HASSI MESSAOUD FIELD PERFORMANCE OF A MISCIBLE GAS INJECTION

T. Lebcir, Hydra Sonatrach Division PED, Algeria

Abstract. The Hassi-Messaoud field discovered in 1956 is producing with miscible gas injection for most zones and with waterflooding for other zones of the field. The producing formation is Cambrian sandstones which are located at a variable depth from 3200 m to 3500 m, with an average thickness of 100 m and 4 reservoirs (Ri, Ra, R2, R3). The initial pressure was 482 kg/ cm2, this field has an oil with an API of 45" (0.806 g/cm3) and a variable bubble point from 140 to 200 kg/cm2. Two zones have been flooded by gas from 1964, and later the gas was injected in the central zones in 1971-1979. In 1988-1992 the peripheral zones were also flooded by gas. The gas injection level was 5106 m3/d initially and increased as the needs increased, and new facilities (compressors, separators, etc.). The OIP in the gas injection zone is 55% of the total OIP meanwhile in the water flooded zone the OOIP is 15% of the total one. Following the actual level of the static pressure, the miscible gas process will be extended to all the field except the zones which are flooded by water. This process is a Vaporising Gas Drive type (VGD), and the miscibility pressure is variable from 240 to 270 kg/cm2. A good oil recovery of the main reservoir (Ra) was obtained and is due to the efficiency of the miscible gas flooding, a very low gas segregation, and high vertical anisotropy. From the results of the breakthrough of the gas at the oil producers we found a low areal sweep efficiency with a channeling in the direction North-North-East/South-South-West. Even when we got a good vertical sweep efficiency, there were still some sectors unflooded. We can recommend other development for this field to improve the recovery and the areal sweep efficiency.

INTROD UCTIO N

Hassi Messaoud has produced since 1958. Drainage was of depletion type until the gas miscible injection started in 1964. In 1995 the areas under gas injection represent 55% of the OOIP (70% of the cumulative production), with 278 producers and 78 injectors. Nine compression stations supply 36.5 lo6 Sm3/ day (1.3 lo9 Scf/day) at a pressure of 425 Kg/cm2 (6050 psi).

The tectonics (Figure 2) generated networks of major (important throws) and minor faults mainly oriented NNE/SSW. The diagenesis damaged strongly the petrophysical characteristics inducing an heterogeneity organized into strips of same direction as the major faults, with alternance of good or bad permeabilities.
Petrophysics

RESERVOIR DESCRIPTION Geology

Cambrian deposits (Figure 1) develop over several hundred meters constituting 4 reservoirs (R3, R2, Ra, Ri or D5); Ra is the best one (80 m thick and 10 mD) and is subdivided into 5 subreservoirs D1, ID, D2, D3, D4. Interbeddings of silts with small thickness and permeability, and variable lateral extension (decameter to kilometer) influence the fluids flow and the gas segregation.

The core permeability profile may be explained assuming that the deposit sequence occurred homogeneously with very small variation laterally and then the tectonics and the later diagenesis damaged the petrophysical characteristics over the entire thickness. A geostatistical treatment applied to the build-up permeabilities evidenced a strong areal anisotropy, in the NNE/SSW direction reflecting its relation to the tectonics and the secondary diagenesis; typical permeability map (zone 9) is reported on Figure 3. The data analysis (cores and tests) by the geostatistical method confirms the relation between the heterogeneity and the geological events.
383

384

INCREASED RECOVERY OF CONVENTIONAL CRUDE OIL

~ 5 1 ~ 1

TABLE I Oil and the gas compositions

Oil

Gas
200 kg/cm2 1.6 1.14 35.10 13.34 8.89 1.09 4.14 1.26 2.33 3.81 3.82 23.48
Field gas Outside gas

Pb
N2 CO2 c1 c2 c3 iC4 nC4 iC5 nC5 C6 c7 C8 + M

150 kg/cm2 1.6 1.14 26.07 13.34 11.07 1.56 5.87 1.61 3.04 3.81 4.32 26.57

3.57 2.0 60.5 19.39 10.26 0.82 2.42 0.43 0.52 0.14 0.04
-

2.03 0.27 85.75 7.86 2.46 0.5 1.21 0.31 0.16 0.09
-

24.7

18.9

_ I _

INCREASED RECOVERY OF CONVENTIONAL CRUDE OIL

Fluids

. _ 1

.,Y

_o

--

_ D .

Fig. 2. Structural map on top of reservoir Ra.

PAST HISTORY

The oil is characterized by:

-

API,45" Saturation pressure, 140 to 200 kg/cm2 (2000 to 2850 psi) Solution GOR, 160 to 240 v/v (900 to 1350 Scf/ bbl) Volumetric factor, 1.7 to 2 v/v Reservoir viscosity, 0.24 cp

The initial pressure and temperature were 482 kg/ cm2 (6855 psi) and 120 "C(248
OF).

Split into zones

The miscibility is of Vaporizing Gas Drive type reached between 240 and 270 kg/cm2 (3400 to 3840 psi). The injection level requires combination of field and outside gas. The viscosity ratio between oil and gas is around 7. See Table I for oil and gas compositions.

During the first years of exploitation and due to structural accidents and large areas with poor characteristics, very different performances were registered from an area to the other. These areas called zones were considered as reservoir entities. After a larger history, communications were evidenced but with different pressure levels.
Injection

The

injection

started

with

injectors:

386

INCREASED RECOVERY OF CONVENTIONAL CRUDE OIL

c51pl

Above
50.00

20.00
10.00

5.000
2.000 I .u00
,5000

.OWOEtM)
Below

Fig. 3. Permeability map of zone 9.

lo6 Sm3/d (176 lo6 Scf/d). The present injection rate is 36.5 lo6 Sm3/d (1290 lo6 Scf/d). The increase of gas requirements was followed by an extension of the surface facilities including extraction units for GPL.

PERFORMANCES ANALYSIS Field performances Figure 4 presents the past evolution of the main performances parameters.

INCREASED RECOVERY OF CONVENTIONAL CRUDE OIL

1000001 O00

387

0
v

80000

3
<

60000-

W I -

ct
O

40000-

aoo
600

rc)

-400

20000 -

- 200
-0

0-

450 -

400
h

2 U 2 Y

350-

300250-

z l n a
W

200150100-

50 -

cn
7 . l
O

40000

w
I -

30000

cc

I -

0 20000
o
w
7

5
m

ioooa

-5000

2
w
I -

n
\

<

- 1 O000 0
I -

o
w

z -

- 15000
i -

Sweer, efficiencv - a

Breakthrough may occur after only some months for spacing greater than one kilometer, on the contrary it may occur after some years for spacing of some hundred meters. The misotrophy distribution in strips of high or

low permeability allowed to restitute these various breakthrough times. The gas production is often reported (production logs) over the entire thickness of the reservoir Ra. This low segregation is only explained by the presence of clayed-silted interbeds (Fig. 5).

388
Wlll

INCREASED RECOVERY OF CONVENTIONAL CRUDE OIL

c5i p l

10

I5

20 I W

IWO

loo00

100000

BOTOMRATFi ( m3 I h )

GOR

Fig. 5. Production log of well MD111.

Global performances

The sweep efficiency is expressed in terms of recovery, in function of the injected cumulative volume with respect to pore volumes (HCPV). A simulation of the field development on a long term scale was performed until HCPV = 0.6. In 1995 HCPV is only 0.10 as a whole and ranges from 0.02 to 0.35 depending on the concerned zone (Figure 6).
CONCLUSIONS AND PERSPECTIVES

a rather weak area1 sweep efficiency due to the NNEJSSW oriented heterogeneity, a locally significant participation of the R2 superior reservoir,

so it will be developed in zones presently producing under this process and expanded to other areas of the field. When a zone is strongly swept by gas, a relay by a water injection could allow:
~

gas saving, sweep improvement especially in lower reservoirs.

Only half of the reserves was produced and due to small cumulative injection, large parts of the field remain unswept (Figure 7). Performances of the gas injection are considered as good and show:
-

A good vertical sweep efficiency due to the stratification, a small decline of the well productivity after the gas breakthrough,

In areas with poor reservoir characteristics, gas injection in miscible conditions is the only possible one. In order to avoid too high risks, non conventional wells may be recommended with patterns either independant or relative to the neighbouring areas under gas injection process. Development plans with several hundreds additional vertical and/or horizontal wells are presently carried on.

INCREASED RECOVERY OF CONVENTIONAL CRUDE OIL

30.00

389

25.00

20 O0

&
E

3 1500

o
L

10 O0

5.00

000

0.00

10.00

20.00

30.00

40.00

50.00

60.00

70.00

HCPVIXI

Fig. 6. Performance of gas injection.

ri-

I
1OWO

5 1 [

Fig. 7. Gas saturation at 01/01/1995.