SPE 132781 Understanding First, Simulation Later: Using Basic and Modern ReservoirEngineering Techniques To Understand Reservoir Dynamics:

A Proven Case
Hector Gomez Alonso, SPE, Sarawak Shell Berhad

Copyright 2010, Society of Petroleum Engineers This paper was prepared for presentation at the SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition held in Florence, Italy, 1922 September 2010. This paper was selected for presentation by an SPE program committee following review of information contained in an abstract submitted by the author(s). Contents of the paper have not been reviewed by the Society of Petroleum Engineers and are subject to correction by the author(s). The material does not necessarily reflect any position of the Society of Petroleum Engineers, its officers, or members. Electronic reproduction, distribution, or storage of any part of this paper without the written consent of the Society of Petroleum Engineers is prohibited. Permission to reproduce in print is restricted to an abstract of not more than 300 words; illustrations may not be copied. The abstract must contain conspicuous acknowledgment of SPE copyright.

Abstract This Mature field has been producing since 1997. Water production has been observed since almost the beginning of the production life with a fast increase in field water cut which is currently 80%. At well level similar behavior has been a noticed, high initial oil rates with subsequent strong decline once water breakthrough occurs. This type of behavior has been observed in most of the wells completed among the different reservoirs conforming the field. Long term production data and modern decline analysis strongly indicated the presence of two systems in the reservoir. Initially it was considered as normal water production behavior. Petrohysical interpretation indicated the presence of five different facies. The production data were imported directly into the simulation model and then with some adjustments a reasonable match was achieved. This resulted in highly optimistic forecasts, never reproduced by the new wells. This paper presents a complete explanation to the production behavior observed in the field, which proved to be correct with the subsequent acquisition of field data. Indicating the reservoir shows a behavior similar to a dual porosity dual permeability one, with two systems dominating the production behavior in the wells. This paper shows how key is to have a strong understanding of reservoir dynamics before start using 3D reservoir simulation models, and specially in this case, how the use of simple and modern analytical techniques, like for instance Chan plots, transient tests, conventional and modern decline analysis among others, can provide the reservoir engineer with a enough background to confidently take the next step. Also included in this paper how pseudo-steady state calculations provided information regarding the characteristics of the second system, which helped to optimize the original petrophysical interpretation in the static model. This represents a simple approach at the time to consider how detailed a geological model should be to reproduce production behavior. This work had a direct impact on completion strategies and future IOR projects to be evaluated through the use of reservoir simulation, and it clearly represents a new way of thinking by integrating and making sense of different analytical tecniques at the time to build new models (static and dynamic). The same production behavior has been observed in other fields in the same area, which can be explained following the methodology here presented. Introduction Usually in mature fields there is available a considerable amount of information regarding production, pressures, fluid samples, transient tests, which sometimes is not properly analysed simply because there is no time or not even easy to find. Since reservoir simulation is around, reservoir engineers sometimes directly jump into it, to understand the dynamics in the reservoir and generate predictions. For this, and in previous studies the objective of following the methodology here presented, before engaging the use of reservoir simulation, is to try to understand or paint the picture of what is really going on at subsurface level. If this is achieved, the reservoir engineer will be always ahead of the simulation model and not the other way around, which is really the key.