Production geochemistry: fluids don't lie and the devil is in the detail

Abstract

The application of production geochemistry techniques has been shown to provide abundant and often low-cost high-value fluid information that helps to maximize and safeguard production. Critical aspects to providing successful data relate to the appropriate sampling strategy and sampling selection which are generally project-aim-specific. In addition, the continuous direct integration of the production geochemistry data with subsurface and surface understanding is pivotal. Examples from two specific areas have been presented including: (a) the effective use of IsoTubes in the production realm; and (b) the application of geochemical fingerprinting primarily based on multidimensional gas chromatography. Mud gas stable carbon isotopes from low-cost IsoTubes have been shown to be very effective in recognizing within-well fluid compartments, as well as recognizing specific hydrocarbon seals in overburden section, including the selective partial seal for only C2+ gas species. With respect to geochemical fingerprinting, examples have been presented related to reservoir surveillance including compartmentalization, lateral and vertical connectivity, as well as fluid movements and fault/baffle breakthrough. The production-related examples focus on fluid allocation within a single well, as well as on its application for pipeline residence times, fluid identification and well testing.

Geochemical atlas of «Oil fingerprinting» for fields of «Embamunaygas» JSC

“…Метод фингерпринтинга успешно применяется для анализа нефти месторождений разных стран (Канады, США, Кувейта, Нигерии, Великобритании и др.) уже более 30 лет [2][3][4][5][6]. Например, на основе сравнения «лепестковой» диаграммы нефти месторождения Северного моря Айдер (Eider) с нефтями других соседних место-рождений, таких как Терн (Tern), Корморан (Cormoran) и Оттер (Otter), было доказано, что нефти месторождения Айдер мигрировали с северо-восточного направления, начиная от месторождения Оттер.…”