Proposing Development Locations

[mona_2010]

Hi Everybody I have been employed with an NOC for the past two years as a Reservoir Engineer. As an independent assignment I have been asked to propose locations for development drilling. Though I had done these kind of exercises before, this would be my first independent project. The thing is that I really want to be systematic in my approach.

Could you please suggest me on this? I mean is there any specific path that I should follow and be organised in my approach. What are the crucial factors that need consideration? Is there any kind of exercise that needs to be done.

Please note: I have dry gas multilayered reservoir to work with.


Thanks in advance.

Regards Monalisa

[The Master]

Dear friend,

Would you please provide me with some information about which Reservoir Simulator you use in your project? Is it Eclipse or something else? That would help me in offering you some useful information. .

Regards,

[The Master]

Dear friend,

Would you please provide me with some information about which Reservoir Simulator you use in your project? Is it Eclipse or something else? That would help me in offering you some useful information. .

Regards,

[mona_2010]

Sir

Thank you so much for replying.

The challenge here is that I have no reservoir model available with me right now. As I work with an asset that deals mainly with the operations part, I do not have access to simulators as well. All I have to work with is the maps, the petrophysical data (to the extent available), pressure and production history of the sand and the field. All I can do at this point of time is classical reservoir engg.

With these resources available how do I go about proposing the locations? Or is it an absolute necessity to go for the simulation. In this regard I would like to tell you in two years of my career I was not exposed to simulation. If it is an absolute requirement, I would have to think about ways to carry that out anyway.

I think I could convey my points to some extent possible.

Regards
Monalisa

[vinomarky]

There really is very little in the way of a generic structured approach. Field development planning is an organic process, highly non-linear and interdependent upon many many different areas.

At its simplest you'd probably say drill enough evenly spaced, relatively crestal wells in well connected and large kh zones to handle your desired offtake rate + redundancy. Then you'd have to check whether/if your geometry is likely to yield water encroachment problems... perhaps you need to go horizontal rather than vertical - could you reduce a well or two this way? How does the increased capex play against the expected incremental and accelerated production from going horizontal? Perhaps hole stability and reach from a single platform makes this problematic and you instead need to go with two platforms etc etc... Could there be intra-field baffling that you need to mitigate? In which case placing a well in each of the possible blocks may be required...Will you be looking to have an observation well? How are your multiple layers distributed, and can you drain them all efficiently? I could go on and on- there are many rabbit holes to dive down and potholes that can get you

Just keep in mind that in the end you are trying to maximize VALUE, not necessarily rate or EUR. Value is a different thing for different companies (some simply looking for headline rates, others low cost proof of production to sell off later, others cash constrained, perhaps NPV is king, perhaps ROI is king....) , so first find out what Value means for your company and work to maximize it with what you have at hand - make sure you think through the drilling and producing life for what can possibly happen with your chosen sceanrios