DOCSLIB.ORG

Hydrocarbon Exploration & Production

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Hydrocarbon Exploration & Production VOLUME FIFTY FIVE DEVELOPMENTS IN PETROLEUM SCIENCE HYDROCARBON EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION 2ND EDITION DEVELOPMENTS IN PETROLEUM SCIENCE 55 Volumes 1-7, 9-18, 19b, 20-29, 31, 34, 35, 37-39 are out of print. 8 Fundamentals of Reservoir Engineering 19a Surface Operations in Petroleum Production, I 30 Carbonate Reservoir Characterization: A Geologic-Engineering Analysis, Part I 32 Fluid Mechanics for Petroleum Engineers 33 Petroleum Related Rock Mechanics 36 The Practice of Reservoir Engineering (Revised Edition) 40a Asphaltenes and Asphalts, I 40b Asphaltenes and Asphalts, II 41 Subsidence due to Fluid Withdrawal 42 Casing Design – Theory and Practice 43 Tracers in the Oil Field 44 Carbonate Reservoir Characterization: A Geologic-Engineering Analysis, Part II 45 Thermal Modeling of Petroleum Generation: Theory and Applications 46 Hydrocarbon Exploration and Production 47 PVT and Phase Behaviour of Petroleum Reservoir Fluids 48 Applied Geothermics for Petroleum Engineers 49 Integrated Flow Modeling 50 Origin and Prediction of Abnormal Formation Pressures 51 Soft Computing and Intelligent Data Analysis in Oil Exploration 52 Geology and Geochemistry of Oil and Gas 53 Petroleum Related Rock Mechanics 55 Hydrocarbon Exploration and Production VOLUME FIFTY FIVE DEVELOPMENTS IN PETROLEUM SCIENCE HYDROCARBON EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION 2ND EDITION By Frank Jahn, Mark Cook and Mark Graham TRACS International Consultancy Ltd. Aberdeen, UK Amsterdam Boston Heidelberg London New York Oxford Paris San Diego San Francisco Singapore Sydney Tokyo Elsevier Radarweg 29, PO Box 211, 1000 AE Amsterdam, The Netherlands Linacre House, Jordan Hill, Oxford OX2 8DP, UK First edition 1998 Second edition 2008 Copyright r 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of the publisher Permissions may be sought directly from Elsevier’s Science & Technology Rights Department in Oxford, UK: phone (+44) (0) 1865 843830; fax (+44) (0) 1865 853333; email: [email protected]. Alternatively you can submit your request online by visiting the Elsevier web site at http://www.elsevier.com/locate/permissions, and selecting Obtaining permission to use Elsevier material Notice No responsibility is assumed by the publisher for any injury and/or damage to persons or property as a matter of products liability, negligence or otherwise, or from any use or operation of any methods, products, instructions or ideas contained in the material herein. Because of rapid advances in the medical sciences, in particular, independent verification of diagnoses and drug dosages should be made Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data A catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library ISBN: 978-0-444-53236-7 ISSN: 0376-7361 For information on all Elsevier publications visit our website at books.elsevier.com Printed and bound in Germany 080910111210987654321 CONTENTS Principal Authors ix Introduction: About this Book xi 1. The Field Life Cycle 1 1.1. Gaining Access Phase 1 1.2. Exploration Phase 2 1.3. Appraisal Phase 3 1.4. Development Planning 4 1.5. Production Phase 5 1.6. Decommissioning 6 2. Petroleum Agreements and Bidding 9 2.1. The Invitation to Bid 9 2.2. Motivations and Form of Bid 12 2.3. Block Award 13 2.4. Fiscal System 14 2.5. Farm-in and Farm-out 14 2.6. Unitisation and Equity Determination 16 3. Exploration 19 3.1. Hydrocarbon Accumulations 19 3.2. Exploration Methods and Techniques 24 4. Drilling Engineering 47 4.1. Well Planning 47 4.2. Rig Types and Rig Selection 48 4.3. Drilling Systems and Equipment 52 4.4. Site Preparation 60 4.5. Drilling Techniques 62 4.6. Casing and Cementing 72 4.7. Drilling Problems 76 4.8. Costs and Contracts 79 v vi Contents 5. Safety and the Environment 83 5.1. Safety Culture 83 5.2. Safety Management Systems 86 5.3. Environment 88 5.4. Current Environmental Concerns 91 6. Reservoir Description 95 6.1. Reservoir Geology 95 6.2. Reservoir Fluids 108 6.3. Data Gathering 141 6.4. Data Interpretation 152 7. Volumetric Estimation 173 7.1. Deterministic Methods 173 7.2. Expressing Uncertainty 177 8. Field Appraisal 191 8.1. The Role of Appraisal in the Field Life Cycle 191 8.2. Identifying and Quantifying Sources of Uncertainty 192 8.3. Appraisal Tools 194 8.4. Expressing Reduction of Uncertainty 195 8.5. Cost-Benefit Calculations for Appraisal 196 8.6. Practical Aspects of Appraisal 199 9. Reservoir Dynamic Behaviour 201 9.1. The Driving Force for Production 201 9.2. Reservoir Drive Mechanisms 203 9.3. Gas Reservoirs 210 9.4. Fluid Displacement in the Reservoir 217 9.5. Reservoir Simulation 222 9.6. Estimating the Recovery Factor 223 9.7. Estimating the Production Profile 224 9.8. Enhanced Oil Recovery 226 10. Well Dynamic Behaviour 229 10.1. Estimating the Number of Development Wells 229 10.2. Fluid Flow Near the Wellbore 231 10.3. Horizontal Wells 234 10.4. Production Testing and Bottom Hole Pressure Testing 237 10.5. Tubing Performance 241 10.6. Well Completions 244 Contents vii 10.7. Completion Technology and Intelligent Wells 249 10.8. Artificial Lift 254 10.9. Subsea vs. Platform Trees 260 11. Surface Facilities 265 11.1. Oil and Gas Processing 266 11.2. Facilities 291 12. Production Operations and Maintenance 311 12.1. Operating and Maintenance Objectives 312 12.2. Production Operations Input to the FDP 312 12.3. Maintenance Engineering Input to the FDP 319 13. Project and Contract Management 325 13.1. Phasing and Organisation 325 13.2. Planning and Control 329 13.3. Cost Estimation and Budgets 332 13.4. Reasons for Contracting 334 13.5. Types of Contract 335 14. Petroleum Economics 337 14.1. Basic Principles of Development Economics 337 14.2. Constructing a Project Cashflow 339 14.3. Calculating a Discounted Cashflow 351 14.4. Economic Indicators 356 14.5. Project Screening and Ranking 357 14.6. Sensitivity Analysis 359 14.7. Incorporating Inflation 360 14.8. Exploration Economics 362 15. Risk Analysis 365 15.1. Risk Definition and Unit of Measure 365 15.2. Summary of Risk Analysis Techniques in Exploration and Appraisal 366 15.3. Risk Analysis for Major Capital Investments in Projects 369 15.4. Managing Commercial Risk 383 16. Managing the Producing Field 385 16.1. Managing the Subsurface 386 16.2. Managing the Surface Facilities 394 16.3. Managing the External Factors 399 16.4. Managing the Internal Factors 401 viii Contents 17. Managing Decline 405 17.1. Infill Drilling 405 17.2. Workover Activity 407 17.3. Enhanced Oil Recovery 410 17.4. Production De-Bottlenecking 412 17.5. Incremental Development 415 18. Decommissioning 419 18.1. Legislation 419 18.2. Economic Lifetime 420 18.3. Decommissioning Funding 421 18.4. Decommissioning Methods 422 References and Bibliography 427 Terms and Abbreviations 429 Subject Index 433 PRINCIPAL AUTHORS Frank Jahn has worked as a Petroleum Geologist in Brunei, Thailand, the Netherlands, the UK and Australia. After 11 years with a multinational oil company he co-founded TRACS International in 1992. He has designed and teaches multidisciplinary training courses related to oil and gas field exploration and development worldwide, particularly graduate development programmes. He is now based in Perth, Australia where he works as a petroleum consultant. Mark Cook joined the oil industry in 1981 as a reservoir engineer, and worked for 11 years in a multinational oil company in the Netherlands, Oman, Tanzania and the UK. In 1992 he co-founded TRACS International, where he is currently CEO, based in Scotland. His specific technical interests lie in petroleum engineering, risk analysis and economics, and he remains involved in training course development and delivery. Mark Graham has 29 years of oil industry experience, working initially as a wireline logging engineer with Schlumberger in the Middle East, followed by more than 10 years with a multinational oil company in both operations and petroleum engineering positions in the Far East and North Sea. He co-founded TRACS International, where he is a Director, currently responsible for general business development in addition to working as a petroleum engineer, economist and project manager. We thank Fiona Swapp for support in the graphics and publishing of this book, and for technical updates provided by TRACS International team members, particularly Liz Chellingsworth, Bjorn Smidt-Olsen, Jonathan Bellarby and Jenny Garnham. TRACS International Training Ltd., and TRACS International Consultancy Ltd., can be contacted through:- Tel: +44 (0)1224 321213 Fax: +44 (0)1224 321214 email: [email protected] website: http://www.tracs.com Address: Falcon House, Union Grove Lane, Aberdeen, AB10 6XU, United Kingdom ix This page intentionally left blank INTRODUCTION:ABOUT THIS BOOK ‘Hydrocarbon Exploration and Production’ takes the reader through all the major stages in the life of an oil or gas field, from gaining access to opportunity, through exploration, appraisal, development planning, production and finally to decommissioning. It straightforwardly explains the fiscal and commercial environment in which oil and gas field development takes place. This comprehensive and current introduction to the upstream industry, is useful to industry professionals who wish to be better informed about the basic technical and commercial methods, concepts and techniques used. It is also intended for readers who provide support services to the upstream industry. It draws together the many inter-disciplinary links within the industry in a clear and concise manner, while pointing out the commercial reason for the activities involved in the business – each chapter is introduced by pointing out the commercial application of the subject.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Hydrocarbon Exploration Activities in South Africa
    Hydrocarbon Exploration Activities in South Africa Anthea Davids [email protected] AAPG APRIL 2014 Petroleum Agency SA - oil and gas exploration and production regulator 1. Update on latest exploration activity 2. Some highlights and important upcoming events 3. Comments on shale gas Exploration map 3 years ago Exploration map 1 year ago Exploration map at APPEX 2014 Exploration map at AAPG ICE 2014 Offshore exploration SunguSungu 7 Production Rights 12 Exploration Rights 16 Technical Cooperation Permits Cairn India (60%) PetroSA (40%) West Coast Sungu Sungu Sunbird (76%) Anadarko (65%) PetroSA (24%) PetroSA (35%) Thombo (75%) Shallow-water Afren (25%) • Cairn India, PetroSA, Thombo, Afren, Sasol PetroSA (50%) • Sunbird - Production Shell International Sasol (50%) right around Ibhubesi Mid-Basin – BHP Billiton (90%) • Sungu Sungu Global (10%) Deep water – • Shell • BHP Billiton • OK Energy Southern basin • Anadarko and PetroSA • Silwerwave Energy PetroSA (20%) • New Age Anadarko (80%) • Rhino Oil • Imaforce Silver Wave Energy Greater Outeniqia Basin - comprising the Bredasdorp, Pletmos, Gamtoos, Algoa and Southern Outeniqua sub-basins South Coast PetroSA, ExonMobil with Impact, Bayfield, NewAge and Rift Petroleum in shallower waters. Total, CNR and Silverwave in deep water Bayfield PetroSA Energy New Age(50%) Rift(50%0 Total CNR (50%) Impact Africa Total (50%) South Coast Partnership Opportunities ExxonMobil (75%) East Impact Africa (25%) Coast Silver Wave Sasol ExxonMobil (75%) ExxonMobil Impact Africa (25%) Rights and major
    [Show full text]
  • Deep River and Dan River Triassic Basins: Shale Inorganic Geochemistry for Geosteering and Environmental Baseline Hydraulic Fracturing
    Deep River and Dan River Triassic basins: Shale inorganic geochemistry for geosteering and environmental baseline hydraulic fracturing By Jeffrey C. Reid North Carolina Geological Survey Open-File Report 2019-01 February 20, 2019 Suggested citation: Reid, Jeffrey C., 2019, Deep River and Dan River Triassic basins, North Carolina: Shale inorganic geochemistry for geosteering and environmental baseline hydraulic fracturing, North Carolina Geological Survey, Open File Report 2019-01, 10 pages, 4 appendices. Contents Page Contents ……………………………………………………………………………………. 1 Abstract …………………………………………………………………………………….. 2 Introduction and objectives ……………………………………………………………….. 3 Methodology and analytical techniques …………………………………………………… 4 Deep River basin (Sanford sub-basin) ……...……………………………………… 4 Dan River basin ……………………………………………………………………. 4 Summary and conclusions …………………………………………………………………. 5 References cited ……………………………………………………………………………. 6 Acknowledgement …………………………………………………………………………. 8 Figure Figure 1. Map showing the locations of the Sanford sub-basin, Deep River basin, and the Dan River basin, North Carolina (after Reid and Milici, 2008). Table Table 1. List of analytical method abbreviations used. Appendices Appendix 1. Deep River basin, Sanford sub-basin, inorganic chemistry – Certificate of analysis and data table. Appendix 2. Deep River basin inorganic chemistry – Inorganic chemistry plots by drill hole. Appendix 3. Dan River basin inorganic chemistry – Certificate of analysis and data table. Appendix 4. Dan River basin inorganic chemistry
    [Show full text]
  • Seismic Reflection Methods in Offshore Groundwater Research
    geosciences Review Seismic Reflection Methods in Offshore Groundwater Research Claudia Bertoni 1,*, Johanna Lofi 2, Aaron Micallef 3,4 and Henning Moe 5 1 Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3AN, UK 2 Université de Montpellier, CNRS, Université des Antilles, Place E. Bataillon, 34095 Montpellier, France; johanna.lofi@gm.univ-montp2.fr 3 Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research, GEOMAR, 24148 Kiel, Germany; [email protected] 4 Marine Geology & Seafloor Surveying, Department of Geosciences, University of Malta, MSD 2080 Msida, Malta 5 CDM Smith Ireland Ltd., D02 WK10 Dublin, Ireland; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected] Received: 8 April 2020; Accepted: 26 July 2020; Published: 5 August 2020 Abstract: There is growing evidence that passive margin sediments in offshore settings host large volumes of fresh and brackish water of meteoric origin in submarine sub-surface reservoirs. Marine geophysical methods, in particular seismic reflection data, can help characterize offshore hydrogeological systems and yet the existing global database of industrial basin wide surveys remains untapped in this context. In this paper we highlight the importance of these data in groundwater exploration, by reviewing existing studies that apply physical stratigraphy and morpho-structural interpretation techniques to provide important information on—reservoir (aquifer) properties and architecture, permeability barriers, paleo-continental environments, sea-level changes and shift of coastal facies through time and conduits for water flow. We then evaluate the scientific and applied relevance of such methodology within a holistic workflow for offshore groundwater research. Keywords: submarine groundwater; continental margins; offshore water resources; seismic reflection 1.
    [Show full text]
  • 18 December 2020 Reliance and Bp Announce First Gas from Asia's
    18 December 2020 Reliance and bp announce first gas from Asia’s deepest project • Commissioned India's first ultra-deepwater gas project • First in trio of projects that is expected to meet ~15% of India’s gas demand and account for ~25% of domestic production Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) and bp today announced the start of production from the R Cluster, ultra-deep-water gas field in block KG D6 off the east coast of India. RIL and bp are developing three deepwater gas projects in block KG D6 – R Cluster, Satellites Cluster and MJ – which together are expected to meet ~15% of India’s gas demand by 2023. These projects will utilise the existing hub infrastructure in KG D6 block. RIL is the operator of KG D6 with a 66.67% participating interest and bp holds a 33.33% participating interest. R Cluster is the first of the three projects to come onstream. The field is located about 60 kilometers from the existing KG D6 Control & Riser Platform (CRP) off the Kakinada coast and comprises a subsea production system tied back to CRP via a subsea pipeline. Located at a water depth of greater than 2000 meters, it is the deepest offshore gas field in Asia. The field is expected to reach plateau gas production of about 12.9 million standard cubic meters per day (mmscmd) in 2021. Mukesh Ambani, chairman and managing director of Reliance Industries Limited added: “We are proud of our partnership with bp that combines our expertise in commissioning gas projects expeditiously, under some of the most challenging geographical and weather conditions.
    [Show full text]
  • The Context of Public Acceptance of Hydraulic Fracturing: Is Louisiana
    Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Master's Theses Graduate School 2012 The context of public acceptance of hydraulic fracturing: is Louisiana unique? Crawford White Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_theses Part of the Environmental Sciences Commons Recommended Citation White, Crawford, "The onc text of public acceptance of hydraulic fracturing: is Louisiana unique?" (2012). LSU Master's Theses. 3956. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_theses/3956 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Master's Theses by an authorized graduate school editor of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THE CONTEXT OF PUBLIC ACCEPTANCE OF HYDRAULIC FRACTURING: IS LOUISIANA UNIQUE? A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in The Department of Environmental Sciences by Crawford White B.S. Georgia Southern University, 2010 August 2012 Dedication This thesis is dedicated to the memory of three of the most important people in my life, all of whom passed on during my time here. Arthur Earl White 4.05.1919 – 5.28.2011 Berniece Baker White 4.19.1920 – 4.23.2011 and Richard Edward McClary 4.29.1982 – 9.13.2010 ii Acknowledgements I would like to thank my committee first of all: Dr. Margaret Reams, my advisor, for her unending and enthusiastic support for this project; Professor Mike Wascom, for his wit and legal expertise in hunting down various laws and regulations; and Maud Walsh for the perspective and clarity she brought this project.
    [Show full text]
  • Advancing Understanding of Resource Recovery and Environmental Impacts Via Field Laboratories
    Advancing Understanding of Resource Recovery and Environmental Impacts via Field Laboratories Jared Ciferno – Oil and Gas Technology Manager, NETL Upstream Workshop Houston, TX February 14, 2018 The National Laboratory System Idaho National Lab National Energy Technology Laboratory Pacific Northwest Ames Lab Argonne National Lab National Lab Fermilab Brookhaven National Lab Berkeley Lab Princeton Plasma Physics Lab SLAC National Accelerator Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Lawrence Livermore National Lab Oak Ridge National Lab Sandia National Lab Savannah River National Lab Office of Science National Nuclear Security Administration Environmental Management Fossil Energy Nuclear Energy National Renewable Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy Los Alamos Energy Lab National Lab 2 Why Field Laboratories? • Demonstrate and test new technologies in the field in a scientifically objective manner • Gather and publish comprehensive, integrated well site data sets that can be shared by researchers across technology categories (drilling and completion, production, environmental) and stakeholder groups (producers, service companies, academia, regulators) • Catalyze industry/academic research collaboration and facilitate data sharing for mutual benefit 3 Past DOE Field Laboratories Piceance Basin • Multi-well Experiment (MWX) and M-Site project sites in the Piceance Basin where tight gas sand research was done by DOE and GRI in the 1980s • Data and analysis provided an extraordinary view of reservoir complexities and “… played a significant role
    [Show full text]
  • Geophysics Were Associated with Salt-Domes, and Were Detected Through Gravity Surveys with Torsion Balances and Pendulums (Geophysics 224, Section B)
    C2.9 Hydrocarbon exploration with seismic reflection Seismic processing includes the steps discussed in class: (1) Filtering of raw data (2) Selecting traces for CMP gathers (3) Static corrections (4) Velocity analysis (5) NMO/DMO corrections (6) CMP stacking. (7) Deconvolution and filtering of stacked zero offset traces (8) Migration (depth or time) Question : This sequence is for post-stack depth migration. How will it change for pre- stack depth migration? Processed seismic data can contribute to hydrocarbon exploration in several ways: ●Seismic data can give direct evidence of the presence of hydrocarbons (e.g. bright spots, oil-water contact, amplitude-versus-offset anomalies). ●Potential hydrocarbon traps can be imaged (e.g. reefs, unconformities, structural traps, stratiagraphic traps etc) ●Regional structure can be understood in terms of depositional history and the timing of regression and transgression (seismic stratigraphy, seismic facies analysis). This can sometimes give an understanding of where potential source rocks are located and the relative age of reservoir rocks. 1 C2.9.1 Direct indicators of hydrocarbons 2.9.1.1 Bright spots As shown in C1.3, a gas reservoir can have a P-wave velocity that is significantly lower that the surrounding rocks. This can lead to a high amplitude (negative polarity) reflection from the top of the reservoir. ● However, not all bright spots are hydrocarbons. They can be caused by sills of igneous rocks or other lithological contrasts. In areas of active tectonics, ponded partial melt can produce a bright spot (e.g. Southern Tibet). ● It should also be noted that true amplitudes are not always preserved in seismic data recording and processing.
    [Show full text]
  • 92 Overview of Petroleum Exploration Methods I. Drilling Techniques A
    Overview of Petroleum Exploration Methods I. Drilling Techniques a. Cable Tool Drilling – percussion drilling, natural borehole fracturing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6N0x8BnOKE b. Rotary Drilling i. Air Rotary ii. Mud Rotary – rotary bit drilling https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyZtV57eR8g c. Directional Drilling i. vertical drilling ii. horizontal drilling Horizontal drilling is a drilling process in which the well is turned horizontally at depth. It is normally used to extract energy from a source that itself runs horizontally, such as a layer of shale rock. Horizontal drilling is a common was of extracting gas from the Marcellus Shale Formation. II. Borehole Geophysics ("wireline geophysics") Overview of Wireline Operations (2 min) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGh9vRFggF8 What is well logging? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RJY4hCiWC4 a. Physical Logs i. Caliper Logging A caliper log is a well logging tool that provides a continuous measurement of the size and shape of a borehole along its depth[1] and is commonly used in hydrocarbon exploration when drilling wells. The measurements that are recorded can be an important indicator of cave ins or shale swelling in the borehole, which can affect the results of other well logs. ii. Temperature Logging iii. Pressure Logging b. Electric Logs i. SP logging - spontaneous potential The spontaneous potential log, commonly called the self potential log or SP log, is a passive measurement taken by oil industry well loggers to characterise rock formation properties. The log works by measuring small electric potentials (measured in millivolts) between depths in the borehole and a grounded electrode at the surface.
    [Show full text]
  • Approach Optimizes Well Geosteering
    SEPTEMBER 2018 The “Better Business” Publication Serving the Exploration / Drilling / Production Industry Approach Optimizes Well Geosteering By Christopher Viens When a change in total gamma is not based 3-D geosteering solution rather and Mark Tomlinson associated with an up or down movement than conventional 2-D geosteering soft- through stratigraphy, it indicates faulting, ware. By integrating multiple well and HOUSTON–Geosteering in horizontal a depositional anomaly, heterogeneity, or seismic surface inputs, this approach wells involves correlating logging data bedding that is not laterally continuous gives the geosteering geologist the infor- to a type log from a nearby offset well to or stratified. Because the fundamental mation to confidently resolve abrupt bed characterize the zone of interest. Corre- basis of geosteering is correlating to dip changes, identify faults, identify areas lating against a type log requires the bed- marker beds that have lateral continuity, of lateral continuity/discontinuity, identify ding thickness and gamma character of in situations where lateral continuity is stratified/unstratified zones and understand the target well to be close to that of the absent, only a low level of interpretation formation-related directional drilling tra- type log, which can be offset by miles in confidence can be achieved using tradi- jectory phenomena, etc. some cases. If not, the resulting geosteering tional correlation methods. interpretation will have unreasonable bed To maximize the benefits of azimuthal Laterally Continuous Bedding dips that do not accurately reflect the gamma imaging, a protocol has been de- In areas with laterally continuous target lithology being drilled, leaving the veloped to identify and handle challenging strata, the gamma character in the type geosteering geologist running multiple geosteering situations using a model- well typically will be present at the simultaneous interpretations in the hope that one will start to make sense as new data come in during drilling.
    [Show full text]
  • Value Creation with Multi-Criteria Decision Making in Geosteering Operations
    International Journal of Petroleum Technology, 2016, 3, 15-31 15 Value Creation with Multi-Criteria Decision Making in Geosteering Operations K. Kullawan1,*, R. B. Bratvold1 and J. E. Bickel2 1University of Stavanger, Department of Petroleum Engineering, 4036 Stavanger Norway 2Graduate Program in Operations Research, 1 University Station, C2200, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, 78712-0292, USA Abstract: Due to escalated drilling costs, the petroleum industry has been attempting to access the largest possible hydrocarbon resources with the lowest achievable costs. Multiple well objectives are set prior to the start of drilling. Then, a geosteering approach is implemented to help operators achieve these objectives. A comprehensive literature survey has been performed on geosteering case histories, including many cases with multiple objectives. We found that the listed objectives are often conflicting and expressed in different measures. Furthermore, none of the cases from the reviewed literature has discussed a systematic approach for dealing with multiple objectives in geosteering contexts. Without implementing a well-structured approach, decision makers are likely to make judgments about the relative importance of each objective based on previous experiences or on approximate methods. Research shows that such decision-making approaches are unlikely to identify optimal courses of action. In this paper, we propose a systematic method for making multi-criteria decisions in geosteering context. The method is constructed such that it is applicable for real-time operations. Results show that different decision criteria can have significant impact on well success as measured by its trajectory, future production, cost, and operational efficiency. Keywords: Geosteering, real-time well placement, geosteering decision, multi-objective decision, decision making.
    [Show full text]
  • Hydrocarbon Exploration and Production
    Environ & m m en u ta le l o B r t i o e t P e f c h Adebayo and Tawabini, J Pet Environ Biotechnol 2012, 3:3 o Journal of Petroleum & n l a o l n o r DOI: 10.4172/2157-7463.1000122 g u y o J ISSN: 2157-7463 Environmental Biotechnology Review Article Open Access Hydrocarbon Exploration and Production- a Balance between Benefits to the Society and Impact on the Environment Abdulrauf Rasheed Adebayo1* and Bassam Tawabini2 1Petroleum Engineering Department, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia 2Earth Science Department, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia Abstract There is an increasing concern for alternate source of fuel due largely to the environmental impacts of hydrocarbon exploration, production and usage. Global warming and marine pollution is the top on the list. However, the efforts and achievements of the industry over the years towards safer operations and greener environment seem to be ignored or unacknowledged. In this paper, effort is made to review the environmental effects of oil exploration and production and the role and achievements of the oil industry in mitigating these impacts. It is argued here that the dependence of man and society on hydrocarbon goes beyond just burning hydrocarbon for fuel but also cuts across hydrocarbon usage in various aspects of our social, technological and medical lives. Finally, we emphasized that the need for a balance between exploration and production of hydrocarbon and environmental integrity will be a reality only if parties involve step up synergy towards a safer operation.
    [Show full text]
  • Ryder Scott Professional Staff Reaches 72 in 2006
    A quarterly publication of Ryder Scott Petroleum Consultants December 2006–February 2007/Vol. 9, No. 4 Ryder Scott professional staff reaches 72 in 2006 Ryder Scott has grown to meet an increasing for the Rocky Mountain Region Reservoir Engineering demand for consulting services, recently hiring 11 group at Questar Exploration & Production Co. during professionals for a total of 72 staff petroleum engi- 1999 to 2006. He was chief engineer at Celsius neers and geoscientists. They and additional techni- Energy Co. from 1986 to 1999 where he prepared cal-support personnel will enable the firm to put quarterly and annual reserves reports. He also together project-specific, multidisciplinary evaluation worked at Wexpro Co., Mountain Fuel Supply Co., teams for more assignments and clients worldwide. Northern Natural Gas Co. and Gulf Oil Corp. where “Our new employees have diverse work back- he began his career in 1970 as a production engineer. grounds and cultures. They come from majors, Baird has a BS degree in petroleum engineering from independents, national oil companies and consulting the University of Missouri at Rolla. firms and from different countries,” said Don Roesle, Elizabeth A. DeStephens joined CEO. “Diversity is a strength in our work environ- Ryder Scott as a petroleum engi- ment. Our integrated studies are a product of collabo- neer. Before that, she was a se- rative, multidisciplinary team efforts. Diversified nior business analyst and corro- teams generally outperform homogenous teams in sion engineer for three years at problem-solving tasks.” Exxon Mobil Corp. Jim Baird, petroleum engi- She determined market value neer, joined the Ryder Scott for divestments of fields and fa- Denver office recently.
    [Show full text]