Optimization of mature fields in maximizing the hydrocarbon recovery has been a major concern for exploration and production companies including PETRONAS Carigali Sdn. Bhd (PCSB). CC is a brown field, situated in south central region of the DD Province of the Sarawak Basin.Since CC field has marginal reserves, an effort to enhance the production was initiated with the objective of economically boosting the remaining reserves.The proven Low Pressure System (LPS) that is widely implemented across Petronas operating fields has benefited CC in optimizing the production by lowering the existing surface back pressure. However, the challenges faced in implementing the system in CC are platform surface constraintand unmanned-operation-at-night philosophy.
This case study highlights the difficulties and challenges faced by a mature brownfield (40+ year field life and 330+ wells) producing via multiple offshore satellite platforms. Daily production issues include sub-optimal well-testing facilities, uncertainties in well performance, sand production, well flow assurance, gas-lift compressors uptime, bottlenecked pipelines and integrity problems. This paper showcases the journey of an operator in using portable high frequency MPFM well-test unit for closing the well-test data gap in offshore brownfields of Peninsular Malaysia. Here, the paper shares the lessons learnt and workflow for effective well-test data gathering and validation, diagnosing well performance using dynamic well behaviour recorded by high frequency MPFM, and subsequent well optimisation activities (such as choke optimisation, gas-lift optimisation and flowline de-bottlenecking) for rapidly improving well production. Moreover, this paper also highlights key findings such as related to PVT data input and how it can affect MPFM measurement accuracy. Ultimately, the use of portable high frequency MPFM has helped field operation to maximise oil production and arresting field production decline.
One of the key successes in optimising a mature offshore oil producing field with water drive mechanism is to actively unlock additional oil production from reservoirs that have not experienced water breakthrough while maintaining gross production from reservoirs that have started producing water. This can be achieved by drilling more infill wells to create additional oil drainage points; however this is a very capital intensive investment. The other approach is to perform stimulation jobs on existing wells (both idle and producing) as part of production enhancement activities to increase well productivities which are comparatively more cost effective. With the increase in well productivities, these wells can be produced at lower drawdown which can delay water breakthrough.
This paper describes a holistic approach from understanding well inflow productivity problem due to severe downhole asphaltene or wax deposition issues, formulating the right organic-solvent-mud-acid chemical recipe for the well stimulation jobs, selecting the appropriate well candidates, and optimizing offshore stimulation job execution to ensure good chance of success. The stimulation campaign for 3 wells was carried out between Dec 2009 and Jan 2010 and was proven to be very successful. The cost per job was reduced by 30% compared to previous stimulation job, oil production for all wells increased (including a well which is closed in for 10 years), and up to date, water production has not been observed. Finally, a post job detailed technical analysis was conducted to allow a better understanding on the chemical recipe performances for optimization of future stimulation jobs.
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