SPE Production & Operations
Volume 24, Number 4, November 2009, 579-589

SPE-115849-PA

Pushing the Limit: High-Rate-Artificial-Lift Evaluation for a Sour, Heavy-Oil, Thermal EOR Project in Oman

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DOI  More information 10.2118/115849-PA http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/115849-PA

Citation

  • Lanier, G.H. and Mahoney, M. 2009. Pushing the Limit: High-Rate-Artificial-Lift Evaluation for a Sour, Heavy-Oil, Thermal EOR Project in Oman. SPE Prod & Oper  24 (4): 579-589. SPE-115849-PA. doi: 10.2118/115849-PA.

Discipline Categories

  • 5 Production and Operations
  • 5.2 Artificial Lift Systems
  • 5.2.1 Beam and Related Pumping Techniques
  • 6.4 Primary and Enhanced Recovery Processes
  • 6.4.5 Thermal Methods (e.g.,Steamflood, Cyclic Steam, THAI, Combustion)

Summary

Petroleum Development Oman LLC (PDO) currently operates a sour, heavy-oil (14°API) field, which has produced since 1976 from a naturally fractured carbonate reservoir located in the northern region of the Sultanate of Oman. Further field-development options have been evaluated recently, and the preferred concept will be based on thermal-assisted gas/oil gravity drainage (TAGOGD). To achieve this enhanced-oil-recovery (EOR) mechanism, steam will be injected into the reservoir and will eventually increase produced-fluid temperatures higher than 200°C during the projected life of the project.

A key objective for the project will involve significantly increasing the field’s ultimate recovery using high-rate oil producers capable of initially delivering a gross rate per well greater than 1000 m3/d. To achieve these well offtake rates and field ultimate-recovery objectives, highly deviated and near-horizontal well trajectories will be implemented for the planned oil producers. This paper will provide a brief background of the TAGOGD recovery mechanism, anticipated reservoir conditions, and particular challenges, including a summary of the evaluation of various artificial-lift technologies and the preferred method to help enable this thermal EOR project achieve the desired objectives.

© 2009. Society of Petroleum Engineers

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History

  • Original manuscript received: 7 July 2008
  • Meeting paper published: 21 September 2008
  • Revised manuscript received: 6 December 2008
  • Manuscript approved: 20 December 2008
  • Published online: 17 September 2009
  • Version of record: 25 November 2009