Optimum well completion strategies in reservoirs with bottom and edge water invasion

Document Type

Conference Proceeding

Publication Date

1-1-2007

Abstract

Oil bypassing is a significant problem in reservoirs with water drive. The bypassing mechanism is commonly attributed to distortion of frontal displacement due to the effects of viscous fingering and permeability variations. However, considerable bypassing may also result from ineffective well completion design causing water saturation buildup at the well, low productivity of oil, and-in the result-well marginalization with unrecovered oil left behind. In this study, numerical reservoir simulation is used to investigate the well completion's length and placement that would optimize oil recovery in bottom and edge-water systems. The effect of a single completion's length (penetration) is evaluated for different reservoir conditions. Then, single completions are compared to dual well completions (Downhole Water Sink, DWS) for both newlycompleted and marginal (or watered-out) wells. For the bottom-water systems, the results show that the best completion strategy for both the new and the marginal wells is the use of DWS. The system would prevent or reduce the growth of water saturation around the well, thus increasing oil relative permeability. In the edge-water systems, on the other hand, the best completion strategy for both new and watered out wells is the use of either DWS or fully penetrating wells. The main advantage, however, of DWS over fully penetrating wells is the independent control of each completion. Total recovery is similar to that with partially penetrating wells, but it takes less than a third of the time (70% shorter).

Publication Source (Journal or Book title)

Canadian International Petroleum Conference 2007, CIPC 2007

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