Field Development Projects-2013

The oil industry is moving every day to new frontiers to find and produce oil. The development of new fields is bringing different challenges. Several of these new frontier projects require the use of new technologies, thus further challenging project teams.

The oil industry is moving every day to new frontiers to find and produce oil. The development of new fields is bringing different challenges. Several of these new frontier projects require the use of new technologies, thus further challenging project teams. Examples of such new frontiers are the Lower Tertiary in ultradeepwater Gulf of Mexico, the presalt in Brazil, and unconventional reservoirs.

Drilling and completion are important activities in any field development and are also the most expensive, representing the biggest portion of the capital expenditures. Reducing the cost of wells, especially in ultradeep water, can make a big difference in the economics of a project.

The number and placement of wells and the well trajectory and design are key factors for the success of a project and also require a significant investment in studies for knowledge and understanding of the reservoir, to make the correct selection for the wells to be drilled.

One important aspect to be considered for well design is the appropriate technology to use to maximize recovery from the reservoir and reduce drilling costs.

The papers featured this month are good examples of well design and use of new technology. Please enjoy your reading.

This Month's Technical Papers

Drilling and Completing Cascade and Chinook Wells: A Case History

Optimized Shale-Resource Development: Well Placement and Hydraulic-Fracture Stages

Developing Flank Areas in a Giant Carbonate Field With Horizontal-Well Placement

Recommended Additional Reading

SPE 158860 Subsurface Appraisal and Field-Development Planning of the Gas/Condensate Field GVLA, Angola by S. Balasubramanian, Chevron, et al.

SPE/IADC 163443 First-Oil Requirements Drive Simultaneous Drilling and Subsea Construction Operations on UK Central North Sea Development by R.M. Allan, E.ON E&P UK, et al.

SPE 161507 Full-Field Development Plan Optimization Integrating Subsurface Reservoir Uncertainties for Greenfield Offshore Abu Dhabi by Mohamed S. Afia, ADMA-OPCO, et al.

IPTC 16391 China’s Marine Qiongzhusi Shale Play, First Deep Asia Pacific Region Horizontal Multiple-Stage Fracturing: Case History, Operation, and Execution by Zonggang Lv, PetroChina, et al.

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Mauricio Pestana Rebelo, SPE, is the technical services manager for Petrobras America for the Gulf of Mexico. His 26-year career at Petrobras spans engineering and management positions in drilling and completion activities and includes participation in projects in South America, Africa, the Middle East, and the Gulf of Mexico. Rebelo holds an electrical-engineering degree from Universidade Gama Filho, Rio de Janeiro, and he serves on the JPT Editorial Committee.