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SPE 64714 Optimising The Development of Blake Field Under Tough Economic and Environmental Conditions
SPE 64714 Optimising The Development of Blake Field Under Tough Economic and Environmental Conditions
SPE 64714 Optimising The Development of Blake Field Under Tough Economic and Environmental Conditions
Optimising the Development of Blake Field under Tough Economic and Environmental
Conditions
K. E. Du*, S. Pai, J. Brown, R. M. Moore and M. Simmons, BG International * SPE Member
Abstract
This paper summarises the studies performed during the
optimisation of the Blake Field Development (UK) in the low
oil price environment prevailing in 1999 and concurrent with
the introduction of new tighter environmental regulations
aimed at reducing the emission of greenhouses gases in the
UK industry. It describes the technical work carried out up to
the sanction of the project. The paper focuses on the principles
and assumptions that determined the field development plan
prior to the development drilling. The following aspects are
addressed in the paper: 1) utilisation of existing infrastructure
to economically develop marginal fields, 2) use of reservoir
modelling techniques to optimise well placements, completion
strategies and topside capacities, 3) practical means of
managing reservoir uncertainties/risks during the development
drilling and 4) application of updated reservoir management
practices, with particular emphasis on the management of gas
and water coning and on the development of this high
permeability reservoir coincident with a thin column of fully
saturated oil.
Introduction Field Description
The Blake field is located in Blocks 13/24 and 13/29 of the
United Kingdom Sector of the North Sea, approximately 120
km NNE of Aberdeen. It was discovered in April 1997 by well
13/24b-3 and appraised in the subsequent two years by four
more wells. It is located in 100m of water and the reservoir is
at an average depth of 1500m below the seabed. The Blake oil
is fully saturated with a gravity of 30.3o API and an oil
viscosity of 2.2 cp at reservoir condition. The mean case
initially in place hydrocarbon volumes was estimated at 130
SPE 64714
SPE 64714
OPTIMISING THE DEVELOPMENT OF BLAKE FIELD UNDER TOUGH ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENT CONDITIONS
are in relation to the location and size of the gas cap. Wells P3,
P4 and P5 have the same standoff in the full field model, while
well P6 is always set 5ft (1.5m) lower than the wells located
on either side (refer to Figure 3). This is mainly because the
position of P6 is situated directly under the centre of the
largest gas cap and is therefore more prone to gas coning.
Modeling suggests that such varying standoffs with gas cap
height on an individual well basis will result in relatively flat
coning fronts across the field and hence improve the sweep
efficiency. Conversely, the gas cap above the wells P1 and P2
is small in size (about 2 bcf in total). Hence their vertical
standoffs were unchanged during the sensitivity runs (9m
vertical standoff for both wells).
The sensitivities of different vertical standoffs were run on
the full field model with a LGR of 3 x 3 x2. The results are
summaried below and shown in Figure 11:
The higher the vertical elevation of the horizontal
section, the higher final recovery of oil if there is no
restriction on gas handling.
The closer the well is to the GOC, the earlier the gas
break through and the higher the gas peak.
The total compression gas (produced gas and lift gas)
might exceed the allocated capacity when the wells
are positioned less than 35 ft (10.7m) from the GOC.
As flaring is not permissible, production and/or or gas
lift would have to be choked back to avoid flaring.
Figure 12 shows the optimum NPV (net present
value) is achieved at a stand-off of 30ft (9.1m) from
the GOC (the highest final recovery is reached at a
stand-off value of 19ft (5.8m) but its NPV is not the
highest because earlier gas coning reduces initial oil
rate). However with a theoretical standoff of only 30ft
(9.1m) does not take account of drilling uncertainty,
and to avoid exceeding the available compression of
37 mmscf/d, 35ft (10.7m) was chosen as the optimum
position for wells P3 to P5.
Reservoir Uncertainties and Risk Management
1). Gross Rock Volume (GRV): Uncertainty associated with
the depth of the top reservoir and the position of the channel
margins has the greatest impact on GRV and hence reserves.
Depth uncertainties have a critical impact on the size and
distribution of the gas caps. Seven out of the total of eight
development wells are designed with pilot holes which will
provide additional data and lead to better field definition as the
drilling programme progresses. Where practicable, it is
planned to extend the horizontal wells to intersect the edge of
the channel and thereby better define the edge of the reservoir.
2). Gas cap volumes and gas lift: The volumes of the gas caps
have major impacts on well placements and gas coning during
early production. Gas processing facilities on the FPSO will
be upgraded to handle the gas volumes predicted in the Base
Case model. Gas lift will be required once water breakthrough
occurs. Although gas coning from a gas cap will in theory
reduce the requirement for lift gas, in practice, gas coning
should be delayed for as long as possible since operational
SPE 64714
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OPTIMISING THE DEVELOPMENT OF BLAKE FIELD UNDER TOUGH ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENT CONDITIONS
gas lift injection as the water cut increases. The gas lift will
maintain the flowing wellhead pressure to achieve flow
assurance and to maximise oil production. In the event of
some gas coning into a production well, it will be possible to
reduce the lift gas requirements.
Flowline simulation studies indicate that wax deposition
could occur and potentially block a flowline or the riser. It is
therefore essential that wax formation be prevented by
maintaining the arrival temperature above the wax appearance
temperature and/or by wax inhibitor injection. In the early
field life, the oil will be produced only through the more
insulated 10 production flowline to maintain the arrival
temperature above the wax appearance temperature of 31 to 35
degrees centigrade. Wax inhibitor will also be injected
initially until there is confidence that the arrival temperature
exceeds the wax appearance temperature. Later in field life, as
the gross production rate and water-cut increases, it will be
necessary to use the 12 production flowline and eventually to
use both production flowlines to achieve flow assurance.
Other flow assurance measures include:
A 5.5 and 7 tapered string in the well completion
design. The extra 7 section (about 300m) is designed to
increase the tubing head pressure.
Corrosion inhibitor will be continuously injected to
protect the carbon steel production flowlines from CO2
corrosion. Provisions are also made for biocide injection
if that is required to control microbial induced corrosion.
Scale inhibitor will be injected into both production
flowlines to prevent scale formation. Scale formation
downhole will be controlled by scale squeeze operations
upon the onset of seawater break through which will be
monitored by chemical tracers which will be introduced
into the injectors at field start-up.
Methanol (supplemented with kinetic hydrate inhibitor
later in field life) will be injected upstream of the
production choke on each well at start-up, and into the
trees and jumper spools, manifold headers and risers after
prolonged shutdowns.
Reservoir Monitoring
Dynamic reservoir management during the production phase
will be optimised on a continual basis utilising:
References
1.
2.
3.
4.
SPE 64714
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OPTIMISING THE DEVELOPMENT OF BLAKE FIELD UNDER TOUGH ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENT CONDITIONS
L im e sto n e
S a n d sto n e
30
S h a le
Sa nction
D eve lopm en t
Plann ing
2 5 D isco very
G OC
E& A D rillin g
20
15
10
OWC
5
J a n-9 7
J a n-9 8
J a n-9 9
J a n-0 0
W I 1/D - v7
13/2 4b -3
54 00
53 50
00
54
W I-1
50
54
40
P 1/D
P 2/D _v 2
13/2 4a- 4
P2
25
-5145
30
0
-5143
0
53
-5187
-5187
00
52
P1
35
525 0
53
00
5 40 0
51
50
51 5 0
P3
P6
P 3/D
13/2 4a- 6
13/2 4a- 5
P 6/D
P4
D rill
C en tre
P 4/D
52 0
P5
13/2 9b -6
P 5/D
25
Field P roduc ed G as Rate
20
Lift G as Rate
15
10
5
52
00
0
0
W I-2
WI 2/D_v 3
455 0
13/2 9b -5
53 5
0
54 0
8
Ye ars
55 5
10
12
14
SPE 64714
1 .0
180
0 .9
Krw
160
Kro
0 .8
G as B reakthrough Tim e
Fw
140
0 .6
120
0 .7
100
0 .5
0 .4
0 .3
0 .2
0 .1
80
60
40
20
0 .0
0
0 .1
0 .2
0 .3
0 .4
0 .5
0 .6
0 .7
0 .8
0 .9
0
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
WI 1
Gas
P2 P3
WI 2
Oil
W ater
2
40
C urre nt bascas e
SE
'Channel'
C om p ression L im it
35
0
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
55
60
-1
30
-2
R eserv es Inc re m ental
-3
25
G as Rate (m m scf/d)
NW
-4
20
-5
-6
15
W ells S tand-off fro m the GOC
Base case
Stand -off
O il W ater C o ntact
Pilot ho le
G as O il C ontact
0
10
20
30
40
-5
-10
-15
W e lls Stan d o ff fr o m GOC (fe e t)
50
60