Technical Agenda

Sunday, 22 January 2012

0915–1215

Session 1: HSE

Session Chairs: John Williams, The Petroleum Institute; Vincent Flores, VAM Drilling

Discussion Leaders:

• Tipu Zafar, Al Hosn Gas
• Louis Susanna, Wintershall
• Zara Khatib, The Petroleum Institute

This session will discuss and share HSE lessons learnt, best practices, new techniques, successful procedures, and methods implemented in the Middle East region and all over the world.
H2S is hazardous to human health, living organisms and more generally to the environment. Therefore, health, safety, and environment is a major concern when developing sour gas fields. With the recent increase in sour gas projects, the industry now faces greater challenges to ensure HSE controls and to implement appropriate procedures. Sour gas projects are unusual business, where everybody should feel responsible for HSE. To reach this objective, all parties shall be involved: operators, drilling contractors, service companies, and tubular suppliers.

Topics

• HSE Impact Assessment
• HSE Culture
• HSE Implications of Sour Gas Re-Injection

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1345–1645

Session 2: Strategies for Sustainability

Session Chairs: Juan Carlos Bonilla, Schlumberger; Gary Walker, Tengizchevroil

Discussion Leaders:

• Matthijs de Oude, Shell
• Paolo Maggi, Chevron
• Richard Singleton, Al Hosn Gas

This session will explore current best practices for addressing economic challenges of sour gas production, while also discussing how they may change in the future. Regulatory requirements and new technology developments will also be explored.

One of the key challenges to sour gas production is proving the long term business case. Ensuring the economic feasibility of opportunities requires detailing solutions to address the numerous safety and environmental issues relating to the presence of dangerous impurities. From production to delivery, the significant costs of dealing with high concentrations of H2S, CO2, and sulphur must be examined in addition to exploring the possibilities of deriving economic value from their disposal.

Topics

• By Products of Highly Sour Gas Production (H2S/Sulphur and CO2)
• Equipment, Materials, Logistics and Their Impact on Project Schedule and Cost
• Implementation of New Technology Over Field Life

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Monday, 23 January 2012

0850–1150

Session 3: Technical Challenges–Optimising Wellbore Integrity

Session Chairs: Andreas Rosener, Wintershall; Thomas Finkbeiner, Baker Hughes

Discussion Leaders:

• Sean Quinn, Al Hosn Gas
• John Lavelle, Wintershall
• Satya Perumalla, Baker Hughes

This session will concentrate on the best practices for well planning, material selection, drill string design, well control, and the long term integrity of sour wells. In addition, this session will address technology gaps that are currently present in the industry for sour gas drilling, what equipment and procedures can be implemented to mitigate the risks down to an acceptable level, and where future technology developments should focus on. Drilling and producing sour gas generates unique challenges to engineers during the entire life of the well. The industry trend of drilling for deeper and sourer targets produces additional risks and challenges. Standard equipment and procedures are no longer applicable and fit-for-purpose solutions are required for each well and each field development.

Topics

• Criteria for Corrosion Resistant Alloys (CRA) and Tubular Material Selection
• Critical Importance of Well Design and Well Control
• Impact of Geomechanical Processes on Well Life

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1330–1630

Session 4: Reservoir Characterisation and Management

Session Chairs: Aggelos Calogirou, Wintershall; Richard Singleton, Al Hosn Gas

Discussion Leaders:

• TBC
• David Lawrence, Al Hosn Gas
• TBC

This session will discuss best practices, experience gathered with sour gas reservoirs within the industry, ideas on how to tackle specific challenges, and identify new technology needs.
Reservoir characterisation and management in sour gas fields poses some additional challenges that go beyond conventional fields. Unique aspects of reservoir characterisation in sour gas fields are: the exact reservoir fluid characterisation, strong vertical and areal H2S concentration trends, presence of mercaptans and elemental sulphur production. Reservoir management has to address specific topics: the treatment (e.g. clauss process) or re-injection of H2S, meeting condensate and sales gas specifications, well monitoring, well operations such as logging, coring, testing, stimulation, and intervention.

Topics

• Maximizing Smart Well Technology to Minimize Future Well Intervention
• Understanding Sour Gas Source, Migration and Reservoir Distribution
• Feasibility of Sour Gas Re-Injection into the Producing or Shallower Reservoirs

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