Application of ICD Technology for Improvement of Well's Productivity and Extension of the Oil Well's Life in Samaria Field.

Abstract

Abstract Every day new technologies are implemented in mature petroleum fields, in order to obtain better results more than those from conventional systems. It is well known that conventional wells have brought big challenges and benefits, from exploration to explotation in the mid 1990s. Nowadays, designing and constructing horizontal wells is part of PEMEX's Production Strategy, in addition to deploying new technologies that solve the new challenges of mature fields, such as PEMEX Samaria Oil Field. In naturally fractured reservoirs and heterogeneous formations, the variable distribution of permeability through the well, results in a variation in the inflow of fluids along the wellbore. The geometry of wells is susceptible to generate channeling of undesirable fluids (water and gas) towards the heel of the well region due to pressure drop friction effect generated along of the horizontal section, which results in an increase in the pressure drop on the heel causing an uneven flow. A horizontal completion can maximize the contact area with the reservoir through the extension of the well length, with the objective of decreasing the required drawdown to produce the same rate all along the lateral that would favor the recovery factor of the reservoir. Some operators have been using the Inflow Control Devices technology (ICD) for the last ten years in order to balance the fluid inflow along the horizontal section of the well, counteracting the effects of water, gas coning and the annular flow, to increase the productivity of the well. This paper describes the first successful ICD application for a well in the Samaria Field in Tabasco, Mexico. The best practices applied and technical experiences learned support the well performance and the increase in the recovery factor of the reservoir. Historically, after the ICD application since March, 2011, production has been maintained without subjecting the well to workover or stimulation treatments. Moreover, until this date, the well performance shows 0.7% of water cut and 918 STB/day of oil rate. Summarizing, the ICDs implementation in Samaria oil Field is extending the well life and assuring the well productivity. In addition, due to the excellent initial results, these have created high expectations of many applications of ICD technology in the Samaria Field and in other PEMEX fields. At the present, more than 15 wells are being considered for the implementation of ICD technology. It is believed that using this technology will benefit the asset economic value-added by changing the field development plans.