Well performance analysis for heavy oil with water coning

Document Type

Conference Proceeding

Publication Date

1-1-2007

Abstract

As conventional petroleum is approaching its maximum production and the world oil demand continues to grow, heavy oil becomes one of the obvious replacement resources. By 2015, its contributions to total oil production would reportedly grow from the present 2.5 MMbpd to 4MMbpd and stay at this level for a couple of decades. Recovery of heavy oil reservoir with wells is a challenge due to low API gravities (6°-25°), high viscosity (100cp-1000cp)-particularly in the presence of water. For example, the recovery factor from a heavy oil reservoir with bottom water in the H.K. oilfield, Shandong province, in China, having viscosity of 710 cp does not exceed one percent. One of the most important problems in heavy oil recovery is dramatic loss of wells' productivity at the onset of water inflow due to the two fluids' mobility contrast. Not only the recovery at breakthrough time is very low, but also the water cut increase is extremely rapid. The presented simulation study investigates dynamics of productivity loss in wells producing heavy oil with bottom water. The production system (nodal) analysis model simulates inflow performance relationship with variable water cut. The model captures the difference between heavy and light oil in terms of mobility ratio effect, recovery dynamics prior to and after water breakthrough, and water cut control with production rate. The results show that preventing water breakthrough to wells in heavy oil is several-fold more important (in terms of well productivity and recovery rate) than that for conventional oil wells.

Publication Source (Journal or Book title)

Canadian International Petroleum Conference 2007, CIPC 2007

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