Successful Water Conformance Control in Horizontal Wells Using ICD Completions- A Case History Spanning Over 7 Years from Greater Burgan Field in Kuwait

Abstract

Unwanted water production is a major challenge in the horizontal wells in the Greater Burgan field in Kuwait. The long lateral sections and the presence of heterogeneity lead to uneven sweep of hydrocarbons. Greater Burgan has over 60 horizontal wells to date. Initially they produced dry oil and up to the expectation but soon the water cut increased in a number of wells and avoiding water break through became a major challenge. Burgan sandstone is a highly productive reservoir and the permeability variation is huge from less than a Darcy to a few Darcy. Thus, the horizontal wells have uneven flow profile and subsequent coning and cresting effects resulting in bypassed oil and poor recovery. To have a better down-hole water management in horizontal wells a number of options from chemical water shut-off and isolating the toe side using packers to use of straddle packers in the middle and heel side of the horizontal section were tried. However, the use of Inflow Control Device-ICD proved to be the best option to restrict and slow down and contain the water production by creating additional pressure drop and achieve better sweep efficiency. The first ICD completion in the Greater Burgan field and in KOC was implemented in a sidetrack well in 2007. To date the well is flowing with 45% water cut which is almost constant from the beginning for 7 years now. It resulted in a net gain of 2400BOPD from this well. This paper will describe this case history, how the system was designed, completed, and monitored, and the successful results achieved for over 7 years. This successful use of ICDs for water conformance lead to more applications in Kuwait and will give a good understanding for the future use in other areas.

Field Validation of a Non-logging Alternative Method for the Prediction of the Location of Water-Cresting in Horizontal Wells for Water-Drive Reservoirs

“…With the onset of water-cresting, the productivity of the well rapidly declines, , and in the worst case, it can lead to the well-being entirely flooded out . Currently, an assortment of mechanical and chemical well interventions is available involving chemical packers, − foam gel, cross-linked polymers, dual completion, inflow control devices, − and so forth. However prior to applying any of these treatment, the location of the water-cresting needs to be pinpointed first with specialized logging tools such as the pulsed-neutron three phase holdup measurement tool or the oxygen activation logging tool …”

Method of Predicting the Location of Water Cresting for Horizontal Wells in a Water-Drive Reservoir for Early Prevention

“…When early water breakthrough occurs in a water-drive reservoir with a vertical well, it is called coning; when it happens in a horizontal well, this phenomenon is called water cresting or cusping . When water cresting occurs in a gas- or oil-producing well, it can lead to rapid production decline and/or loss of well due to rise in the water-cut. − To save the well, currently there are various types of mechanical and chemical well intervention methods such as chemical packers, − foam gel, dual completion, and inflow control devices. − But prior to their application, the location of water cresting needs to be sited first with specialized logging tools. , These interventions, though effective, have a drawback for being a postbreakthrough procedure after water-cuts become very high and remediation cost is very expensive. Since coning or water cresting in a water-drive reservoir has become a more recognized problem, increasing amount of research has been devoted to this topic.…”