An oil and gas operator in Kuwait used different ultradeep azimuthal resistivity (UDAR) technologies in a carbonate reservoir for different applications related to the position of the current oil-water contact (COWC). The reservoir was currently being produced with more than 57 years of production history. Because of its long production history and variable water drawdown in a different part of the field, undulating current oil-water contact (COWC), and the uncertainty of the position of the COWC, there were concerns. The UDAR look-around technology was introduced for the first time in the Umm-Gudair (UG) field in the West Kuwait region. The UDAR technology solution offers a proactive approach to mapping COWC while drilling. Hence it eliminates the conventional approach for drilling a pilot hole. The UDAR family has been enriched with a look-ahead capability. It is therefore being tested in the field with a slant deviated well where it proved its capability to detect the COWC ahead of the bit. The utilization of the UDAR solution and its application evolved from a look-around to a look-ahead capability. A discussion about this evolution will be shared along with the lessons learned from the predrilling feasibility study, execution, and post-analysis results. The paper will also reveal the potential applications for UDAR technology for 3D mapping application. These enhanced demonstrations will disclose additional information about the undulating COWC around the well bore region. The lessons learned from UDAR look-around, UDAR look-ahead and UDAR 3D mapping technologies on the tested case study wells give insight into the selection criteria for using these three technologies. The selection criteria are driven by the prognosis of the position of the well relative to the projected COWC based on offset well data. The threshold distance should be 30 to 40 ft total vertical depth (TVD) from COWC to ensure production sustainability. The new 3D mapping capability from UDAR integrated to the seismic is the next application of UDAR. This capability gives an ability for the oil and gas operator to enhance the understanding of full 3D geometry of structural geometry and can be extended to the fluid contact shape.
The Umm Gudair (UG) Field is a carbonate reservoir of West Kuwait with more than 57 years of production history. The average water cut of the field reached closed to 60 percent due to a long history of production and regulating drawdown in a different part of the field, consequentially undulating the current oil/water contact (COWC). As a result, there is high uncertainty of the current oil/water contact (COWC) that impacts the drilling strategy in the field. The typical approach used to develop the field in the lower part of carbonate is to drill deviated wells to original oil/water contact (OOWC) to know the saturation profile and later cement back up to above the high-water saturation zone and then perforate with standoff. This method has not shown encouraging results, and a high water cut presence remains. An innovative solution is required with a technology that can give a proactive approach while drilling to indicate approaching current oil/water contact and geo-stop drilling to give optimal standoff between the bit and the detected water contact (COWC). Recent development of electromagnetic (EM) look-ahead resistivity technology was considered and first implemented in the Umm Gudair (UG) Field. It is an electromagnetic-based signal that can detect the resistivity features ahead of the bit while drilling and enables proactive decisions to reduce drilling and geological or reservoir risks related to the well placement challenges.
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