A Polymer Flood Pilot with Autonomous Outflow Control Device Technology and Resilient Cost Management from South Sultanate of Oman

Abstract

Abstract This paper summarizes the integrated technical learnings from the successful implementation of a polymer flood pattern and the benefits of installing Autonomous Outflow Control Device Technology (AOCD) in new long horizontal polymer injector well. It shows the result of extending this technology to unlock a pragmatic full field development, and highlight the associated benefits from a project’s perspective, leading towards huge savings and flexible operating conditions. The polymer flood pattern consists of 3 Horizontal Polymer injectors placed in between and below 4 oil producers. The middle polymer injector was completed with Fiber optic along the well trajectory to monitor injection conformance. AOCD was deployed in the same well as part of the well completion to control and limit the flow of injected fluids into high permeable zones and improve injection conformance. The other two injectors were monitored by running Memory production Logging Tool. Following the clear observations of good conformance in AOCD well and good production gain in oil producing wells, the polymer pilot project with AOCD technology has been concluded as successful. The Polymer flood started with a pattern in a smaller selected part of the field. Multiple surveillance techniques were implemented to ensure continuous monitoring of this. Chemical tracer sampling was done in all injectors. Memory production Logging Tool were run in 2 injectors. The AOCD technology in the middle injector showed good result where multiple Distributed Temperature Sensor surveys confirmed a good conformance and uniform sweeping in both water and polymer phases. Nearby producers showed good oil gain after injection and that supported the good sweep efficiency from implementing the AOCD technology. Also bypass valves were installed as part of this technology to enable stimulation by bullheading instead of using coiled tubing unit (CTU) which is very expensive (saving more than 150k $ per well). The results from this pilot were very positive, with good oil gains of approximately 23 m3/day from 4 oil producers. It had been concluded that the application of the technology is successful and planned to be deployed as a baseline in all future horizontal polymer injector wells drilled for polymer fields. This paper discusses the observation of this pilot and the benefits pending the success of the AOCD Technology. The authors have summarized the results from the polymer Pilot and presented it as a practice worth replication in a similar fields environment, due its many benefits in optimizing field development. AOCD Technology is recommended to be installed in all future polymer injectors in our field. It will be a game changer in all field to reduce the cost of stimulation and PLT, enable good sweep efficiency and support to have a continues monitoring for injectors performance.