process

This article, written by Senior Technology Editor Dennis Denney, contains highlights of paper SPE 120229, "Development of an Integrated Reservoir-Surveillance Process for World's Second-Largest Field in Kuwait," by Sameer F. Desai, SPE, Hussain Z. Al-Ajmi, SPE, and Jamal H. Al-Humoud, Kuwait Oil Company, and Naz H. Gazi, SPE, Halliburton, prepared for the 2009 SPE Middle East Oil &amp; Gas Show and Conference, Kingdom of Bahrain, 15-18 March. The paper has not been peer reviewed. The Greater Burgan field in Kuwait was discovered in 1938 and contains more than 1,000 wells. It is extremely important to identify and perform focused surveillance work to have a better understanding of the reservoir drainage mechanism, remaining potential, and pressure decline. Considerable data accumulate every year, leading to questions about whether acquiring so much data is justified. This paper describes the approach to develop an integrated reservoir-surveillance plan for monitoring the field. Introduction The Greater Burgan sandstone oil field covers a surface area of approximately 320 sq miles. The four main reservoir units are the Wara, Mauddud, Burgan Third sand, and Burgan Fourth sand. Other contributing units are Minagish, Marrat, and Zubair reservoirs. A very dynamic development plan was implemented to sustain production. The strategy involves increased well activity and production-facility and -capacity upgrade. Many new wells are planned, including high-producing-rate horizontal wells in the main Burgan sands. Reservoir surveillance is key. With new wells being drilled, the need for organized surveillance has increased to monitor this large reservoir, depletion trends, remaining potential, and pressure support. Surveillance planning is critical in ensuring that sufficient data are acquired. Standard processes must be in place to manage and interpret the acquired data. The quality and value of information must be assessed to justify the surveillance plan and the future requirements for continued optimization of current production and reservoir-management strategies. Current Process Routine surveillance data are acquired annually to optimize well production and to provide input for reservoir-management studies. Surveillance activities were reviewed over the last 3 years to assess the need for and to highlight the interpretation of the acquired data, and to determine the consequent value-added decisions based on the analysis. Surveillance data add value through incremental benefits in terms of production gain or water curtailment, and by incorporating data into ongoing reservoir-management and -mapping studies. Focusing on a New Approach The approach focuses on value generated from the acquired-data interpretation to provide reservoir pressure; reservoir permeability; water saturation; sweep efficiency; well-productivity index; well flow capacity; fluid contacts; and flow rates of oil, gas, and water. The significance of surveillance information through routine and planned diagnostic and monitoring purposes is measured against an ultimate gain in production, water curtailment, production optimization, and overall meeting of best reservoir-management practices. Timely update of information, through surveillance, on the water-encroachment maps and in simulation studies is instrumental for optimizing recovery and formulating a better depletion strategy.