MARLIM FIELD DEVELOPMENT

OVERVIEW

OTC 10716
ABSTRACT

PETROBRAS has faced many challenges since the discovery of Marlim Field, such as:
o the field extension, amount of resources required, development planning and execution and working
on the edge of technological knowledge.

The article covers:

o Historical track addressing geographical and reservoir aspects
o Modular development approach
o Capital expenditure allocation and present status
o Provide overview of technological problems faced during the field development
INTRODUCTION

o Marlim Field is part of the Oiligocene Carapebus formation

o The field development plan was based on many ‘modules’ whose developments had been scheduled in
different periods to make feasible the huge investments and resources needed

o It also improved the overall performance of the field development once each modules orientated the
next ones
 THE DISCOVERY TIME

o Expectations around the future Marlim Field were high but several obstacles had to be overcome.
o This is due to it being mid 1984 and drilling in deep waters is challenging at that point of time. Moreover, the
technological obstacles were enormous
o Oil strike in 1-RJS-219-A in February 1985 and the formation and production tests carried out were successful
o The netpay found was about 75meters with permeability as high as to 2 Darcies
o The drawbacks were the unconsolidated sandstone, high gravity oil (17-21 API) and the expectation of
Asphalthene and Paraffin deposits in the reservoir and flowlines
o At that time of discovery, Marlim reservoir had an oil-in-place volume of about 9 billion barrels and an expected
1.7 billion barrels of oil in total reserves
o The benefits were greater than the drawbacks therefore, the company decided to go on
 THE RESERVOIR

3-D Seismic Survey

Systematic use of 3-D Seismic Survey was  Reservoir mapping
implemented, which brought success to  Substantially reducing exploratory cost
the Campos Basin.  Reducing project risks
Formed by amalgamation of distal lobes – Oligo-Miocene
turbidite system Reservoir Facies Characteristics
 Medium sorted
Thick and laterally continuous sandstone bodies – excellent
 Unstratified
porosity (avg = 30%) and permeability (mean = 2000 mD)
RESERVOIR  Medium – fine grained sandstone
Reservoir Heterogeneity – improved reservoir swept

OWC : 2739 – 2754 m

Energy Replenishing Strategy – Water Injection

Discovery – Oil in Place : 9 billion bbls of oil

Total expected reserves : 1.7 billion bbls of oil

 THE PILOT SYSTEMS

• Initial consideration – Semisubmersible unit : 10 subsea production wells & export through two monobouys to shuttle tankers.
• Support provided : The PROCAP – focused on all technologies required for the installation of the first Floating Production Unit
• Drawbacks
• Lack of deep water environment experiences – challenge to Petrobras and respective suppliers
• Delay in adaptation of semisubmersible – impacted the filed data gathering program and the overall schedule for
development and technology preparation for subsequent fields.
• Solution – Implement less complex system = Pre-Pilot System, with 2 production wells which using the same offloading system of
the initially planned Pilot System.
• March 1991 – First oil produced through Floating Production Unit (FPU)
• Due to the enhancement in information gathered, the Pilot System replaced the Pre-Pilot System.
mooring facilities and procedures, oil flow
behaviour, flexible line and rigid lines installation, subsea and
offloading equipment performance
 THE PILOT SYSTEMS

• Pilot System > Pre- Pilot System – allowed development to be optimized, generate cash flow – which allowed increase in
probability for definitive development plan investments
• Oil process capacity of Pilot System – 52 000 bopd, exportation capacity of 800000 Nm3/d of associated gas to shore
• Water injection was considered not feasible due to the permeability of the zone. Eventually, gas lift was chosen as an artificial lift.
• Final Pilot System – 8 FPU and 147 wells, with the extensive use of horizontal wells – reducing the number of wells and
improving production performance.
FIRST DEVELOPMENT PHASE

GVA-4500 Drilling FPU, FPSO and Pilot Second Module (2.5

Rig (1986) System billion bbl)

Suggestions- TLP &

Conversion of Five Spot Drilling &
Converted
drilling to Heated Water
Submersibles
production fleet Injection & Infill
Drilling

Post processing units

Monobuoys and
(Trunklines and
FPSO
FPSO)
SECOND DEVELOPMENT PHASE

December 1994, Modules 3, 4 & 5

Increased production (stabilized economy)

VLCC to FPSO

Reduced Injection Wells

Subsea manifolds and turret design

Subsea/Dry Completion

Expansion
 TECHNOLOGY PROBLEMS FACED IN
MARLIM DEVELOPMENT
Required flexible
lines for more
than 400 meters
unavailable
Many adjustments in
simulators used in reservoir
modelling due to temperature
variation (15degC)
Non isothermal
reservoir
Flexible lines for Unconsolidated
deep water sandstone Sand production issues

Interference of mooring lines with Mooring Technology Low reservoir

each other and production lines :
Problems
techniques temperature
High oil gravity –
solution is taut-leg to spread radius
paraffin
3 times water depth
deposition in
production lines
Restrictions for
improving oil Horizontal Wells
recovery
Difficulty of
Operational limitation due drilling non-
conventional
to high cost of deep water wells
recovery
TECHNOLOGY FOR OTHER FIELD
DEVELOPMENTS

o Steel Catenary Riser (SCR) – reduce cost in Roncador Field

o Test of Subsea multiphase pump

 Done to obtain field information and solutions for oil and gas export lines and better information for
investments made
 PROCAP US$70 million dollars over 6 years for technology and knowledge build up in Marlim
PRESENT FIELD SITUATION (1999)

Total Oil Reserves = 2.2 Billion barrels ,

December
1997 Cumulative Production = 160 Million barrels of oil

Since discovery, total reserves increased due to improved recovery factor from 20% to 35% .
End of
1998 - Reservoir info and drainage plan improved recovery factor.

Production rate : 330,000 bopd

May 147 total wells
1999 -95 drilled
-81 completed up to tubing hanger
-55 in operation ( 37 oil production , 18 water injectors )

Production will reach 500,000 barrels of oil per day

By 2002 6 million cubic meters of gas per day
FINANCIAL ASPECTS OF PROJECT

By end of 1997, Petrobras

budget reduction for
investment

YEAR US$ MM
Up to 1997 2,600
Marlim project used to finance
investments 1998 660
1999 770
2000 535
2001 425
2002 85

Consortium Special Purpose

Company invested US$660 million
in 1998 and US$1800 million from
1999-2002
THANK YOU.