At some point in the operational life of an oil eld, natural drive dwindles and additional energy is needed to sustain production rates. In the Casabe eld water- ooding has been used to enhance oil recovery. However, a combination of sensitive lithology, structural complexity and water channeling caused hardware to fail and wells to collapse, disrupting the waterood efciency. New techniques in geologic analysis, waterooding, drilling and production optimization are restoring this once-prolic eld to its former glory. Mauro Amaya Ral Amaya Hctor Castao Eduardo Lozano Carlos Fernando Rueda Ecopetrol SA Bogot, Colombia Jon Elphick Cambridge, England Walter Gambaretto Leonardo Mrquez Diana Paola Olarte Caro Juan Peralta-Vargas Arvalo Jos Velsquez Marn Bogot Oileld Review Spring 2010: 22, no. 1. Copyright 2010 Schlumberger. For help in preparation of this article, thanks to Jos Isabel Herberth Ahumada, Marvin Markley, Jos A. Salas, Hector Roberto Saldao, Sebastian Sierra Martinez and Andreas Suter, Bogot; and Giovanni Landinez, Mexico City. AIT, CMR-Plus, Petrel, PowerPak XP, PressureXpress, TDAS and USI are marks of Schlumberger. Crystal Ball is a mark of Oracle Corp. IDCAP, KLA-GARD and KLA-STOP are marks of M-I SWACO. Old elds have stories to tell. The story of the Casabe eld, 350 km [220 mi] north of Bogot and situated in the middle Magdalena River Valley basin (MMVB) of Colombias Antioquia Department, began with its discovery in 1941. The eld was undersaturated when production began in 1945, and during primary recovery the production mechanisms were natural depletion and a weak aquifer. In the late 1970s, at the end of the natural drive period, the operator had obtained a primary recovery factor of 13%. By this time, however, production had declined signi- cantly to nearly 5,000 bbl/d [800 m 3 /d]. Seeking to reverse this trend, Ecopetrol SA (Empresa Colombiana de Petrleos SA) conducted water- ood tests for several years before establishing two major secondary-recovery programs in the mid to late 1980s. > Casabe oil production and water injection. Waterood pilot projects took place in the late 1970s, but it was not until 1985 that the rst of two major waterood programs began. During the rst three years of each program, high injection rates were possible; however, water soon found ways through the most permeable sands. Early breakthrough and well collapse forced the operator to choke back injection. The steady decline in injection was accompanied by a decline in production, and attempts to reverse this trend were unsuccessful. In 2004, when the Casabe alliance was formed, production rates were 5,200 bbl/d. By early February 2010, these rates had increased to more than 16,000 bbl/d. ORSPR10Michael MoodyFigure 01 0 1 9 7 4 1 9 7 6 1 9 7 8 1 9 8 0 1 9 8 2 1 9 8 4 1 9 8 6 1 9 8 8 1 9 9 0 1 9 9 2 Operational year 1 9 9 4 1 9 9 6 1 9 9 8 2 0 0 0 2 0 0 2 2 0 0 4 2 0 0 6 2 0 0 8 2 0 1 0 5 10 15 20 25 0 25 50 75 100 125 O i l
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f o r m e d Water Oil 1. Peralta-Vargas J, Cortes G, Gambaretto W, Martinez Uribe L, Escobar F, Markley M, Mesa Cardenas A, Suter A, Marquez L, Dederle M and Lozano E: Finding Bypassed Oil in a Mature FieldCasabe Field, Middle Magdalena Valley Basin, Colombia, presented at the ACGGP (Asociacin Colombiana de Gelogos y Geosicos del Petrleo) X Symposio Bolivariano, Cartagena, Colombia, July 2629, 2009. Marquez L, Elphick J, Peralta J, Amaya M, Lozano E: Casabe Mature Field Revitalization Through an Alliance: A Case Study of Multicompany and Multidiscipline Integration, paper SPE 122874, presented at the SPE Latin American and Caribbean Petroleum Engineering Conference, Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, May 31 June 3, 2009. 2. Cordillera is Spanish for range. Colombia has three ranges: Oriental (eastern), Central, and Occidental (western). These are branches of the Andes Mountains that extend along the western half of the country. The MMVB runs WSW-NNE, and the Magdalena River runs northward through it, eventually owing into the Caribbean Sea. 3. Barrero D, Pardo A, Vargas CA and Martnez JF: Colombian Sedimentary Basins: Nomenclature, Boundaries and Petroleum Geology, a New Proposal. Bogot, Colombia: Agencia Nacional de Hidrocarburos (2007): 7881, http://www.anh.gov.co/paraweb/pdf/ publicaciones.pdf (accessed February 5, 2010). 30039schD4R1.indd 1 5/6/10 9:36 PM Spring 2010 5 During the secondary-recovery period, struc- tural complexities, sensitive shales, heteroge- neous sands and viscous oils all conspired to undermine the effectiveness of the waterood. And although initially successful at increasing production, injected water broke through prema- turely at the production wells, an indicator of bypassed oil (previous page). Sand production occurred in a high percentage of wells, contribut- ing to borehole collapse and causing failure of downhole equipment. Water-injection rates were gradually decreased in an attempt to overcome these issues, and waterooding became less effective at enhancing oil recovery; from 1996 onward the production rates declined between 7% and 8% per year. In 2004 Ecopetrol SA and Schlumberger forged an alliance to revitalize the Casabe eld. Using updated methods for managing highly complex reservoirs, the alliance reversed the decline in production: From March 2004 to February 2010, oil production increased from 5,200 to more than 16,000 bbl/d [820 to 2,500 m 3 /d]. 1 Also, the estimated ultimate recovery factor increased from 16% to 22% of the original oil in place (OOIP). This article describes the complexities of the reservoirs within the Casabe concession and the oil recovery methods employed over the last 70 years, concentrating primarily on the major reengineering work using updated methods that began in 2004. A Prolic Yet Complex Region The middle Magdalena River Valley basin is an elongated depression between the Colombian Central and Oriental cordilleras and represents an area of 34,000 km 2 [13,000 mi 2 ]. 2 Oil seeps are common features within the basin; their pres- ence was documented by the rst western explor- ers in the 16th century. These reservoir indicators motivated some of the earliest oil exploration and led to the discovery in 1918 of the giant eld called La CiraInfantas, the rst eld discovered in Colombia. Since that time, the MMVB has been heavily explored. Its current oil and gas reserves include more than 1,900 million bbl [302 million m 3 ] of oil and 2.5 Tcf [71 billion m 3 ] of gas. 3 30039schD4R1.indd 2 5/6/10 9:36 PM 6 Oileld Review The abundance of hydrocarbon resources in the basin attests to the prolic petroleum system active in this region. A thick, organic-rich lime- stone and shale succession was deposited in an extensive pericratonic trough along the north- west margin of the Guyana shield during the Cretaceous Period. 4 These underlying source rocks are separated from the primary reservoirs by an Eocene unconformity. Major uid-migra- tion mechanisms to elds within the MMVB con- sist of direct vertical migration where La Luna Formation subcrops the Eocene unconformity, lateral migration along the Eocene sandstone carrier and vertical migration through faults. The Colorado, Mugrosa and La Paz forma- tions that make up the Casabe eld were depos- ited during the Paleogene Period. These are found at depths of 670 to 1,700 m [2,200 to 5,600 ft]. The reservoir sands in the eld are classied in three main groups: A, B and C, which are subdivided into operational units (above). Sands are typically isolated by imper- meable claystone seals and have grain sizes that vary from silty to sandy to pebbly. Structurally the Casabe eld is an 8-km [5-mi] long anticline with a three-way closure, well-dened eastern ank and a southern plunge. The northern plunge is found outside the area of the Casabe eld in the Galn eld. A high-angle NE-SW strike-slip fault closes the western side of the trap. Associated faults perpendicular to the main fault compartmentalize the eld into eight blocks. Drilling is typically restricted to vertical or deviated wells within each block because of heavy faulting and compartmentalization. Throughout the history of the eld, develop- ment planners have avoided placing wells in the area close to the western fault. This is because reservoir models generated from sparse 2D seis- mic data, acquired rst around 1940 and later in the 1970s and 1980s, failed to adequately identify the exact location of major faults including the 4. Pericratonic is a term used to describe the area around a stable plate of the Earths crust (craton). 5. Although the exact fault locations were not well-dened, by conservatively locating the wells away from the fault zones the waterood planners ensured wells remained within the correct block and inside the western fault closure. 6. For more on historical structural maps from the Casabe eld: Morales LG, Podesta DJ, Hateld WC, Tanner H, > Casabe structural setting. The Casabe eld lies to the west of La CiraInfantas eld in the middle Magdalena River Valley basin (left). The principal MMVB structures and producing elds are shown in the generalized structural cross section A to A (top right). The basin is limited on the east by a thrust belt, uplifting the oldest rocks. Cretaceous and Paleocene (green), Oligocene (orange) and Miocene (yellow) rocks are shown in the central part of the basin cross section. The preMiddle Eocene uplift and erosion have exposed the Central Cordillera on the west (gray). The Casabe eld is highly layered, as shown in the detailed structural cross section (bottom right). (Figure adapted from Barrero et al, reference 3, and Morales et al, reference 6.) ORSPR10Michael MoodyFigure 02 0 m Peroles field La CiraInfantas field Barrancabermeja Nuevo Mundo syncline Rio Suarez anticline Casabe field Central Cordillera A A 10,000 5,000 15,000 10 0 20 km 5 0 10 mi M i o c e n e La Cira shale Cretaceous 5,000 ft M a i n
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a n t i c l i n e N La Cira Infantas Peroles Jones SH, Barker MHS, ODonoghue J, Mohler CE, Dubois EP, Jacobs C and Goss CR: General Geology and Oil Occurrences of Middle Magdalena Valley, Colombia, in Weeks LG (ed): Habitat of Oil. Tulsa: The American Association of Petroleum Geologists, AAPG Special Publication 18 (1958): 641695. 7. For more on undeveloped areas in the Casabe eld: Gambaretto W, Peralta J, Cortes G, Suter A, Dederle M and Lozano Guarnizo E: A 3D Seismic Cube: What For?, paper SPE 122868, presented at the SPE Latin American and Caribbean Petroleum Engineering Conference, Cartagena, Colombia, May 31June 3, 2009. 8. Peas Blancas eld, discovered in 1957, is located 7 km [4 mi] to the southwest of the Casabe eld. Both elds have the same operator. The area between the elds was surveyed because oil indicators were found. 30039schD4R1.indd 3 5/6/10 9:36 PM Spring 2010 7 main strike-slip fault. The lack of a more accu- rate structural model caused two main problems: Reservoir engineers underestimated OOIP and waterood planners found it difcult to locate injector-producer pairs within the same reservoir and, to a lesser extent, within the same fault block. 5 These uncertainties led the managers and experts of the 2004 Casaba alliance to build a multicomponent redevelopment plan. Ecopetrol SA has long-standing experience in and knowledge of the eld and the measures undertaken to keep it producing decade after decade. Schlumberger provides new oileld tech- nologies to the operator, including seismic sur- veying, downhole measurements, data analysis and specialized drilling, as well as domain exper- tise to decipher the challenges faced. With these capabilities the alliance was condent it could obtain results within a year. The key goals of the redevelopment plan were to increase reserves, manage the waterood pro- grams more efciently and address drilling- related problems such as reactive lithology, tripping problems, low ROP, borehole collapse and washouts, and completion challenges such as poor cementing and casing collapse. Tackling each of these elements involved close collabora- tion between the operators professionals and technical experts from the service company. The rst stage of the project involved a thorough eld- wide analysis based on existing data and the gath- ering of new data using the latest technologies, such as 3D seismic surveys and 3D inversion. Undeveloped Areas and Attic Oil Forty years ago it was common to create struc- tural maps by identifying formation tops from well data. With hundreds of evenly distributed wells this task was quite straightforward over most of the Casabe concession. 6 However, a large undeveloped area near the main NE-SW strike- slip fault encompassed over 20 km 2 [7.7 mi 2 ]. Smaller undeveloped locations also existed. 7 A lack of well log data in these undeveloped areas meant that formation tops were not avail- able to create structural maps for several key areas of operator interest. As a result, signicant potential oil reserves were possibly being over- looked. To improve structural understanding and help increase reserves, Ecopetrol SA commis- sioned a high-resolution 3D seismic survey. Geophysicists designed the survey to encom- pass both the Casabe and Peas Blancas elds and also the area in between. 8 WesternGeco per- formed the survey during the rst half of 2007, acquiring more than 100 km 2 [38 mi 2 ] of high- resolution 3D seismic data; data interpretation followed later that year. The new data enabled creation of a more precise and reliable structural model than one obtained from formation tops, with the added advantage of covering almost the entire Casabe concession (below). In addition to accurately dening the struc- ture of the subsurface, seismic data can also give reservoir engineers early indications of oil- bearing zones. In some cases oil-rich formations appear as seismic amplitude anomalies, called bright spots. However, these bright spots do not guarantee the presence of oil, and many opera- tors have hit dry holes when drilling on the basis of amplitude data alone. > Casabe structural maps and model. Structural maps of the eld were generated using formation tops from well logs (Formation Tops). But operators avoided drilling along the main strike-slip fault for fear of exiting the trap; hence, tops were unavailable (Structural Sketch, red-shaded area). This poorly dened and undeveloped area represented signicant potential reserves. High-resolution 3D seismic data were used to create a rened set of structural maps (Seismic Data). These maps indicate additional faults in the eld and adjusted positions of existing faults compared to the formation top maps. Calibration of the new maps from existing well logs further improved their accuracy. Geophysicists input the maps into Petrel software to form a 3D structural model of the subsurface (inset, right). (Figure adapted from Peralta-Vargas et al, reference 1.) ORSPR10Michael MoodyFigure 03 Structural Sketch with Well Locations Formation Tops Seismic Data Area not drained or drilled Well location Depth, ft 3,300 4,050 4,800 Depth, ft 3,300 4,900 6,500 0 0 6,000 ft 1,000 2,000 m 0 0 6,000 ft 1,000 2,000 m 0 1,000 2,000 m 0 3,000 6,000 ft N N N N 30039schD4R1.indd 4 5/6/10 9:36 PM 8 Oileld Review Several conditions can create misleading amplitude anomalies, but careful processing and interpretation can distinguish them. Analysis of amplitude variation with offset (AVO) corrects data during the common midpoint gathering process (above). 9 Using AVO-corrected amplitude maps as an additional verication tool, interpret- ers were able to conrm both undeveloped and attic oil accumulations. Attic oil is an old concept. Operators know there can be oil in these higher zones, but identi- fying them is difcult if the exact location of faults is uncertain. Interpretation of the Casabe 3D seismic data claried eld corridors where wells had not been planned because of the uncer- tainty surrounding the main fault position. Wells have since been drilled along these corridors with successful results (next page, top). A detailed geologic model provided a better understanding of the subsurface conditions, which helped during the waterood planning and drilling processes. Prestack inversion of the 3D survey data yielded eldwide estimates of rock properties. 10 Geophysicists calibrated these esti- mates using data acquired by a suite of new- generation logging tools (see New Wells and Results, page 15) in approximately 150 wells. Using these calibrated rock types, geologists created a facies distribution map, which they combined with the structural model to create a model of reservoir architecture. The architectural model highlighted more than 15 reservoirs with an average thickness of 3 m [10 ft] each. Reservoir engineers analyzed 10 of these reservoirs and discovered an addi- tional 5 million bbl [800,000 m 3 ] of estimated reserves. 11 The geologic model was then used dur- ing the waterood redevelopment process to help improve both areal and vertical sweep efciency. Effective Waterooding When the Casabe eld was switched from natural drive to waterood in the late 1970s, the operator chose to use a typical ve-spot pattern with approximately 500 injector and producer pairs. To sweep the upper and lower sections of Sands A and B, up to four wells were drilled per injection location (next page, bottom). During the initial waterood period, injection rates peaked in 1986 and 1991. These dates correspond to the rst and second year after the beginning of the two water- ood programs for the northern and southern areas of the Casabe eld. Two to three years after each peak there was a noticeable drop in the water-injection rates. This was due mainly to the restrictions imposed on the rates to avoid casing collapse. However, the reduction in water-injection rates was also inuenced by several other factors. These issues were identied in the alliances redevelopment plan and became a large part of the requirements for reworking the Casabe waterood programs. 9. For more on AVO analysis: Chiburis E, Franck C, Leaney S, McHugo S and Skidmore C: Hydrocarbon Detection with AVO, Oileld Review 5, no. 1 (January 1993): 4250. 10. For more on inversion: Barclay F, Bruun A, Rasmussen KB, Camara Alfaro J, Cooke A, Cooke D, Salter D, Godfrey R, Lowden D, McHugo S, zdemir H, Pickering S, Gonzalez Pineda F, Herwanger J, Volterrani S, Murineddu A, Rasmussen A and Roberts R: Seismic Inversion: Reading Between the Lines, Oileld Review 20, no. 1 (Spring 2008): 4263. 11. Amaya R, Nunez G, Hernandez J, Gambaretto W and Rubiano R: 3D Seismic Application in Remodeling Browneld Waterooding Pattern, paper SPE 122932, presented at the SPE Latin American and Caribbean Petroleum Engineering Conference, Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, May 31June 3, 2009. 12. For more on understanding high-mobility ratios: Elphick JJ, Marquez LJ and Amaya M: IPI Method: A Subsurface Approach to Understand and Manage Unfavorable Mobility Wateroods, paper SPE 123087, presented at the SPE Latin American and Caribbean Petroleum Engineering Conference, Cartagena, Colombia, May 31June 3, 2009. > Minimizing uncertainty of amplitude anomalies. Bright spots (top left) are high-amplitude features on seismic data. These features can indicate oil accumulations, although they are no guarantee. One technique for understanding bright spots begins with modeling the amplitudes of reections from reservoirs containing various uids (top right). The amplitude at the top of a sand reservoir lled with water decreases with offset. The amplitude at the top of a similar reservoir containing gas can increase with offset. The results are compared with actual seismic traces containing reections from a sand reservoir (bottom left) to more accurately characterize reservoir uid. Combined with other information such as seismic inversion data, AVO-corrected amplitude maps (bottom right) can be a useful tool to conrm the presence of oil (light-blue areas). (Figure adapted from Gambaretto et al, reference 7.) ORSPR10Michael MoodyFigure 04 Bright spots AVO-corrected amplitude map AVO anomaly Typical amplitude signature Undeveloped area Hydrocarbons Uncorrected common midpoint gather Amplitude anomaly Offset Offset Offset 30039schD4R1.indd 5 6/10/10 2:49 PM Spring 2010 9 The operator had recorded early water break- through in the elds producers during both waterood programs. This was a result of injec- tion water channeling inside high-permeability layers. Also, a poor mobility ratio was present throughout the eld: Viscous oils (14.8 to 23.3 API gravity in the upper sands and 15.4 to 24.8 API gravity in the lower sands) were pushed aside by the more freely owing water, and once break- through occurred the water inux increased. 12
These conditions caused a poor vertical sweep efciency average of only 20%. > Attic well. Experts had long predicted a eld corridor along the main strike-slip fault, but the lack of accurate seismic data made the risk of drilling these zones too high. Interpretation of the 2007 3D seismic survey enabled geophysicists to identify undeveloped drilling locations (red ellipses, left) close to the major fault. A new offset well, approved for Block VIII, was very close to the main strike-slip fault (dashed-green box, left). 3D seismic data and structural maps (middle) visualized using Petrel software helped well planners position the well. The trajectory avoided major faults and targeted a large undeveloped zone and two attic oil zones in the B and C sands (right). The wells constructed during the rst and second drilling campaigns were vertical; in the third campaign, especially from late 2008 onward, most of the wells drilled were offset wells in target pay zones close to faults. (Figure adapted from Amaya et al, reference 11.)
ORSPR10Michael MoodyFigure 05 Undeveloped Attic oil B sands Attic oil C sands Blocks I and II Block III Block IV Block V Block VI Block VII Block VIII Drilled wells Approved locations Proposed locations Undeveloped areas 0 0 6,000 ft 1,000 2,000 m N N New well D e p t h ,
m 400 600 800 1,000 1,200 1,400 1,600 . Casabe eld injection and production scheme. Original eld-development plans included as many as four wells per injection location to ood the multilayered sands (blue wells). Up to two wells were used to extract oil, but in some locations a single production well commingled uids from Sands A and B, B and C, or A, B and C (green wells). The current string design for new injector-producer pairs, shown in a later gure, limits drilling to only one well per location. This change has reduced cost and also the incidence of proximity-induced well collapse. (Figure adapted from Peralta-Vargas et al, reference 1.) ORSPR10Michael MoodyFigure 06 2,500 A1 A2 B1 SUP B1 INF B2 SUP B3 C A3 3,000 3,500 4,000 4,500 B2 INF 5,000 5,500 L o w e r
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s a n d s Formation 80 20 Spontaneous Potential 0 20 mV ohm.m Resistivity Sand Depth, ft La Cira Shale A1 A2 Injection Production B1 B2 A B CBA 30039schD4R1.indd 6 5/6/10 9:36 PM 10 Oileld Review Sand production and high-velocity jetting of sandy water through perforations signicantly eroded casing walls and completion hardware in the producers. During a critical period of the waterood, numerous wells collapsed and were abandoned or taken off line. To sustain production levels the operator chose to convert many injec- tion wells to producers, but this drastically affected the waterood patterns (left). Choking back injection rates to mitigate well collapses was another factor that caused an uneven water-ow pattern. Areal sweep was poor, resulting in many areas of bypassed oil. The elds redevelopment team wanted to reestablish patterns to improve areal sweep efciency. Therefore, a large part of the third drilling cam- paign involved planning and placement of new injectors and producers. These were located to recreate an evenly spread network of wells throughout the eld. However, areal sweep is largely dependent on obtaining good vertical sweep efciency. Waterood specialists rst needed to design better injection control systems that would improve vertical sweep and also pro- vide a mechanism to reduce the damaging effects of water channeling on the production strings. Vertical sweep efciency is determined by the effectiveness of water, owing from injector wells, at pushing oil through permeable layers to formation-connected oil producers. The original multiwell injector design had no injection prole control, so water owed preferentially through the most permeable formations. This water- channeling effect is aggravated by several mech- anisms: Shallower sands can be unintentionally fractured during waterooding, signicantly increasing permeability. The injectivity index of deeper layers may suffer if low-quality injected water causes plugging of perforations or deposits of scale in the production casing. Also, injected water bypasses viscous oil, present in large amounts in the Casabe eld, and breakthrough takes place in producers. As a consequence, water ows through the layer of highest permea- bility and may not be injected at all in others, especially in the deeper sands with skin damage. This has been a distinctive feature during Casabe production operations. To optimize ooding, water management spe- cialists recommended selective injection strings using waterood-ow regulators (next page). These designs would enable the operator to choke back injection rates in specic layers irrespective of the reservoir pressure, permeability, skin dam- age or any other factors that would normally affect ow. Each layer is packed off to prevent any > Comparison of 1986 and 2003 waterood patterns. By 1986 the operator had established an evenly distributed network of ve-spot injection patterns throughout the Casabe eld (top). Well collapses had occurred in nearly 70% of the wells in Block VI, and a signicant number of collapses had been recorded in all other blocks in the eld. In 2003 (bottom) many of the collapsed wells remained abandoned or inactive and numerous injectors had been converted to producers. Experts suggested a new drilling campaign to reestablish eldwide ve-spot patterns. (Figure adapted from Elphick et al, reference 12.) ORSPR10Michael MoodyFigure 07 2003 Waterflood Patterns in Block VI 1986 Producers Injectors Top of A sands Top of B sands Top of C sands Fault traces 3,000 2,400 1,800 1,200 600 0 0 750 1,500 East, ft N o r t h ,
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f t 2,250 3,000 3,750 30039schD4R1.indd 7 5/6/10 9:36 PM Spring 2010 11 uids within that zone of the wellbore from invad- ing another zone. An injection nozzle is located within this section and is controlled from the sur- face. The new selective-string designs have improved the vertical sweep efciency by enabling the operator to maintain higher injection rates into layers less affected by waterood-induced problems. Conversely, the new designs have miti- gated issues related to channeling by allowing a reduction of rates in problematic layers. Use of a single well designed with packed-off ow control was also much more cost-effective than the previous design of up to four wells per injection location. Up to 16 water-ow regulators have now been installed in injectors in the Casabe eld. This solution also addressed the possibility that drilling several injectors in close proximity to one another was one of the likely causes of casing collapse. Overcoming Drilling Difculties From rst production in 1945 to the end of 2006, approximately 45% of the production wells in the Casabe eld had at some point collapsed, with different levels of severity. As a result, wells were abandoned, left inactive or reactivated only after costly workovers. The abandoned and inactive wells represented millions of dollars in capital investment in the eld and in lost revenue due to lower production rates. The majority of casing collapses had occurred in Block VI, which also has the largest proven reserves. It was therefore the focus of a casing-collapse study. 13 In the rst stage of the Block VI study, production engineers gathered casing-collapse statistics. In 2006 this block contained 310 wells. A total of 214 showed some degree of collapse. Slightly more producers than injectors collapsed, but the difference was minor and indicated no trend. Of the total number of wells with recorded collapse events, 67 were abandoned and 80 were inactive, a factor that the operator knew would severely impact injection and production rates. The remaining wells had been reactivated after costly workovers. The engineers then looked for a correlation between the 214 collapses and when these wells were drilled to identify any drilling practices that were incompatible with the Casabe eld. Three main drilling campaigns coincided with the primary-recovery, or natural-drive, period (1941 to 1975); the secondary-recovery, or water- ood, period (1975 to 2003); and nally the waterood period of the Casabe alliance (2004 to present). Of the wells drilled during the rst campaign, 78% had casing-collapse events during operation. In the second campaign this gure was slightly less, at 68%. This period, however, corresponded to the waterood programs; hence many more wells had been drilled. During the study period there were no recorded collapse events in Block VI for wells constructed in the third drilling campaign. This change was consid- ered to be a result of improved drilling practices, which are discussed later in this section. To determine a link between casing collapse and subsurface conditions, the investigators con- sidered the updated stratigraphic and structural models built from the new 3D seismic data. Petrel seismic-to-simulation software enabled the production engineers to display both models in the same 3D window. Using modeling tools, they could then tag and clearly see the wellbore depths and the locations along the Casabe struc- ture where collapses had been recorded. The engineers discovered that casing collapse had occurred in all stratigraphic levels. However, collapse distribution did highlight a strong cor- relation to the overburden and to the water- ooded formations. The analysis of well location > Selective injection design. New injection strings in the Casabe eld have up to 16 waterood-ow regulators (WFRs). WFRs and check valves prevent backow and sand production in case of well shutdown. The zone-isolated injection devices are placed in the highly layered stratigraphic proles of the most-prolic producers that commingle uids from A, B and C sands. Production logs are unavailable because of rod pumps, but injection logs are available: Track 1 describes a typical lithology of A sands (yellow shaded areas); spontaneous potential logs (blue curves) are more accurate than gamma ray logs (red curve) in the presence of radiation from feldspar, which occurs naturally in the eld. Track 2 shows resistivity response of the formation at two measurement depths (red and blue curves) and water-injection zones (green shaded area). (Figure adapted from Elphick et al, reference 12.) ORSPR10Michael MoodyFigure 08 A3 A21 A2 A1H Sand Spontaneous Potential mV 80 20 Resistivity ohm.m 0 15 Gamma Ray Four-zone injector schematic gAPI 0 150 Perforations WFR Packer 13. Olarte P, Marquez L, Landinez G and Amaya R: Casing Collapse Study on Block VI Wells: Casabe Field, paper SPE 122956, presented at the SPE Latin American and Caribbean Petroleum Engineering Conference, Cartagena, Colombia, May 31June 3, 2009. 30039schD4R1.indd 8 5/6/10 9:36 PM 12 Oileld Review within the eld and well-collapse distribution revealed an evenly spread number of events, which indicated no areal localization (above). The next stage of the study was a probabilistic analysis to evaluate the frequency of events based on two variables: number of casing- collapse events and operational year. Production engineers created probabilistic distributions by plotting both variables for each drilling campaign using the Monte Carlo simulation component of the Crystal Ball software. The results showed the highest number of events (about 30) for the wells drilled during the rst drilling campaign occurred in 1985, coinciding with the beginning of the rst major waterood program. Interventions were more frequently per- formed on wells drilled during the second drilling campaign, which meant that the timing of each collapse event was recorded with greater cer- tainty than for wells drilled during the rst drill- ing period. Therefore, the probabilistic analysis was even more reliable. It revealed that casing collapse occurred primarily during the rst few years of the waterood project and peaked during 1988. Investigators identied a critical period of > Areal and stratigraphic localization of casing collapse in Block VI. Statistical analysis of casing-collapse events within each stratigraphic section (left) showed collapses in every formation. However, event frequency in the overburden and in the waterooded zones (mainly Sands A1, A2, B1 and B2) was several times higher than in other zones, indicating these intervals are more likely to cause collapse. Using Petrel modeling tools, engineers included Block VI casing collapses in the structural model. A structural map of one reservoir (right) indicates collapses occurred throughout the block and not in any specic area. (Figure adapted from Olarte et al, reference 13.) ORSPR10Michael MoodyFigure 09 Overburden Colorado Mugrosa La Paz A2 0 10 20 30 40 N u m b e r
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e v e n t s Stratigraphic formation 50 60 70 80 B2 B3 B1 A3 A1 C Faults Production wells Injection wells N > Critical uid levels for production casing and liners of the rst drilling campaign. Testing using TDAS software determined the critical load condition for uid evacuation in Block VI wells from the rst drilling campaign. Casing (green box, left) and liners (red box, right) were tested rst to obtain critical uid-evacuation levels based on original design specications and again after calculations of 10%, 20% and 30% wall loss. All wells for the simulation were at depths of 5,000 ft; depending on the amount of wall loss, a collapse was probable as borehole uid levels fell. For example, 7-in., 20-lbm/ft API Grade H40 casing strings could collapse even at their installed condition when the uid was evacuated past 3,200 ft. Wells that passed the rst simulated test failed when wall loss was increased. This result indicated that corrosion or general wear-and-tear (causing wall loss) would have weakened casing or liners to the limit of collapse when the uid level dropped to values that had been recorded in the eld. (Figure adapted from Olarte et al, reference 13.) ORSPR10Michael MoodyFigure 11 5,000 7-in. H40 20 lbm/ft 7-in. J55 20 lbm/ft 7-in. K55 23 lbm/ft 7-in. N80 23 lbm/ft 6 5 /8-in. H40 20 lbm/ft 6 5 /8-in. J55 20 lbm/ft 4,000 3,000 2,000 1,000 0 4,500 3,500 2,500 1,500 500 F l u i d
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f t Casing Liners 0% wall loss 10% wall loss 20% wall loss 30% wall loss 30039schD4R1.indd 9 5/6/10 9:36 PM Spring 2010 13 time during which collapse frequency was high. This period coincided with the most intense rates of water injection (right). The next stage of the study evaluated the mechanical integrity of the wells in the Casabe eld. This evaluation found that for the producers in Block VI collapses occurred only in the produc- tion liners and casing. To uncover the root causes for all these collapses, every event was evaluated using TDAS tubular design and analysis software. The application enables analysis of the mechani- cal performance of a casing in two scenarios. First, an initial installed state considers the origi- nal casing-design specication and downhole con- ditions such as temperature and pressure. The next scenario includes subsequent operationally induced events such as injection and production that are interpreted as forces on the casing, called case loads. Engineers analyzed case loads for compressional, tensional and triaxial stresses. To begin, engineers needed to dene the installed condition, characterized by tempera- ture, pressure and casing strength, for casing designs in Block VI. Then they could apply case loads to determine when a casing would fail. Pressure and temperature proles for each well were calculated using logs from the Casabe eld. Because corrosion also signicantly reduces cas- ing strength, the USI tool, which measures ultra- sonic acoustic impedance, was used to determine the loss of wall thickness attributed to corrosion (see Scanning for Downhole Corrosion, page 42). According to the USI data, wells exhibited wall losses between 10% and 35%. Engineers dened four corrosion proles at 0%, 10%, 20% and 30% wall loss. These four proles were combined with pressure and temperature data to generate the installed conditions that engineers needed to begin simulation of operational loads. Engineers performed hundreds of simulations using the TDAS software. The rst analysis con- sidered uid evacuation, a decrease of uid level in the borehole, which can be a critical load con- dition for casing collapse. Fluid levels in the well- bore may become low during the productive life of a eld for several reasons. These include low productivity, increased extraction during produc- tion, sand ll, decreased water injection, and swabbing and stimulation operations, all of which had taken place in the Casabe eld. When uid level drops, the internal pressure no longer bal- ances the external pressure and the casing must sustain this force. The critical load condition for casing collapse occurs when the differential pres- sure is higher than the casing can withstand. After analysis of the casing design chosen for wells during the first drilling campaign, engineers discovered that the specifications had resulted in casing strings that were not robust enough to withstand fluid evacuation combined with the wall losses observed in Block VI (previous page, bottom). The nal mechanical analysis was related to the main operational events leading to casing col- lapse. The reservoir pressure prole within the formation during water injection could impact the casing in both producers and injectors. The calculated increase in load from waterooding was applied to casing that had passed critical load conditions in the earlier simulations; the new test would determine if the additional pres- sure could cause them to collapse. This analysis indicated that waterooding increased the like- lihood of casing collapse. Once all critical limits and conditions for the Casabe eld had been obtained, production engineers ran simulations for several casing strings with different specications to nd an optimal design for future wells. The TDAS simula- tions enabled them to specify an ideal model that would give an estimated service life of 20 years. This model has been applied to all new wells drilled throughout the eld, with a successful reduction in the frequency of recorded casing col- lapse to less than 2% of wells from 2006 to 2009. This is a dramatic improvement compared with events during the previous 60 years, in which 69% of wells in Block VI experienced collapses. > History of casing-collapse frequency. The frequency of collapse events by year was plotted for the rst and second drilling campaigns (top). In 1985 the highest frequency (28) of reported events was recorded for wells from the rst drilling campaign. For wells from the second drilling campaign, which occurred during the waterood period, the peak frequency (20) of reported collapses occurred in 1988. Both values correspond to the beginning of the waterood programs in the northern and southern areas of the Casabe eld. A critical 10-year period from 1985 to 1995 was identied as coinciding with the highest rates of production and water injection (bottom). (Figure adapted from Olarte et al, reference 13.) ORSPR10Michael MoodyFigure 10 0 1 9 4 7 1 9 4 9 1 9 5 1 1 9 5 3 1 9 5 5 1 9 5 7 1 9 5 9 1 9 6 1 1 9 6 3 1 9 6 5 1 9 6 7 1 9 6 9 1 9 7 1 1 9 7 3 1 9 7 5 1 9 7 7 1 9 7 9 1 9 8 1 1 9 8 3 1 9 8 5 1 9 8 7 1 9 8 9 1 9 9 1 1 9 9 3 1 9 9 5 1 9 9 7 1 9 9 9 2 0 0 1 5 10 15 20 25 30 N u m b e r
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b b l / d Operational year Oil produced Water injected First drilling campaign Second drilling campaign Critical collapse period Critical collapse period 30039schD4R1.indd 10 5/6/10 9:36 PM 14 Oileld Review Together with the results from the other major milestones of the eld-redevelopment plan, the new casing designs enabled the alliance to begin a new drilling campaign. The third campaign began in 2004, and by 2007 a total of 37 wells had been drilled. The alliance wanted to drill as efciently as possible to improve produc- tion, but problems were encountered during drilling. These included stuck pipe caused by dif- ferential sticking in depleted reservoirs, prob- lematic wiper trips resulting from highly reactive shales and well control issues introduced by water inux from the waterooding. To address the hole-stability and stuck-pipe problems, the redevelopment team began by improving the drilling uid design. Drillers had been using the KLA-GARD mud additive to pre- vent clay hydration, but it had little to no success at inhibiting reaction in the troublesome Casabe shales. Consequently, Schlumberger and M-I SWACO initiated an investigation to nd a more effective shale inhibitor. Laboratory analysis of 13 different uid addi- tives was conducted to compare their reaction- inhibiting capabilities on Casabe lithology. Experts deduced, from core and cuttings sam- ples, that the clays and shales were highly reac- tive to water; therefore, the optimal drilling uid must prevent water from contaminating them. The KLA-STOP mud system was compatible with the Casabe shales and had the best properties for inhibiting these reactions: Its uid composition includes a quaternary amine that prevents water from penetrating target formations by depositing a synthetic coating along the borehole wall. When the new system was put to use, however, it did not meet expectations, and the reactive lithology continued to affect drilling time. Design iterations continued until 2008; at this point experts had increased KLA-STOP concentration to 2% and added 3% to 4% potassium chloride [KCl]. However, hole problems persisted and experts concluded that another contaminant could be affecting the mud system. Using core samples from a wide range of wells, analysts mea- sured pore throat sizes and laboratory specialists performed mineralogical analysis to determine the causes. 14. For more on bicenter bits and reaming-while-drilling technologies: Rasheed W, Trujillo J, van Oel R, Anderson M, McDonald S and Shale L: Reducing Risk and Cost in Diverse Well Construction Applications: Eccentric Device Drills Concentric Hole and Offers a Viable Alternative to Underreamers, paper SPE 92623, presented at the SPE/IADC Drilling Conference, Amsterdam, February 2325, 2005. > New versus old drilling design. Original drilling designs included a traditional polycrystalline diamond compact bit (top), but swelling clays caused problems during tripping. Engineers designed a reaming- while-drilling (RWD) BHA that incorporated a smaller pilot bit and a reamer (tan box). RWD enabled oversized boreholes, which helped compensate for swelling and achieve target diameters for casing. Further optimizations included larger cutters and a backup set of cutters to improve ROP (blue box). A change in the number of nozzles and in the nozzle diameter dramatically reduced the washouts that were causing cementing problems (bottom). The decision to redesign the bit was made partly to cope with clay reactions. A new mud system has successfully inhibited the clay, and engineers are now reconsidering a concentric bit to improve drilling efciency. ORSPR10Michael MoodyFigure 14 Pilot bit 28 cutters 5 nozzles 5 blades 13.4-mm cutter Reamer 33 cutters 2 nozzles 4 blades 13.4-mm cutter 8 1 /2-in. bit Pilot bit 26 cutters 6 nozzles 4 blades 19-mm cutter Reamer 27 cutters 2 nozzles 4 blades 19-mm cutter Modification: Stabilization pad and guardian bearing to drill out Washout log Before After 8 1 /2-in. OD stabilizer 6 1 /4-in. miscellaneous sub 6 1 /2-in. collar Schematic of First Four Sections of the Original BHA with a Concentric Bit Design Improvements of Bicentric Bits and RWD 30039schD4R1.indd 11 6/10/10 2:49 PM Spring 2010 15 The tests indicated that concentrations of smectite, previously identied as the swelling clay, decreased with depth. But the mineralogical analysis also revealed the presence of illite and kaolinite, which were not included as part of the original mud system investigation. These disper- sive clays break off into the mud upon contact with water, causing drilling problems such as bit balling, and also increase the viscosity of the mud, making mud-weight curves less accurate. A more complete understanding of downhole con- ditions enabled engineers to design a new mud system with improved KLA-GARD B and IDCAP D clay inhibitors. KCl was completely removed from the uid, helping to reduce environmental impact and cleanup. The mineralogy study showed why drilling in the waterooded zones was obviously problem- atic. Existing methods to avoid water inux involved shutting in several injection wells up to several weeks before drilling to reduce pressure. In one extreme case 40 injectors were taken off line to drill just 2 wells, which ultimately reduced production rates. Experts looked into the different ways they could reduce water inux while also limiting any effect on the waterood programs. Instead of shutting in injectors they could increase produc- tion in layers that were drilling targets, even if this meant producing large volumes of water. In addition, connected producers that were cur- rently shut in could be reactivated, and if they had no pump, there was a possibility that enough pressure had built up for them to ow naturally. Only after these steps were taken and deemed insufcient would the alliance consider shutting in injectors. Another part of the investigation involved reducing injector shut-in time. To avoid water inow, injectors were taken off line 15 days before drilling commenced. However, it was found that to avoid water delivery from the injec- tor to the drilling location, injectors could be shut in just before the drill bit penetrated the connected zone. Also, with the production-based pressure-reducing measures, injector shut-in time was reduced from seven days to just two, depending on the level of production. The continuing difculties with stuck pipe and tripping problems led the alliance to seek other options. After initial analysis of the drilling-related issues, engineers selected a bicenter bit and ream- ing-while-drilling technologies. 14 A pilot well, CB-1054, was drilled with the new hardware, and tripping times were notably reduced. Engineers used the results from the pilot well to optimize the bit and BHA designs. Experts ran unconned com- pressive-strength tests on core samples taken at numerous depths from several wells in the Casabe eld, which returned values from 585 to 845 psi [4.0 to 5.8 MPa]. The results from this analysis allowed the engineers to optimize the number of primary cutters and to introduce backup cutters on the drill bit (previous page). Since the introduction of new technologies and updated practices, the drilling problems faced in the Casabe eld have been resolved. Better quality holes have increased the effective- ness of cementing jobs. Tripping times have been reduced by more than 22%. Higher ROPs have been achieved with updated cutter congura- tions and a PowerPak XP extended power steer- able hydraulic motor (below). The majority of new wells in the Casabe eld have directional S-type boreholes deeper than 5,200 ft [1.6 km] to avoid collisions with existing and new wells or to reach reserves in fault zones. New Wells and Results The sands in the Casabe eld have been exten- sively developed, but it is common in mature elds to nd oil in unexpected places. For exam- ple, some zones in the Casabe eld were over- looked because the presence of low-resistivity pay is difcult to detect using traditional resis- tivity tools; alternative tools are discussed later in this section. Other zones in the eld were inac- cessible because a lack of structural data made the drilling risk too high. Using structural infor- mation acquired by the alliance, the operator is now developing the highest section of the Casabe elds anticline structure in the B sands within Block V. Only one well in this block, the wildcat Casabe-01 located downdip in the ank of the anticline, exhibited oil shows in the thin sands within the attic zones, but these zones had never been tested. A new well, located updip of the wildcat well, was proposed to develop the A sands. After reviewing the new 3D seismic data and the projected length of the oil leg, geoscien- tists revised the total depth for this newly pro- posed well and suggested deepening it to reach the B sands. > Drilling results. The new RWD and bicenter bit drilling technologies have had a considerable impact, improving hole quality, reducing total trip times, increasing ROP, minimizing stuck-pipe risk, reducing backreaming operations, and improving the quality of primary cementing jobs. Average drilling-job times have been cut from 15.3 days to 6.8 days. ORSPR10Michael MoodyFigure 15 Well 2 0 0 4
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1 1 3 7 D Average drilling time for year 2010 Optimized wells in 2009, average depth 5,400 ft 30039schD4R1.indd 12 5/6/10 9:36 PM 16 Oileld Review Data from this new well included chromatog- raphy performed on mud from the B sands, which revealed well-dened oil shows, and log interpretation conrmed the oil presence. This oil is due to a lack of drainage from the updip wells. New data acquired with the PressureXpress LWD tool indicated the compartment was at original pressure. Interpretation of data from the CMR-Plus combinable magnetic resonance logs conrmed movable oil (below). The interval was completed and the well produced 211 bbl/d [34 m 3 /d] of oil with no water cut. Historically, ORSPR10Michael MoodyFigure 12 A sands B sands New well Oil Water Lithology Sandstone Bound Water 4,850 4,950 5,000 4,900 Depth, ft Schlumberger-Doll Research mD 0.1 1,000 4,900 Timur-Coates Permeability Resistivity mD 0.1 1,000 Neutron Porosity % 60 0 Bulk Density g/cm 3 1.65 2.65 T 2 Cutoff ms 0.3 3,000 AIT 10-in. Array Capillary-Bound Fluid Clay 1 ohm.m 0.1 1,000 AIT 20-in. Array ohm.m 0.1 1,000 AIT 30-in. Array ohm.m 0.1 1,000 AIT 60-in. Array ohm.m 0.1 1,000 AIT 90-in. Array ohm.m 0.1 1,000 Invaded Zone ohm.m 0.1 1,000 Small-Pore Porosity T 2 Log Mean T 2 Distribution ms 0.3 3,000 0 29 4 , 9 0 4
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f t M D 0 500 1,000 1,500 Pressure, psi Original pressure Depleted sands Hydrostatic Fault 130 D e p t h ,
f t 2,000 2,500 3,000 3,500 5,500 5,000 4,500 4,000 3,500 3,000 2,500 2,000 Fault 120 PressureXpress data Hydrostatic Normal gradient > Discovering the unexpected in Well CSBE 1069. A new well drilled to reach Sand B in Block V (right) reected a change in previous practices; in this area the B sands were considered depleted and invaded by water. After interpretation of mud logs indicated oil shows in two locations, Schlumberger acquired pressure and nuclear magnetic resonance logs in the low-resistivity intervals. Interpretation of the CMR-Plus log (left) conrmed the presence of oil (green-shaded areas Track 4). Pressure data (inset middle) indicated the bypassed oil zones were at original reservoir pressure (blue box) along the normal gradient. 30039schD4R1.indd 13 5/6/10 9:36 PM Spring 2010 17 experts did not look for oil downdip in the Casabe eld because the deeper formation had been agged as a water zone. The eld provided another surprise during a routine replacement of a retired well. A produc- ing well had been mechanically damaged as a result of sand production induced by the water- ood. A replacement was planned using improved design factors garnered from the casing-collapse investigation. The operator drilled the well into the C sands for coring purposes. Before drilling, this zone was considered to be water prone, but during drilling, mud log interpretation suggested there might be oil in these deeper sands. Log interpretation was inconclusive because of the low resistivity; a new approach was required to identify movable oil (above). Interpretation of CMR-Plus data suggested movable oil corresponding to the oil shows in the mud logs. Based on these results, the operator decided to test the well, which produced 130 bbl/d [21 m 3 /d] of oil with no water cut. After six months, cumulative production reached 11,000 bbl [1,750 m 3 ] with no water cut. These values represent additional reserves where none were expected. The Casabe eld redevelopment project is now in its sixth year, revitalizing the mature oil eld. Figures gathered at the beginning of 2010 show the Casabe alliance has increased overall production rates by nearly 250% since 2004. This improvement is due in part to a fast-track study that quickly identied the root causes impacting the efciency of the waterood programs in the eld and discovered additional oil reserves using newly acquired data. The collaboration between Ecopetrol SA and Schlumberger has been notably successful and the partnership is currently scheduled to con- tinue the Casabe story until 2014. Production wells are being added in the newly dened south- ern Casabe eld, enabled by the 2007 3D seismic survey and improved logging methods. The new drilling practices and waterood technologies are expected to achieve commercial production rates for many years to come. MJM > Log conrmation of low-resistivity pay. Well CSBE 1060 log interpretation indicated shaly sand zones with salinities exceeding 50,000 ppm NaCl. Identifying oil in the presence of high-salinity formation water may be difcult because resistivity measurements cannot be used to distinguish the two (red-shaded area in Resistivity track). Shaly sands have higher water content than sand alone, and an alternative to resistivity measurements is needed. The CMR-Plus tool, which measures relaxation time of hydrogen molecules to identify oil and water, uncovered the presence of oil (Free oil, red-shaded area). Based on these results the interval was tested and returned clean oil, conrming low-resistivity pay in the Casabe eld. ORSPR10Michael MoodyFigure 13 Depth, ft Caliper in. 16 6 5,200 5,350 5,250 Free water 5,300 Free oil Timur-Coates mD 1,000 0.1 T 2 Cutoff ms 3,000 0.3 Computed Gamma Ray gAPI 140 0 Spontaneous Potential mV 40 60 AIT 30-in. Array ohm.m 20 0.2 AIT 60-in. Array ohm.m 20 0.2 Neutron Porosity % 0 60 Bulk Density g/cm 3 2.65 1.65 Invaded Zone Resistivity ohm.m 20 0.2 AIT 30-in. Array ohm.m 1,000 0.1 AIT 60-in. Array ohm.m 1,000 0.1 Total CMR-Plus Porosity Capillary-Bound Fluid Oil Small-Pore Porosity % 0 40 CMR-Plus Bulk Fluid % 0 30 CMR-Plus Bulk Water % 0 30 Density Porosity % 0 30 CMR-Plus 3-ms Porosity % 0 40 Free Fluid % 0 40 Free-Fluid Taper % 0 40 Density Porosity % 0 40 Invaded Zone ohm.m 1,000 0.1 Permeability Resistivity Moved Water Bound Water T 2 Log Mean ms 3,000 0.3 T 2 Distribution 29 0 30039schD4R1.indd 14 5/6/10 9:36 PM