John D. Rogers, SPE, Vice President of Operations, Fusion Reservoir Engineering Services
Last year in this focus on CO2 applications, I (as others have) connected enhanced
oil recovery (EOR) as an enabling business foundation and a possible way forward
to accomplish carbon capture and storage (CCS) as a business investment.
Shauna Noonan, SPE, Staff Production Engineer, ConocoPhillips
Calling all technology champions! A few years ago, I ran across the seven steps to stagnation,
which was a list originally compiled by Erwin M. Soukup. I got a feeling of déjà
vu reading through this list because I had heard these same words spoken from many
managers and peers over my career. If you search for these seven steps on the Internet,
you will find different variations; however, the message is the same.
Luciane Bonet-Cunha, SPE, Senior Reservoir Engineer, Petrobras America
Enhanced-oil-recovery (EOR) operations are what moves EOR processes from the laboratory to the field. They involve a series of activities, from a detailed planning stage to efficient application, consistent monitoring, and results analysis. When reviewing results from field pilots or full-field applications, it is noticeable that significant technical hurdles such as facilities, drilling and completion, and production-technology developments need to be overcome in order to deploy and run a successful EOR operation. Technology developments in water management, intelligent-well completions, and downhole innovation are key for EOR operations to achieve the expected increases in reserves.
Gerald R. Coulter, SPE, Consulting Petroleum Engineer and President of Coulter Energy International
Well stimulation continues to be a hot topic in our industry, particularly with hydraulic fracturing of shales. Having been in the industry since the Dark Ages, (at least, it seems like it at times), it is interesting to see the technology changes over time and what areas are currently in the spotlight. Certainly, hydraulic fracturing continues to lead the industry interest; however, we do pump a lot of acid, and we have not forgotten its importance. Our acid blends have not changed much since the very early days— the late 1800s—of acidizing. Hydrochloric acid has been the mainstay, with primarily hydrofluoric acid and formic and acetic acids being the complimenting acids. Specialty acids, such as phosphonic, sulfamic, and others, have also been playing a role.
John Hudson, SPE, Senior Production Engineer, Shell
As an industry, we clearly have moved beyond the heady first years of the digital transformation, where the anticipation from many was that within a few years we would have a consolidated software solution spanning the scope of E&P workflows. While the stories told by such a panel naturally focused more on success cases (particularly for large greenfield applications), what emerges is evidence of large-scale benefits when a company invests in repeating successful patterns at its scale of operation—this is found to be true for both operators and service companies. The clearest examples of such success were on the fundamental aspects of data quality, exception-based surveillance, standardization of human workflows, and large-scale applications of focused software solutions, often having required an investment cycle of at least 5 years. Focusing on the scaling of fundamental aspects to broad application provided significant return while managing risk, with the result of sustaining those programs that delivered benefits. If the human workflow failed to rely on any new technology deployment, any gains found in the first year or two following the deployment were not sustained. So, a simple, “fast follower” approach is unlikely to be successful, unless the follower can adapt the leader’s success to their own culture and processes well.
Papers in the following areas are featured:
- Stimulation
- Well Performance
- Scale and Sand Control
For the latest content, visit http://www.spe.org/go/spepo/
Coiled-Tubing Applications
128003 – From Operations to Desktop Analysis to Field Implementation: Well and ESP Optimization for Production Enhancement in the Cliff Head Field
Z.F. Dholkawala, S. Daniel, and B. Billingsley
143313 – Pushing the Boundaries of Concentric-Coiled-Tubing Technology To Resurrect Subhydrostatic Gas Wells on an Unmanned Offshore Installation
Ann Davies, Matthew Dunning, Mike Kuchel, Tony Roberts, and Michael Taggart
143331 – Inversion of Distributed-Temperature-Sensing Logs To Measure Zonal Coverage During and After Wellbore Treatments With Coiled Tubing
P.M.J. Tardy, P. Ramondenc, X. Weng, R. Burgos, F. Baez, and K. Yekta-Ganjeh
Fracturing
145949 –
Hydraulic-Fracture-Height Growth: Real Data
Kevin Fisher and Norm Warpinski
139984 –
Hydraulic Fracture Crossing Natural Fracture at Nonorthogonal Angles: A Criterion and Its Validation
H. Gu, X. Weng, J. Lund, M. Mack, U. Ganguly, and R. Suarez-Rivera
139774 –
Using Real-Time Downhole Microseismic To Evaluate Fracture Geometry for Horizontal Packer-Sleeve Completions in the Bakken Formation, Elm Coulee Field, Montana
Darien G. O’Brien, Robert. T. Larson Jr., Ronald C. Parham, Blane L. Thingelstad, William W. Aud, Richard A. Burns, and Leen Weijers
133234 –
Inflow-Control-Device Design: Revisiting Objectives and Techniques
Ali Daneshy, Boyun Guo, Vitaly Krasnov, and Sergey Zimin
Cam Matthews, SPE, Director–New Technology Ventures, C-FER Technologies
The rapid growth in interest and in development activities related to unconventional oil and gas resources, including heavy oil, is clearly evident throughout the industry. One outcome has been a tremendous increase in the number of SPE papers written this past year on various topics associated with development and recovery optimization of heavy-oil reservoirs.
Francisco J.S. Alhanati, SPE, Director of Exploration & Production, C-FER Technologies
At the 2011 SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition in Denver, there were many interesting discussions on shale-gas (and/or liquid-rich) resources. While already an important part of the industry, we are just beginning to identify some of the challenges with these resources and how best to deal with them.
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