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CONTENTS
Volume 69 • Number 10

12 GUEST EDITORIAL • WE NEED TO CELEBRATE OUR

SUCCESSES IF WE WANT THE NEXT GENERATION
TO BE PART OF OUR FUTURE
To overcome challenges of perception and attract young people to the talent
pool, the oil and gas industry should publicize its technological achievements
rather than take them for granted.
28 INTERVIEW WITH 2018 SPE PRESIDENT DARCY SPADY
2018 SPE President Darcy Spady shares the goals for his presidency and
his strategies to steer the Society through the downturn and changing
demographics in the industry.
34 SHALE EOR WORKS, BUT WILL IT MAKE A DIFFERENCE?
When EOG disclosed it had found a way to significantly add shale oil reserves
with gas injections, it set off a race among competitors to figure out how to
do it and, more importantly, how to do it on a really large scale.
42 FINDING YOUR NEXT SWEET SPOT USING DIRTY DNA
Tiny soil samples may contain as many as 300,000 species of microbial life,
and a Netherlands-based startup has figured out that between 50 and 200 of
them can tell an operator if a drilling location will hold oil and gas reserves. The wellhead on this old North
46 ADDING THE HUMAN TOUCH TO OILFIELD APPS Dakota well was modified for a test
to see if carbon dioxide injection
ChaiOne builds custom apps for the oil and gas business by sending
could extract more oil out of the
out teams of psychologists, anthropologists, and software engineers to Bakken, which it did. Source:
understand how to get technicians and engineers to actually use the product. University of North Dakota Energy
48 
ANGOLA: DOES RECENT CHANGE MEAN ECONOMIC and Environmental Research Center.
DEVELOPMENT?
Angola’s oil and gas industry has enabled the country’s rapid growth, but an
overreliance on those revenues has posed major challenges.
51 
DRIVE FOR INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES LEADS INDUSTRY DEPARTMENTS
TO UNCONVENTIONAL SOURCES
A panel of scientists examines how emerging technologies from other
industries could have a disruptive effect on oil and gas operations. 6 Performance Indices
54 TALENT AND TECHNOLOGY • DRAWING ON COLLECTIVE 8 Regional Update
ENGINEERING SENTIMENT TO IMPROVE LEARNING 10 Comments
OUTCOMES 14 Technology Applications
The SPE Soft Skills Committee established a task force to map the American 18 Technology Update
Association of Engineering Societies’ Engineering Competency Model to SPE’s
competency models and drive the integration of both. 22 E&P Notes
109 People
58 SPE HONORS 2017 INTERNATIONAL AWARD WINNERS
AT ANNUAL MEETING 110 Professional Services
Winners of the 2017 SPE International Awards will be recognized during the 111 Advertisers’ Index
Annual Reception and Banquet at the SPE Annual Technical Conference and 112 SPE Events
Exhibition in San Antonio.
65 FIFTY YEARS OF TUDRP
The University of Tulsa Drilling Research Project celebrates 50 years and is
poised to continue its tradition for another 5 decades.

An Official Publication of the Society of Petroleum Engineers. Printed in US. Copyright 2017, Society of Petroleum Engineers.
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 Mohawk Energy
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70 FIELD DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS MetalPatch seals off the problem

Maria A. Capello, SPE, Executive Adviser, Kuwait Oil Company area with minimal loss of inner
diameter, providing maximum
71 Field Life Extension in Abu Dhabi Through Hybrid Development Concept production and wellbore access.
74 3D Full-Field and Pad Geomechanics Models Aid Shale Gas Field MetalPatch applications include:
Development in China
• Perforation shut off
77 Approach Redefines Ideal Project Scope and Facilities Size • Connection / Collar leaks
for Field Development • Parted casing
• Casing corrosion
79 NEW-FRONTIER RESERVOIRS II • Leaking or failed sliding sleeve
Leonard Kalfayan, SPE, Global Production-Engineering Adviser, • Lateral re-completion
Hess Corporation

80 Water-Injection Operations and Gas-Injection Sensitivities

in the Bakken Formation

83 Enhanced Sweep Efficiency by Use of Smart Water in Tight Oil Reservoirs

85 Imbibition Oil Recovery From Tight Rocks With Dual-Wettability Networks
in the Montney
Parted Casing

87 PETROLEUM DATA ANALYTICS

Luigi Saputelli, SPE, Senior Reservoir Engineering Adviser,
ADNOC, and Frontender

88 Technique Blends Dimensionless Numbers and Data Mining

To Predict Recovery Factors

92 Proxy-Based Metamodeling Optimization

of Gas-Assisted-Gravity-Drainage Process

96 Natural-Language-Processing Techniques for Oil and Gas

Drilling Data

98 SAND MANAGEMENT AND SAND CONTROL

Xiuli Wang, SPE, Senior Adviser, Baker Hughes, a GE Company Re-Frac Zone

99 Downhole Sand-Ingress Detection With Fiber-Optic Distributed

Acoustic Sensors

102 Advancement in Openhole Sand-Control Applications

With Shape-Memory Polymer

106 One-Trip Multizone Sand-Control-Completion System Depleted Zone

in the Gulf of Mexico Lower Tertiary

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expanding the limits
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 SPE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
OFFICERS
2017 President
Janeen Judah, Chevron
2016 President
Nathan Meehan, Baker Hughes
2018 President
Darcy Spady, Broadview Energy
Vice President Finance
Roland Moreau, ExxonMobil Annuitant
REGIONAL DIRECTORS
AFRICA
Adeyemi Akinlawon, Adeb Konsult
CANADIAN
Cam Matthews, C-FER Technologies
EASTERN NORTH AMERICA
Joe Frantz Jr., Range Resources
GULF COAST NORTH AMERICA
J. Roger Hite, Inwood Solutions
MID-CONTINENT NORTH AMERICA
Chris Jenkins, Independent Energy Standards
MIDDLE EAST
Khalid Zainalabedin, Saudi Aramco
NORTH SEA
Karl Ludvig Heskestad, Aker BP
NORTHERN ASIA PACIFIC
Phongsthorn Thavisin, PTTEP
ROCKY MOUNTAIN NORTH AMERICA
Erin McEvers, Clearbrook Consulting
RUSSIA AND THE CASPIAN
Anton Ablaev, Schlumberger
JPT STAFF
Glenda Smith, Publisher
John Donnelly, Editor
Pam Boschee, Senior Manager Magazines
Chris Carpenter, Technology Editor
Trent Jacobs, Digital Editor
Anjana Sankara Narayanan, Editorial Manager
Joel Parshall, Features Editor
Stephen Rassenfoss, Emerging Technology Senior Editor
Stephen Whitfield, Senior Staff Writer
Adam Wilson, Special Publications Editor
Craig Moritz, Assistant Director Americas Sales & Exhibits
Mary Jane Touchstone, Print Publishing Manager
David Grant, Digital Publishing Manager
Laurie Sailsbury, Composition Specialist
Dennis Scharnberg, Proofreader
SOUTH AMERICA AND CARIBBEAN
Anelise Quintao Lara, Petrobras
SOUTH, CENTRAL, AND EAST EUROPE
Matthias Meister, Baker Hughes
SOUTH ASIA AND THE PACIFIC
We have the
Salis Aprilian, PT Badak NGL
SOUTHWESTERN NORTH AMERICA
superpower
Libby Einhorn, Concho Oil & Gas
WESTERN NORTH AMERICA
to see inside
Andrei Popa, Chevron
TECHNICAL DIRECTORS your well.
DRILLING
Jeff Moss, ExxonMobil And like all good
HEALTH, SAFETY, SECURITY, ENVIRONMENT,
AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
superheroes, we’ll be
Trey Shaffer, ERM right there when you
MANAGEMENT AND INFORMATION
J.C. Cunha
need us.
COMPLETIONS VISURAY’s revolutionary VR90®
Jennifer Miskimins, Colorado School of Mines
downhole X-ray diagnostic service is
PRODUCTION AND FACILITIES now available in Europe, the Middle
Hisham Saadawi, Ringstone Petroleum Consultants
East, and North America. In the North
RESERVOIR DESCRIPTION AND DYNAMICS Sea, our groundbreaking technology
Tom Blasingame, Texas A&M University
has been qualified by a major operator.
DIRECTOR FOR ACADEMIA
Wherever your well and whatever its
Dan Hill, Texas A&M University condition, you can count on us to see
AT-LARGE DIRECTORS what’s happening and deliver quality
Khaled Al-Buraik, Saudi Aramco
images 100% of the time. A quick call
Helena Wu, Santos Ltd. to us is all it takes to put your well
back into operation. You save time and
money, while VISURAY saves the day.
The Journal of Petroleum Technology® magazine is a visuray.com
registered trademark of SPE.
SPE PUBLICATIONS: SPE is not responsible for any Visit us at OWI 2017 in Abu Dhabi from
statement made or opinions expressed in its publications. October 9-10, and at SPE ATCE in San
Antonio from October 9-11.
EDITORIAL POLICY: SPE encourages open and objective
discussion of technical and professional subjects per-
tinent to the interests of the Society in its publications.
Society publications shall contain no judgmental remarks
or opinions as to the technical competence, personal
character, or motivations of any individual, company, or
group. Any material which, in the publisher’s opinion,
does not meet the standards for objectivity, pertinence,
and professional tone will be returned to the contribu-
tor with a request for revision before publication. SPE
accepts advertising (print and electronic) for goods and
services that, in the publisher’s judgment, address the
technical or professional interests of its readers. SPE
reserves the right to refuse to publish any advertising it
considers to be unacceptable.
COPYRIGHT AND USE: SPE grants permission to make
up to five copies of any article in this journal for personal
use. This permission is in addition to copying rights grant-
ed by law as fair use or library use. For copying beyond
that or the above permission: (1) libraries and other users
dealing with the Copyright Clearance Center (CCC) must
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copyright holder under the US Copyright Act.
Canada Publications Agreement #40612608.
 PERFORMANCE INDICES

WORLD CRUDE OIL PRODUCTION+‡ HENRY HUB GULF COAST NATURAL GAS SPOT PRICE‡

THOUSAND BOPD
6
2017
O PEC FEB MAR APR MAY 5 USD/million Btu
Algeria 1340 1316 1306 1306 4
Angola 1688 1630 1700 1660
3
Ecuador 535 531 528 533
Gabon 185 190 210 200 2
Iran 4300 4544 4544 4554
1
Iraq 4445 4431 4426 4476

SEP

OCT

NOV

DEC

2017
JAN

FEB

MAR

APR

MAY

JUN

JUL

AUG
Kuwait1 2770 2763 2763 2763
Libya 690 590 535 780
Nigeria 1869 1730 1780 1900
Qatar 1467 1507 1512 1517
WORLD CRUDE OIL PRICES (USD/bbl)‡
Saudi Arabia1 10040 9992 10022 10073
UAE 3047 3028 3008 3028
Venezuela 2090 2090 2080 2080 2017
JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG
TOTAL 34466 34342 34414 34870
Brent 54.58 54.87 51.59 52.31 50.33 46.37 48.48 51.70

THOUSAND BOPD WTI 52.50 53.47 49.33 51.06 48.48 45.18 46.63 48.04

2017
NON-OPEC FEB MAR APR MAY
Canada 4137 3682 3484 3614
WORLD ROTARY RIG COUNT†
China 3929 3903 3891 3829

Egypt 489 489 487 486

Mexico 2051 2052 2045 2053 2017

REGION FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG
Norway 1709 1750 1730 1651
US 744 789 853 893 931 953 947
Russia 10713 10654 10603 10543
Canada 342 253 108 85 150 198 217
UK 944 945 915 930
USA 9070 9131 9110 9169 Latin America 179 185 182 190 192 196 191
Other2 13428 13221 13129 13219 Europe 107 94 91 95 91 82 91

TOTAL 46470 45827 45394 45494 Middle East 382 386 389 391 397 397 391

Africa 77 80 89 84 86 89 84
Total World 80936 80169 79808 80364
Asia Pacific 196 198 205 197 194 195 195

INDICES KEY
TOTAL 2027 1985 1917 1935 2041 2110 2116
Numbers revised by EIA are given in italics.
+
Figures do not include natural gas plant liquids.
1
Includes approximately one-half of Neutral Zone production.
2
Additional annual and monthly international crude oil production statistics WORLD OIL SUPPLY AND DEMAND‡
are available at http://www.eia.gov/beta/international/.
† Source: Baker Hughes.
‡ Source: EIA.
MILLION BOPD 2017
Quarter 3rd 4th 1st 2nd

SUPPLY 97.03 98.37 96.99 97.77

DEMAND 97.55 97.87 97.14 98.06
Supply includes crude oil, lease condensates, natural gas plant liquids, biofuels, other liquids,
and refinery processing gains.

6 JPT • OCTOBER 2017

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 REGIONAL UPDATE
AFRICA
◗◗ Hyperdynamics said that drilling of
its Fatala-1 exploration well offshore
the Republic of Guinea has proceeded
successfully, with completion of the initial
portion of the well anticipated soon.
Company officials said a 36-in. conductor
casing was set into the seabed at a water
depth of 2897 m. As of the last week of
August, the hole for the surface casing
had been drilled 723 m to a water depth of
3620 m. The goal is to set a 20-in. casing
once drilling to a depth of 3814 m has
been accomplished. The company holds a
50% interest in the Fatala-1 venture with
South Atlantic Petroleum, a privately-
held exploration and production company
focused on African assets.
◗◗ Cairn Energy announced successful
results for its SNE North-1 exploration well
90 km offshore Senegal, located in the
Sangomar Deep Offshore block in 900 m
of water. At a total depth of 2837 m, oil and
gas was found in the primary objective,
as well as oil in the deeper secondary
objective, in a separate accumulation
to Cairn’s existing development in SNE
field. The preliminary analysis projects
resources including approximately 24 m of
gross hydrocarbon column spanning three
intervals, and a net of 11 m oil in a good-
quality reservoir in the secondary objective
of the play. Cairn’s Senegalese offshore
operations involve a joint venture with a
40% interest for Cairn, 35% for Woodside,
15% for FAR Limited, and 10% for Petrosen,
the national oil company of Senegal.
ASIA
◗◗ Oil Search has identified four major
exploration projects for natural gas on the
heel of its recent Muruk Field discovery in
Papua New Guinea. Two liquefied natural
gas pools in the play are believed to
contain reserves of 1 to 3 Tcf. Gas in the
geologically complex region was found
in both a hanging wall and a footwall
reservoir. The Muruk-1 well is to be joined by
several other wells throughout the next 2
years, depending on the findings of seismic
8 JPT • OCTOBER 2017
interpretation analyses. Muruk-1 is operated
by Oil Search, which holds a 37.5% stake
in the project; ExxonMobil represents
42.5% and Santos the remaining 20% of
the investment total.
EUROPE
◗◗ Statoil and several partners announced
the discovery of a noncommercial gas
deposit in the southeast Barents Sea. The
Korpfjell well is the first exploration well
drilled in the Norwegian portion of a region
once disputed between Norway and the
Russian Federation. While the discovery,
estimated at containing between 40 and
75 million bbl of recoverable oil equivalent,
does not hold commercial potential, it
indicates future potential for additional
exploration and drilling. Korpfjell is the
fourth well in Statoil’s 2017 efforts in the
Barents, where July saw the discovery
of the Kayak and Blåmann deposits, and
the Gemini deposit in August. Partners
include operator Statoil, with a share of
30%; Chevron with 20%; Petoro with
20%; Lundin Norway with 15%; and
ConocoPhillips with 15%.
◗◗ Frontera Resources has mobilized
a workover rig to its Ud-2 well onshore
Block 12 in Georgia. The rig will carry out
operations to clean the well, retrieve the
packer, and set the bridge plug, thereby
making three intervals accessible for
perforation and extended testing. The
well is located in the Mtsare Khevi Gas
Complex, a 950-km2 area. Two of the area’s
reservoirs, the Miocene-aged Gareji and
the Oligocene-aged Maykop, are estimated
to hold 8.3 Tcf of gas in place, with over
6 Tcf believed to be recoverable. Frontera
plans to connect the Ud-2 well with the
Mtsare Khevi gas-processing facility, which
is located 18 km from the well itself. The
facility is directly linked with the Georgian
gas-distribution infrastructure.
MIDDLE EAST
◗◗ Saudi Aramco has announced new
efforts to explore the Empty Quarter, the
world’s largest contiguous sand desert,
with the use of new seismic technology.
The technology generates a 3D picture of
the rock structure for several kilometers,
but it also reveals physical characteristics
of the rock, such as fluid saturation and
density. A large team is exploring an area
of more than 15,000 km2 around Turayqa,
a region already explored after its 2013
discovery. Previous joint-venture efforts
to explore the area of the Empty Quarter
were unsuccessful.
NORTH AMERICA
◗◗ Sacgasco Limited, a natural gas
developer and producer focused upon
California’s Sacramento Basin, advised
that drilling of the company’s over-1-Tcf
Dempsey 1-15 well is proceeding according
to schedule. The 13⅜-in. surface casing
was set and cemented to a depth of 552 m.
The rig is presently developing tools to
drill in 12¼-in. hole. Company officials said
reservoir sands will be drilled through at
field-production levels in the next stage of
the well, which is planned to be drilled in
three sections to depths of approximately
600, 2000, and 3200 m, respectively.
Sacgasco has identified seven target
reservoir levels. Individual prospective
resources of recoverable gas for the
primary targets range from 116 to 352 Bcf.
If the stacked reservoirs prove to be full
of gas, the prospect’s cumulative unrisked
recoverable prospective resources could
be greater than 1 Tcf.
SOUTH AMERICA
◗◗ Petrobras has announced the first
commercial discovery of oil accumulation
in the Campos Basin’s presalt layer in the
area of the Marlim Sul field during drilling of
Well 6-MLS-233-RJS (Petrobras), informally
known as Poraquê Alto. At a final depth of
4568 m, the well is located 115 km off the
coast of Rio de Janeiro State at a water
depth of 1107 m. Profile data, gas detection,
formation testing by cable, and fluid samples
verified the discovery. Current data indicate
carbonate reservoirs of good porosity and
permeability at a depth of 4420 m and a
45-m oil-presence thickness. JPT
 PP-17-015_JPT-AD.pdf 1 2017-09-13 9:56:13 AM

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 COMMENTS EDITORIAL COMMITTEE
Bernt Aadnøy, University of Stavanger

Syed Ali—Chairperson, Consultant

Tayfun Babadagli, University of Alberta

Mexico Builds Momentum William Bailey, Schlumberger

Mike Berry, Mike Berry Consulting

John Donnelly, JPT Editor Maria Capello, Kuwait Oil Company

Frank Chang, Saudi Aramco

Simon Chipperfield, Santos

In August, Mexico’s National Hydrocarbons Commission Alex Crabtree, Hess Corporation

delayed the date of its next deepwater auction by a month to Gunnar DeBruijn, Schlumberger
January 2018 to give companies more time to study the acre- Mark Egan, Retired
age on offer. Although postponing bid rounds is usually taken Mark Elkins, Retired
as a sign of lack of interest by private firms, the opposite is true
Alexandre Emerick,
in Mexico. Discoveries announced over the past few months Petrobras Research Center
have validated Mexico’s historic energy reform effort and may Niall Fleming, Statoil
propel the oil industry there to reverse years of decline.
Ted Frankiewicz, SPEC Services
In a sector hampered by the downturn in oil prices, Mexico’s offshore has emerged
as a bright spot. In July, US independent Talos Energy, Sierra Oil and Gas of Mexico, Stephen Goodyear, Shell

and Premier Oil of the UK announced one of the largest shallow-water finds of the Omer M. Gurpinar, Schlumberger
past 20 years. The block, located off the coast of Tabasco state, holds an estimat- A.G. Guzman-Garcia, Retired
ed 1.4 billion to 2.0 billion bbl of oil. The find, which came with Talos’ first explo- Greg Horton, Retired
ration well, was the first since Mexico began auctioning off onshore and offshore
John Hudson, Shell
properties in 2013. The block found up to 650 ft of oil-bearing reservoir of light
Morten Iversen, Karachaganak Petroleum
crude around 28–30 °API. That same month, Italian major Eni announced the dis-
covery of the shallow-water Amoca field in the bay of Campeche, which it said holds Leonard Kalfayan, Hess Corporation

1.3 billion BOE, of which 90% is oil. It is fast-tracking the development with hopes Thomas Knode, Athlon Solutions
to produce from 30,000 to 50,000 B/D of 25–27 °API crude in early 2019. Consul- Sunil Kokal, Saudi Aramco
tancy PIRA Energy expects the discoveries to add up to 200,000 B/D of crude pro- Marc Kuck, Eni US Operating
duction, and believes they are economic at a $50/bbl oil price, but not for at least
Jesse C. Lee, Schlumberger
another decade.
Douglas Lehr, Baker Hughes
Although deepwater and perhaps unconventional reserves hold the most prom-
ise for reviving Mexico’s oil sector, the country does not have a lot of time. Years Silviu Livescu, Baker Hughes

of blocking the private sector out and underfunding the state oil company Pemex Shouxiang (Mark) Ma, Saudi Aramco
have taken their toll. The country’s oil and gas output is down 40% from its peak; John Macpherson, Baker Hughes
oil production is 2.0 million B/D compared with its peak of 3.4 million B/D in 2004. Stéphane Menand, DrillScan
That led the government to finally open the entire oil and gas sector to private
Graham Mensa-Wilmot, Chevron
money, but the reform launch could not have come at a worse time. Oil prices soon
Badrul H. Mohamed Jan, University of Malaya
lost more than half their value, severely curtailing companies’ exploration budgets.
But the discoveries of Talos and Eni have breathed new life into Mexico’s upstream Zillur Rahim, Saudi Aramco

and attracted the interest of independents and supermajors. That is in contrast to Eric Ringle, FMC Technologies
the early bid rounds, which attracted only light participation. To date, seven auc- Martin Rylance, BP plc
tions have been held—three covering onshore, three for shallow offshore, and one Robello Samuel, Halliburton
for deep water. Pemex has also negotiated farmout agreements with private firms.
Otto L. Santos, Retired
Another three are scheduled for next year. The key will be interest in the January
Luigi A. Saputelli, Frontender Corporation
auction. Thirty deepwater oil and gas blocks will be up for bid in areas thought to
be potentially lucrative. Mexico’s deep water has been off limits to private firms and Sally A. Thomas, Retired

barely explored by Pemex. If resources there are anything like those found in the Win Thornton, BP plc
neighboring US Gulf of Mexico, the country’s upstream sector may become one of Xiuli Wang, Baker Hughes
the globe’s offshore bright spots. JPT Mike Weatherl, Well Integrity

Scott Wilson, Ryder Scott Company

Jonathan Wylde, Clariant Oil Services

Robert Ziegler, Weatherford

To contact JPT’s editor, email jdonnelly@spe.org.

10 JPT • OCTOBER 2017

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 GUEST EDITORIAL
We Need To Celebrate Our Successes
if We Want the Next Generation
To Be Part of Our Future
Alistair Geddes, Executive Vice President, Expro
The prolonged downturn in commodity prices that started
in the summer of 2014 has seen more than 350,000 people
globally lose their jobs in the oil and gas industry to date.
However, as BP’s mantra “lower for longer” evolves into
Shell’s phrase “lower forever” and we adapt to the reality of
working with an oil price around $50/bbl, signs of recovery
are beginning to occur.
The US shale sector, with its relatively low operational
expenditure costs and rapid rig up time, has led that revival,
and it is anticipated that deepwater projects, which have also
experienced cost reductions over the past 3 years, will fol-
low in time.
However, in line with every other time this cyclical sector
has come out of a downturn, the anticipated increase in activ-
ity is matched by concerns over how and where the indus-
try will find the recruits required to fuel a resurgence, either
through attracting former employees back or encouraging
new, young people to join.
Attempts to attract new employees can be hampered by
negative perceptions of oil and gas in some parts of the world.
This challenge was reinforced recently by a poll from Ernst &
Young (EY) among 1,200 consumers and 100 industry execu-
tives in the US. Held in the first quarter of this year, the US
Oil and Gas Perception poll found that only 26% of Gener-
ation Z (aged 16–19) and 45% of millennials (aged 20–35)
Alistair Geddes is executive vice president
of Expro. He has 30 years of experience in
the oil and gas industry, starting his career
with BP and holding senior management
roles at Mobil/Exxon Mobil, BG Group, and
Weatherford International. Geddes joined
Expro from Weatherford and, in 2012,
became president for strategy, resource
development, and support, where he was responsible for
mergers and acquisitions; business enhancement projects; and
group support functions, including supply chain, human
resources, learning and development, marketing, com-
munications, and information technology. Most recently, he
was appointed executive vice president, responsible for
product lines, technology, and business development. Geddes
holds a BS degree in chemical engineering from Heriot-Watt
University, Edinburgh.
12
without a set career path found jobs in the industry appeal-
ing. A surprising 39% of teenagers actually ranked it as “very
unappealing.” Two out of three believed the industry causes
problems rather than solves them and just 36% thought it
had a positive effect on local and global communities. Fur-
thermore, the majority from the younger generation per-
ceived oil and gas jobs to be blue collar, dangerous, and physi-
cally demanding, and just 39% thought it provided long-term
financial stability.
Such assumptions do not extend to every corner of the
world (there is generally considerable interest and enthu-
siasm in Africa and Asia, for example), but one could argue
that a perception challenge toward the benefits of working in
oil and gas does exist within societies in Western Europe and
North America.
As an industry, our efforts to promote the positive and
exciting aspects of our job have often fallen short of convinc-
ing the wider public of the crucial role oil and gas plays in
sustaining the global economy and modern life. As a result,
compared with other industries, we do have to work harder
to recruit for some roles. Maybe we take for granted the tech-
nical achievements that many companies make to overcome
ever-more-complex challenges and that often astound the
outside world when it hears of them?
We have to remind people that the days of the oil rig
as a dirty and inhospitable place are no longer the norm.
New-generation rigs are equipped with increased automa-
tion, digitalization, highly sophisticated control rooms, and
a safe and clean environment with a near-personless rig
floor. It is important they also recognize our status as a
global industry that fuels the world, offering the opportu-
nity to work and travel in many locations, providing high-
ly rewarding long-term careers and personal develop-
ment benefits.
To attract new talent, we have to reach out to it at the
earliest opportunity. As an example, Expro supports the
Offshore Technology Conference Houston schools activity,
and, following success at Offshore Europe (OE) in 2015, we
once again committed to OE 2017’s Inspire schools engage-
ment program, working with young people aged from
13–14 and from 15–17. This program proved to be an excel-
lent way for them to test their perceptions, learn more
about oil and gas, and hear about the genuinely exciting
career opportunities that exist. We were hugely impressed
JPT • OCTOBER 2017
by the enthusiasm and willingness to engage from pupils
and teachers.

45
With potential industry recruits having been excited and
alerted to the opportunities in oil and gas, it is the respon-
sibility of individual companies to retain that talent and to

+
maintain continuous engagement with it. Many companies,
including our own, have established comprehensive and
structured development programs that give motivated indi-
viduals the opportunity to multiskill and realize their ambi-
tions. In return, the industry looks to attract people who
can enhance a culture of self-motivation, drive, and deter-
mination, with openness to adaptability and a desire for
personal development. Terminal
Locations
Importantly, those in the EY poll concerned about the
effect of oil and gas on communities should consider the
vast strides the industry has taken over the years to improve
its quality, health, safety, and environment record, and the
active part the sector is playing in the transition to low- and
no-carbon energy adoption. They should be encouraged to Our vast terminal network is ready
think of energy in its entirety and how they can help the
oil and gas industry continue to improve its environmental to meet your proppant demands quickly
record from within, rather than watching (or judging) it from and efficiently. Operating over 45
the sidelines. After all, some of the technology developments terminal locations in all key basins,
in offshore wind have come from solutions deployed within we ensure better proppant when you
oil and gas, specifically steel-jacket structures as opposed to
concrete monopiles. need it, where you need it.
Far from being a dying industry, oil and gas will con-
tinue to reinvent itself, overcome ever-greater technical
challenges, and carry on doing amazing things, whether
that is in new areas such as frontier exploration and aban-
donment or in simply getting better at the things we have Partner with the Proven Proppant
always done. Our significant advances in drilling technol-
ogy—including extended-reach drilling depths of 12 km
Resource at SPE ATCE Booth #1671.
(Sakhalin, offshore Russia)—are just one example that per- FMSA.com/JPT
haps we have taken the achievement for granted rather than
recognized it.
In his opening address at OE 2015, Professor Brian Cox,
who came from the nuclear power sector, said that he had
never come across an industry that apologized for itself
as much as oil and gas and that we should be proud of our
achievements. He was right. It is time that we made our next
generation more aware of our success if they are to be part of
our future. JPT

Proppant Solutions

JPT • OCTOBER 2017

 TECHNOLOGY APPLICATIONS
Chris Carpenter, JPT Technology Editor
Well-Service Pump
Gardner Denver introduced the Thun-
der Series well-service-pump plat-
form, which comes in two basic models:
a 3,000-BHP quintuplex (Fig. 1) and a
2,550-BHP triplex, both with high rod-
load and 11-in. stroke length. The 11-in.
stroke provides the advantage of gener-
ating more flow per cylinder per rotation
of the pump than conventional 8-in. and
10-in. stroke pumps: 37% more vs. 8-in.
and 10% more vs. 10-in. This reduc-
es the pump speed required to achieve
the same flow and pressure output of
conventional shorter-stroke pumps. That
means these pumps accumulate fewer
cycles over time, which decreases over-
all wear and tear. The result is longer
time between scheduled maintenance
intervals, which are now aligned with the
engine and transmission, and a reduced
rate of consumable part use. The Thun-
der Series could also be run at similar
(higher) speeds than comparable pumps
in order to gain additional output per
unit and potentially reduce the required
number of pumps needed onsite, signif-
icantly affecting cost savings. Service is
simplified by easy removal of key parts
for reduced handling weight, while struc-
tural security is provided by Nord-Lock
washers. The Thunder Series performs
well on older retrofitted conventional
trailers as well as newer trailers.
◗◗For additional information, visit
www.gardnerdenverpumps.com/
thunder/.
Fig. 1—The 3,000-BHP quintuplex well-service pump from Gardner Denver.
14
Production-Optimization
Software
IntelliStream, from Baker Hughes, a GE
company, is an upstream enterprise soft-
ware that focuses on reducing nonpro-
ductive time and improving production
optimization through a single system.
Purpose-built on Predix, GE’s platform
for the industrial Internet, and leverag-
ing a foundation of asset-performance-
management capabilities, the software
provides analytics-driven visibility and
insights across a variety of resources
including reservoirs, wells, networks,
facilities, and people. Enabling orga-
nizations with topline revenue growth
insights and cost-reduction metrics, the
software tracks and trends the health
of oil and gas equipment, production
flow, and well patterns. It also aims to
learn constantly by use of digital twins,
self-learning models, correlation analy-
sis, multiaxis well history, and interac-
tion and dependency analysis. With an
integrated view of upstream data, rang-
ing from a lost-production heat map to
lift analysis, this software provides oil
and gas companies with the information
needed to increase efficiency and profit-
ability, reduce cost, manage resources,
and optimize production.
◗◗For additional information, visit
www.bhge.com.
Sand-Control Technology
Tendeka introduced its Cascade3 technol-
ogy, which overcomes sand-control chal-
lenges by preventing sand production
entirely. The platform eliminates the fail-
ure mechanisms associated with water-
injection wells, providing operators with
improved injectivity, recovery, and well
life. The technology provides a unique
solution to water hammer, crossflow, and
backflow, which is accomplished by iso-
lating fluid in the completion annulus
and locking injection water into the for-
mation to eliminate the transport mech-
anism for sand production entirely. Cas-
cade3 can be radially mounted in the
screen base pipe, with no effect on outer
or inner diameter and without altering
completion geometry. The technology
provides up to 10,000 BWPD injection
per screen joint at low pressure drop and
unit velocities. With a simple and unob-
trusive design, Cascade3 is compatible
with both gravel packs and standalone
screens. In addition to boosting produc-
tion, Cascade3 reduces the need for inter-
ventions and redrills, significantly lower-
ing long-term operational costs.
◗◗For additional information, visit
www.tendeka.com.
Dry Additive Mix Unit
National Oilwell Varco has introduced a
new dry additive mix unit to its Rolligon
product line. The new unit is designed
to address the challenges that operators
face on their fracturing sites, providing
greater flexibility in additive selection to
reduce costs and improve performance.
Traditional gels, which were slurried
in diesel or mineral oil, have previous-
ly been used on the basis of their ease
of metering. However, efforts to reduce
costs have led to the rise of accurate
dry gel additive systems. The elimina-
tion of the mineral oil reduces both the
product cost and the volume of prod-
uct transported to the job site, thereby
reducing truck traffic, improving logis-
tics efficiencies, and reducing logistics
cost. The new mix unit uses a custom-
engineered mixer to premix the dry addi-
tive with water for optimum mix qual-
ity. The unit is designed to handle the
JPT • OCTOBER 2017
 EXTEND YOUR REACH

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fracturing technology, helps you finish extended reach wells by achieving higher rates, deeper depths, and unlimited stage counts -- boasting a
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 Fig. 2—National Oilwell Varco’s new Rolligon dry additive mix unit.
high feed rates needed for gel applica-
tions but can be easily adapted to accom-
modate much lower feed rates for addi-
tives such as dry friction reducer. The
unit also includes on-board bulk hop-
pers, which can be pneumatically filled,
and a dust-collection system to filter the
hopper exhaust during the filling process
(Fig. 2). Additionally, automated mixing
controls allow for minimal interaction by
operator personnel.
◗◗For additional information, visit
www.nov.com.
Fracturing Plug Bit
In a series of Bakken formation multi-
zone completions, a polycrystalline dia-
mond compact (PDC) bit for fracturing-
plug drillout has averaged a 40%
increase in plugs drilled with 40% more
total drill time, while improving the drill-
ing rate to an average 5.5 min/plug com-
pared with standard mill bits. The Slip-
16
Stream PDC bit developed by Varel Oil
and Gas Drill Bits is designed to over-
come drillout challenges presented by
the metal, composite, and elastomer
Fig. 3—Varel’s SlipStream PDC bit
builds on fracturing-plug drillout
success of the SlipStream roller-cone
model.
components of standard bridge and frac-
turing plugs. Building on the SlipStream
roller-cone model, the PDC bit exhib-
its similar improvements in efficiency
and wear while providing the inherent-
ly greater reliability of a solid-body bit
(Fig. 3). The PDC design improves effi-
ciency and minimizes torque with shock
studs located strategically around the
bit shoulder and gauge. The studs limit
interaction with the fracturing plug to
achieve a more efficient cutting struc-
ture with reduced torque. Passive cutter
back rake also helps reduce torque gen-
erated when cutting. Bit life is enhanced
by a longer gauge to enhance stability
and durability. The cutting structure is
a six-blade, 9-mm PDC design plural set
for redundancy, with cutters on different
blades located on the same radius from
the center. JPT
◗◗For additional information, visit
www.vareloilandgas.com/index.php/en/.
JPT • OCTOBER 2017
RESETTING
PRESSURE RELIEF
EXPECTATIONS
TH E K L X ¨ F RAC REL IEF VALVE SYS T EM BRINGS
N E X T L E VEL PRECISION AND P ERFO R MA NC E T O
HY DR A U L IC F RACTURING
Conventional nitrogen actuated pop-off valves operate with significant pressure variance,
®
and create costly Non-Productive Time (NPT). But the KLX Frac Relief Valve System
automatically engages at pre-set levels, then resets immediately after pressure has been
relieved. And each unit comes with on-site support and remote monitoring to keep your
frac on track. The result is less pressure variance and the elimination of 1–2 NPT hours
daily—maximizing efficiency while protecting your crew, wellbore and equipment.

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 TECHNOLOGY UPDATE
Tool Enables Complete Cased-Hole Formation
Evaluation, Reservoir Saturation Modeling
Rahul Grover, SPE, Schlumberger
For more than 40 years, the indus-
try has used pulsed neutron logging to
determine hydrocarbon and water sat-
urations behind casing for reservoir
management. Multiphase saturation
measurements over time are useful for
tracking reservoir depletion, planning
workover and enhanced recovery strat-
egies, and diagnosing production prob-
lems such as water influx and injection
fluid breakthrough. Cased-hole logs also
serve as a contingency when openhole
logs cannot be run or are not considered
for reservoir characterization.
Although the cased-hole measure-
ment suite has been greatly improved
over many tool generations, the intrin-
sic physical measurements remained
unchanged, which meant that opera-
tors could not obtain a complete pic-
ture of the rock and fluids behind cas-
ing. Input from openhole logs was
required from a porosity or bulk den-
sity measurement for combination
with the neutron porosity. Absent
this input, primary formation evalua-
tion in cased wellbores can be ambig-
uous. An additional challenge with
cased-hole logging is correctly com-
pensating for the effects of borehole
fluids and the presence of comple-
tion hardware.
Next-Generation Logs
To meet the need for accurate surveil-
lance in cased holes, Schlumberger
recently introduced the Pulsar multi-
function spectroscopy system. The sys-
tem builds on innovative technologies
originated by the company to provide
the first complete cased-hole forma-
tion evaluation and reservoir saturation
monitoring capability with openhole-
equivalent measurements.
18
This next generation in pulsed neu-
tron logging integrates multiple detec-
tors and a high-output pulsed neu-
tron generator (PNG) to significantly
improve measurement precision, data
acquisition accuracy, and logging
speed. The measurements are comple-
mented by powerful algorithms that
compensate for variation in the bore-
hole fluids and completion in deliver-
ing robust, representative answers in
complex conditions.
The PNG and four detectors are
housed in a 1.72-in.-outside-diameter
(OD) tool that is designed for through-
tubing access and logging through
most completion restrictions.
The detector adjacent to the PNG is
the compact neutron monitor, which
is primarily sensitive to fast neu-
trons to provide accurate and pre-
cise output measurement. There are
three scintillation gamma-ray detec-
tors for near, far, and deep detec-
tion. The near and far detectors use
cerium-doped lanthanum bromide
(LaBr3:Ce) scintillators, and the deep
detector, farthest spaced from the
PNG, has an yttrium aluminum  perov-
skite scintillator.
The three gamma-ray detectors are
coupled to high-temperature-rated
photomultiplier tubes, and their puls-
es  are counted with specialized elec-
tronics matched to the high rate and
resolution of the LaBr3:Ce scintillators.
Detector resolution is only mini-
mally degraded at high temperatures
to 350°F, which avoids the need for a
conventional flask that would increase
tool OD and limit downhole operating
time. The housing is corrosion resistant
and NACE-MR0175-compliant, which
enables deployment in corrosive well
environments such as those with hydro-
gen sulfide or carbon dioxide.
The engineered architecture of this
new advanced tool and the use of self-
compensating algorithms provide a
wealth of information in a single log-
ging run: traditional cased-hole mea-
surements; an expanded suite of ele-
ments, including total organic carbon
(TOC); and the new fast neutron cross-
section (FNXS) measurement.
Unlike the hydrogen index (HI) mea-
surement that dominates convention-
al cased-hole logging, FNXS is direct-
ly sensitive to the volume of gas in the
formation to differentiate and quantify
gas-filled porosity from liquid-filled and
tight zones without any openhole input.
It has a functionality similar to the bulk
density log, although it is not a cased-
hole density measurement. The combi-
nation of sigma, HI, and FNXS measure-
ments computes complex multiphase
fluid saturations without an externally
supplied porosity curve.
The high-fidelity determination of
mineralogy by the new tool revolution-
izes gamma-ray spectroscopy by direct-
ly measuring the majority of the ele-
ments that constitute the Earth’s crust.
The multifunction spectroscopy system
enables the acquisition of quantitative
elemental concentrations downhole at
reservoir pressures and temperatures in
both open and cased holes.
The tool architecture greatly improves
spectral carbon/oxygen ratio (C/O) mea-
surement for a highly accurate satura-
tion answer obtained at faster speeds.
An alternative to using the C/O for com-
puting oil saturation is combining the
inelastic and capture elemental yields
to compute the formation’s elemen-
tal concentrations expressed in dry-
JPT • OCTOBER 2017
weight percentages to produce quanti-
tative lithology fractions and estimate
the TOC. The quantitative elemental
concentrations enable data interpreta-
tion in terms of mineral fractions, ker-
ogen content, and hydrocarbon type
and content.
With TOC logging a reality for uncon-
ventional resource plays such as shale
gas, shale oil, and in-situ thermal pro-
cessing of oil shale, operators can eas-
ily move from one shale play to anoth-
er while building tangible workflows to
evaluate these challenging reservoirs,
long before the results of core analysis
are available.
Case Study
A US land well was drilled with an
8¾-in. bit and completed with 4½-in.
casing. The difference between the hole
and casing diameters resulted in the
cement thickness of the completion
exceeding 2 in.
The shaly sand formation had alter-
nating low-porosity, gas-filled zones
and very-low-porosity zones. Although
openhole logs were run, the operator
needed greater insight into the forma-
tion and its fluid contents.
The new spectroscopy system unique-
ly provided the operator with a stand-
alone petrophysical volumetric inter-
pretation that incorporated robust,
high-fidelity quantified mineralogy and
lithology. No openhole logging data
were necessary for complete, single-run
formation evaluation.
In addition to obtaining highly accu-
rate elemental concentrations, includ-
ing TOC, the tool acquired tradition-
al cased-hole sigma, porosity, and C/O
measurements but at a higher resolution
and significantly faster logging speed
than possible with conventional cased-
hole logging tools.
The FNXS measurement reliably dif-
ferentiated gas-filled porosity from
liquid-filled porosity and tight zones.
Logging the shaly sand with a sin-
gle run revealed two zones of inter-
est. However, the environmentally cor-
rected FNXS curve showed that only
the lower zone contained gas—unlike
the very-low-porosity upper zone
that conventional cased-hole logging
would have also assumed to be gas-
bearing (Fig. 1).
The standalone volumetric interpre-
tation performed by means of a linear
solver with the tool’s sigma, FNXS, and
neutron-porosity measurements was
validated by the previously obtained
openhole logs.
With this single-run, single-tool sys-
tem for logging cased wells, the opera-

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 Fig. 1—The new multifunction spectroscopy tool’s FNXS measurement was environmentally corrected for the large
volume of light cement in the annulus to differentiate the gas-filled porosity zone at X,160–X,180 ft from the dry zone at
X,270–X,330 ft. A conventional cased-hole pulsed neutron log, as approximated by the near/deep count ratio in Track 5,
would read gas in the upper tight zone. Source: Schlumberger.

tor was able to streamline operations compensated sigma and thermal neu- higher-quality information is being
to a single log obtained in more stable tron porosity brings new robustness to obtained from standalone pulsed neu-
cased wells. pulsed neutron measurements. In com- tron logging than previously possi-
bination with introduction of the new ble, while less external input and fewer
Conclusions FNXS measurement and an expand- assumptions are required.
The advent of the new multifunc- ed set of high-quality spectroscopy An important modeling advantage
tion spectroscopy system’s self- elemental concentrations, more and is that these independent measure-
ments follow linear mixing laws, so
they can be entered into simultaneous
equations to compute the various min-
eral and fluid volumes, including oil,
water, and gas fractions. From these
fractions, multiphase saturations are
obtained (Fig. 2).
Another advantage in using the new
tool’s formation properties is that
complex nuclear models are no longer
required to interpret raw data, such as
count ratios during or after the PNG
bursts. Instead, the same method and
interpretation software used to analyze
Fig. 2—The evaluation workflow for the new multifunction spectroscopy
openhole logs can be consistently
system can be adapted to any situation to solve for fluid saturations and other
important unknowns for the reservoir from the tool’s simultaneously acquired applied to formation properties mea-
independent measurements. Source: Schlumberger. sured through casing. JPT

20 JPT • OCTOBER 2017

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· © 2017 All Rights Reserved · 1594
 E&P NOTES
Researchers Gain Insights Into Microbial
Succession in Offshore Wells
Joel Parshall, JPT Features Editor
Researchers from Shell and Newcastle
University in the United Kingdom, in
collaboration with the US Department
of Energy (DOE) Joint Genome Institute
(JGI), have obtained valuable insights into
the succession of microbial populations
in multiple oil wells drilled in a North Sea
field. Findings from the research could
influence future industry practices.
Microbes play an important part in
maintaining the earth’s biogeochemical
cycles and are known to have displayed
a very successful adaptive capability in
extreme subsurface conditions when
they are relatively stable.
The Shell-Newcastle University re-
search focused on the response of
microbes to the disruption of their envi-
ronment caused by well drilling and
production-related activities and the
microbial impact on reservoir production.
Injection Brings New Microbes
Water injection, for example, brings new
microbes into the indigenous population.
New Study Shows Stanching of Decline in Oil Reserves,
Revenue
Stephen Whitfield, Senior Staff Writer
With the release of Ernst & Young’s (EY)
2017 US oil and gas reserves study, the ser-
vices firm hosted a presentation in which
a panel of its analysts discussed trends
among independent and integrated com-
panies within the industry. Along with
oil and gas reserves, the panel examined
trends in capital expenditures (Capex) for
exploration and development activities as
well as other performance metrics.
A key takeaway from the EY study
was that prices are trending lower than
22
That can lead to the formation of hydro-
gen sulfide, which is very toxic and cor-
rosive and can negatively affect the quan-
tity and quality of oil production.
The research team used data-analysis
tools that were developed by DOE JGI
and are publicly accessible through the
Integrated Microbial Genomes and Meta-
genomes system. DOE JGI is a user facility
of the DOE Office of Science.
The team did a genetic analysis com-
paring samples from the microbe com-
munities in 32 wells as deep as 6,560 ft
beneath the seafloor in Denmark’s Half-
dan field. Shell holds an interest in the
consortium that owns the field.
Sequencing the samples and analyz-
ing the data, the researchers investigat-
ed microbe population compositions
and how they change over the time a
well remains in production. The Halfdan
wells had been drilled at various times
over the past 15 years.
The data obtained have provid-
ed insights into the ways that foreign
in recent history and volatility in price
is somewhat subdued. Capex totaled
$85.7 billion in 2016, 27% lower than in
2015 and 57% lower than in 2014. The
study said that the oil price has stabilized
at a “new normal,” and that this stabili-
zation has helped limit the flow of rat-
ings downgrades and reserve revisions
from 2015 to 2016. The US Energy Infor-
mation Administration (EIA) expects the
country to see a 4% growth in oil produc-
tion in 2017.
substances injected through wells into
microbial populations deep beneath the
earth’s surface can perturb those previ-
ously isolated communities.
More Diversity Than Expected
Overall, the results point to a greater diver-
sity and dynamism in drillsite microbial
populations, and a greater than expected
responsiveness to drilling activity.
“For the first time, we are able to
shed light into this remote and large-
ly unexplored ecosystem” said Nicolas
Tsesmetzis of Shell International Explo-
ration and Production, senior author of
the study. “The largely heterogeneous
and highly diverse microbial communi-
ties recovered from the different oil wells
of the same oil field was rather unexpect-
ed and brings about a paradigm shift in
our standard microbial monitoring prac-
tices of petroleum systems.”
The research results could help the
industry design new techniques to man-
age microbiological problems.
Fig. 1 shows the exploration and devel-
opment spend in the US by the 50 largest
companies based on 2016 US end-of-year
oil and gas reserve estimates from 2012
to 2016. James Bowie, senior manager of
the financial advisory assurance services
group at EY, said there was a significant
drop in Capex and the number of net
wells drilled: exploratory wells saw a 15%
drop, from 1,005 in 2015 to 859 last year,
and developmental wells saw a 51% drop
from 10,579 to 5,194. The study conclud-
JPT • OCTOBER 2017
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 ed that growth in proved and unproved 140.0
property acquisition costs was more than
offset by significant reductions. 120.0
Bowie said companies were being
100.0
more strategic in how they’re develop-
ing reserves, placing a greater emphasis

Billions, USD
80.0
on areas where they can see immediate
return. In some cases, he said, companies
60.0
are delaying the development of assets
until they see stronger signs of economic 40.0
recovery. But despite the drop in activity,
he said there was a positive story behind 20.0
the numbers, namely that capital expen-
diture dollars are going farther as US pro- 0.0
ducers become more efficient in uncon- Exploration Development
ventional drilling and as oilfield service
companies see an increase in pressure 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
on prices.
Fig. 1—EY’s study showed a slight drop in exploration Capex from 2012 to 2016
“Even though we’re seeing that decline and a dramatic drop in development Capex from its peak in 2014.
in Capex for development, that doesn’t
necessarily mean that we’re going to see 250 60
a corresponding decline in production,
200 50
because each of those developing Capex
dollars is going farther than it did last 150 40
year,” Bowie said. 30

USD per BOE

Billions, USD

Herb Listen, EY US oil and gas assur-
ance leader and moderator of the discus-
sion, said that while some Capex reduc-
tion is due to an increase in operational
efficiency, service companies had still
felt significant downward pricing pres-
sure that is not sustainable over the long
term. As a result, industry should expect
to see further consolidation. Mitch Fane
called the merger between Baker Hughes
and GE Oil and Gas last month a “trans-
formational” deal in that regard.
“I think a lot of other oilfield service
companies were waiting for that [deal]
to clear the market, and then they could
react from there,” said Fane, southwest
region energy leader in transaction advi-
sory services at EY. “We’ve seen an uptick
in activity and interest with all the other
players in the market trying to figure out
how to react and move forward. I would
expect that that’s another bit of a renais-
sance there where some of the stron-
ger players will come out and they’ll be
more efficient in the market, which in
turn should help a lot of upstream clients
that we work with moving forward from a
pricing and efficiency standpoint.”
Fig. 2 shows revenue and income from
exploration and production activities
from 2012 to 2016. The totals are shown
100
20
50
10
0
0
–50
–10
–100 –20
–150 –30
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
Net income (left axis)
Revenues (left axis)
Revenue per BOE (right axis) Net income per BOE (right axis)
Fig. 2—Revenues and net income from the 50 largest companies regressed to
the mean in 2016 after a significant decrease the previous year.
on two bases: the lines represent an abso- “Unfortunately, it is still a net loss,
lute number while the bars represent a so that is why we talk about this being
per barrel basis, which Bowie said helps less bad but still not good,” Bowie said.
analysts see trends in terms of an overall “But we’re starting to head back in the
price decline. right direction.”
The decline in oil price drove the drop Oil reserves showed a modest decline
in revenue from 2014 to 2015. Bowie said of 2% last year as extensions and dis-
the drop noted in Fig. 2 was a “double coveries helped offset a 3% drop in
whammy” in that these drops led to a production, while substantially lower
drop in price expectations, which led to downward revisions were recorded
reserve revisions and subsequent impair- compared to 2015. Oil reserves were
ment of assets. Last year, EY saw a signif- 24.4 billion bbl in 2015 compared to
icant reduction in the number of impair- 23.9 billion bbl in 2016. End-of-year
ments, which caused revenue and income gas reserves dropped by 1% in 2016 to
to revert to the mean. Bowie said that 149 Tcf, compared to a 21% drop in 2015
while not ideal, this reversion is a posi- that was largely due to significant down-
tive sign. ward reserve revisions. 

24 JPT • OCTOBER 2017

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 Total Acquires Maersk Oil in $7.5-Billion Deal,
Boosts North Sea Presence
Pam Boschee, Senior Editor
Total will acquire Maersk Oil for
$4.95  billion in Total shares and will
assume $2.5 billion of Maersk’s debt.
The deal will expand Total’s global hold-
ings to approximately 1 billion BOE of
2P/2C reserves, of which more than 80%
are in the North Sea. Total said that the
combination of its and Maersk’s assets
in the North Sea is expected to “generate
operational, commercial, and financial
synergies” of more than $400  million
per year. Closing of the deal is expected
in 1Q 2018.
Included in the Maersk North Sea
holdings are interests in Johan Sver-
drup (8.44%) and the Culzean gas
condensate field (49.99%). At the
end of 2Q, Culzean’s project comple-
tion rate was 55%, ahead of the expect-
ed 48%. Maersk reported in July that
the gas export and condensate pipe-
lines had been laid and all three
jackets installed on the field. High-
pressure/high-temperature drilling be-
Demand for Raw Fracturing Sand Set for Healthy Growth
Joel Parshall, JPT Features Editor
Demand for raw fracturing sand is fore-
cast to increase by more than 4% per
year to almost 100 billion pounds in
2021, according to a recently released
study by industry research firm, the
Freedonia Group. In value terms, raw
fracturing sand is expected to grow at a
10% annual rate to more than $3 billion
in 2021, which reflects substantial gains
in average prices and volume levels.
The study, Proppants in North Amer-
ica, presents historical data from 2006,
2011, and 2016. It forecasts to 2021 by
type—including raw fracturing sand,
resin-coated sand, and ceramic prop-
pant—and market location in pounds
and US-dollar values. The study also
evaluates key industry players.
Raw sand demand is expected to
grow in the United States and Canada,
with the US being the principal user
26
gan in July. Production is expected to
start in 2019.
The deal will make Total the second-
largest operator in the northwest Europe
offshore region with its more than
0.5 million BOE/D gross production.
Patrick Pouyanné, Total chairman and
CEO, said that in addition to the UK,
Norway, and Denmark assets, “Interna-
tionally, in the US Gulf of Mexico, Alge-
ria, East Africa, Kazakhstan, and Angola
there is an excellent fit …” between the
companies’ businesses. He added that
Total “will become a 3 million BOE/D
major by 2019.”
Lower oil prices have put the squeeze
on across the industry, including opera-
tors, drillers, and service companies.
In assessing their strengths (and weak-
nesses), some have concluded that a
change in strategy is warranted. In Sep-
tember, Maersk announced its strate-
gy to focus on its transport and logis-
tics divisions. The company said about
at a market share of 88% in 2016, the
study said.
New West Texas Sand Sources
Healthy growth is forecast for all
types of raw fracturing sand, although
Northern White and Brady sand are
expected to see competition from new
mines opening in west Texas. Growth
will be driven by robust gains for
this other raw sand, which is expect-
ed to show increases of 12% per year
through 2021.
Although other sand has been
mined in states such as Arizona and
Ohio, sand  mined in west Texas has
recently shown strong market growth
among major suppliers because of
the source’s proximity to US uncon-
ventional development activity in the
Permian Basin. The study noted that
the deal with Total that “it has been
seeking sustainable structural solutions
for its energy-related businesses that
will enable it to separate them from
the group” and that this is a “major
first step in this separation agenda.”
In April, Maersk signed a sale and pur-
chase agreement for the acquisition of
Oetker Group’s Hamburg Süd, a Ger-
man shipping line, which the company
said was “meaningful progress towards
achieving” their strategic plan.
Acquisitions and mergers, consoli-
dations, and joint ventures are shak-
ing out as companies with more finan-
cial resources, and looking for bigger
rewards by weighing risks, are flexing
their muscles. Among the deals recent-
ly announced: Centrica and Bayern-
gas Norge formed a joint venture; GE
acquired Baker Hughes; Transocean is
acquiring Norwegian-based Songa Off-
shore; and offshore drilling contractor
Ensco is set to buy Atwood Oceanics.
suppliers Hi-Crush, Unimin, and
US Silica have made recent invest-
ments in newly discovered west Texas
sand sources.
As oil prices have appeared to sta-
bilize and drillers continue to achieve
new efficiencies, well completion activ-
ity has been recovering and is projected
to grow through 2021. While the number
of completions is not expected to reach
levels seen before the price collapse,
sand demand is getting a boost from
increased proppant loadings per well,
the study said.
Volume, Density Increase
The volume and density of proppants
used in hydraulic fracturing contin-
ue to rise, with technology improve-
ments frequently calling for higher
proppant levels. Unconventional wells
JPT • OCTOBER 2017
are now seeing an average of 10 mil-
lion lbm of proppant pumped per well.
In transport capacity, that is equiva-
lent to delivery loads of 100 rail cars
and 400 trucks of sand, according to
the study.
Raw fracturing sand continues to gain
market share from resin-coated sand,
ceramic proppants, and other specialty
proppants, the study said.
Bidding Interest Drops for Gulf
of Mexico Leases
Joel Parshall, JPT Features Editor
Oil industry interest in obtaining new
offshore acreage in the US Gulf of Mexi-
co (GOM) showed a significant decline in
the mid-August federal outer continental
shelf lease sale, compared with the previ-
ous sale in March.
US GOM regionwide Lease Sale 249,
held by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Man-
agement in New Orleans, drew 99 bids
from 27 participating companies, with
high bids totalling $121 million.
The value of all bids received was
$137  million for 90 blocks, a decline
of 57% in bid value and 45% in block
acreage from Central Lease Sale 247 on
22 March. That sale reflected the first
increase in industry leasing activity in
federal GOM waters in 5 years.
Deepwater Bids Dominate
In all, 14,177 blocks representing
75.94  million acres were offered in
August, with the 90 blocks receiving bids
amounting to 508,000 acres. More than
84% of the bids were for acreage in at
least 2,625 ft of water with the highest
concentration, 42 bids, for acreage in at
least 5,249 ft of water.
The highest bid came from Total at
$12.1 million for deepwater block Garden
Banks 1003, which is adjacent to Cobalt’s
appraised North Platte discovery that is
actively being marketed. It was one of six
high bids made by Total.
JPT • OCTOBER 2017
With the low oil price and greater
proppant volumes needed in today’s
completions, customers are seeking the
cheapest proppants available that can
meet the standards and characteristics
needed under expected well conditions.
Raw fracturing sand, the study said,
is by far the most economical prop-
BOHRIS
pant for the majority of wells likely to
be drilled. Simply look
deeper.
BOHRIS offers:
• Comprehensive well data management
• Standardized visualization of well logs
The sale’s second-highest bid was • Detailed well barrier schematics
$10.8 million by ExxonMobil for • Precise MAASP calculations
deepwater block Mississippi Canyon according to ISO 16530
779, one of seven high bids made by
the company.
Learn
Shell, Chevron Lead Bidding more at
Shell was the most active participant www.innogy.com/
with 19 high bids, followed by Chevron esk/BOHRIS
with 15 and Anadarko with 10. Chev-
ron ranked No. 1 in the total value of
high bids ($27.9 million), followed by
Shell ($25.1 million) and ExxonMobil
($20.3 million).
Commenting on the results of the
lease round, Senior Research Analyst
William Turner of Wood Mackenzie said,
“Deepwater blocks won the day today,
with 76 blocks receiving 98% of high-
bid value at $118 million. The deepwater
industry is emphasizing short-cycle,
low-risk prospects above high-impact,
wildcat drilling.
“Today,” he added, “we saw operators
continue to focus on areas near exist-
ing infrastructure, with a majority of
bids close to existing hubs or appraised
developments. However, bids from
Chevron, Shell, and Total near pre-FID
[final-investment-decision] discover-
ies, Guadalupe and North Platte, were a
vote of confidence in higher-risk, stand-
alone developments with potential for
higher rewards.” JPT
 “ We are in an era
in which the public
is going to watch
our environmental
habits as much as our
economic successes.
”
2018 SPE President
DARCY SPADY
Darcy Spady, the 2018 SPE president, is the first
Canadian to have been elected to this position. Spady,
who works with Calgary-based Broadview Energy,
has been an active SPE member since graduating
from university. Most recently, he served on the SPE
International Board as regional director for Canada;
he is also a member of the Vancouver and Calgary
sections. Spady has held officer positions in the
Calgary, Illinois Basin, and Appalachian sections. In
2012, he won a Regional Service Award for his work
in the Canada region.
Spady has an extensive background in the natural
gas, oil, and heavy oil segments of the industry,
having worked a decade for Schlumberger across
North America in its wireline and pressure pumping
segments, as well as with Columbia Natural Resources/
Triana Energy group in the Appalachians, and Atlantic
Canada. He has also served as CEO of Calgary-based
Contact Exploration and more recently as head of
sales for Sanjel Corporation.
He is an active independent director, serving as
board chairman for Green Imaging Technologies,
Crestwynd Exploration, and as a board member of
MNP Petroleum. He previously served on the boards
of Edge Resources, Contact Exploration, Guildhall
Minerals, and Poplar Point Exploration. Spady holds
a BS degree in petroleum engineering from the
University of Alberta.

What are the main goals you
would like to accomplish?
I have five main goals:
◗ The first one is revising the SPE
Strategic Plan, which has not
been updated in 5 years, and which
charts the course of SPE. Times
have changed dramatically, and
it is a different industry and a
different SPE.
◗ The second comes from my
background in the industry and
the company I am with, Broadview
Energy. I have a special interest in
heavy oil technology and would like
to promote the importance of that.
◗ The third goal is something I have
been talking about in the past
year since I was nominated: the
importance of increasing awareness
about the need for community
consensus and corporate social
responsibility. Previous SPE
presidents have talked about it, but
my flavor is a little different. I am
actually a farmer and do field work
around wellheads, so I look at the
issue from a landowner point of view.
◗ The fourth is to ensure that SPE’s
new sections and sections that may
be in remote areas receive the same
quality of programs and services
that the larger, better-established
sections receive. I think equality in
what SPE delivers is very important.
We need to grow equitably in a
global sense as well, making sure
we are a diverse organization that
reflects our membership.
◗ The fifth is to represent and
support the independent and small
producers around the world. My
experience on the producer side
has been with small companies,
and I sit at some board tables
with small companies, so I feel
an obligation to ensure better
attention from SPE to this group.
 How can SPE promote community
consensus?
We need to continue to increase aware­
ness of the importance of community
consensus and turn that back to the indi­
vidual member. How can “I” be a better
SPE member? Number 1, think of what
you are doing to others—the old golden
rule. Look in the mirror and be the best
possible corporate citizen you can be, as
if you were the user of your products or
services or engineering. Number 2, be
better technically. Both of those things fit
completely back into community aware­
ness and the idea of social responsibility.
I spend many hours in the spring and
the fall on the seat of a tractor or com­
bine, and have wells and pipelines on the
land that I work. So as I am driving over
a pipeline or nearby a well, I think, ‘Okay,
how do we as an industry treat the blade
of grass, the moose, the fish that is next
to our operations and have we forgotten
that little guy in the process?’ If I were an
engineer with 5 years of experience, how
would I design a pipeline or wellhead or
what type of drilling string would I use
and how would that impact the environ­
ment? Our industry has moved to such
a technical area of expertise that some­
times we forget we are partners with peo­
ple and nature. Every now and then, in
the more traditional oil and gas areas, we
At the Petroleum Institute in Abu Dhabi with, from left, Hadi Belhaj, Murray
Gray, Spady, Thomas Hochstettler, president, and Ali AlSumaiti.
30
At the Offshore Technology
Conference in Houston in May.
are surprised when folks stand up with
placards protesting what we do; we think
we have done a great job but we have
failed to talk to the community and let
them be part of the process.
Recently, I was in Surgut in Siberia
and Surgutneftegas is the big oil com­
pany there. The oil industry staff work in
Surgut, they live in Surgut, their dachas,
their summer homes, are on the out­
skirts of Surgut, and all the wells are
nearby. I think this is a great example of
people who live, work, think, and under­
stand what the industry does and how
it affects the environment around us. In
many places, there is a corporate deci­
sion maker, say, in Houston or London or
Calgary, and the field they are in charge of
might be hundreds or thousands of kilo­
meters away. Sometimes we isolate our­
selves in our little glass towers and don’t
ever think about that farmer, fish, blade
of grass in our day­to­day work. Maybe
we need a moment of silence at the coffee
pot every morning and every afternoon
to think about how what we do affects
people. We have safety moments—why
not a community moment?
Regarding the SPE strategic plan:
to the average member, what is its
importance?
SPE has not done one in 5 years and
industry conditions have changed dra­
matically. Put yourself back 5 years ago:
SPE was in growth mode, adding new
programs and services, and the oil price
was $100/bbl. Contrast that to today
where oil is at $40–50/bbl. Prioritiza­
tion of staff time and prioritization of
program spending has become criti­
cal, and members have strong opinions
about whether SPE is serving the right
areas. So the strategic plan amounts to
efficiency planning in a down market,
and planning our programs and services
in a way that best serves our member­
ship. The plan should be rolled out in
early 2018.
How has the downturn affected
SPE?
Membership retention has been solid,
which signals that SPE remains of great
value to our members. On the other side,
the downturn has been tough from a
services­provided point of view. SPE did
a very good job of quickly reacting to the
downturn, but we have had to make tough
decisions at the board level and SPE staff
was reduced, which was very difficult.
In mid­2014, SPE management put
out a document titled, “What do we do
at SPE if oil hits $60/bbl?” And I would
JPT • OCTOBER 2017
At the 2017 Middle East Oil Show with, from left, Nabeel Al-Afaleg, MEOS
chair; Amin Nasser, CEO of Saudi Aramco; and Ali Al-Naimi, retired Saudi
Minister of Petroleum.

like to highlight the fact that SPE was
at least 6 months ahead of most of the
industry on that. I put that document
on the side table in my office, and peo­
ple came in and looked at it and had a
funny look on their face like, could it be
that oil could fall to $60? But SPE was
proactive in being ready for the down­
turn, much more than a lot of oil com­
panies and service companies. So mem­
bership wasn’t hit that hard, and we were
quick to carefully and strategically cut
costs. So we have thus far weathered the
downturn well.
ing that the world needs hydrocarbons
and technology is going to quadruple
in hydrocarbon-­extraction industries,
and they are proudly embracing the
future. That shift will change the demo­
graphic of the industry and will affect
SPE as well. The fact that we now have
more than 20 SPE sections in Russia,
growing rapidly and embracing SPE and
new technology, says something very
strong to me.

One thing that has changed

over the past several years is
SPE’s demographics. How will
that affect SPE and the types of
programs and services it offers?
The Great Crew Change is over, and how
it will affect us is that the younger gen­
eration is more involved in SPE, which is
awesome! This change, which is through­
out the industry, means that a younger
group is part of the decision making and
they are the future.
The geographic demographic is really
fascinating because the Western petro­
leum countries are increasingly under
a magnifying glass; there are protests
about resource industries in countries
that we would not have expected. But the
“newer” countries involved in oil and gas At Seoul National University meeting
are rushing ahead with the understand­ with student chapter.

JPT • OCTOBER 2017


Planting a tree at the University of Petroleum and Energy Studies in Dehradun.
Behind Spady is engineering student Chandan Purohit.
One thing we certainly are in this
industry is cyclical. We should never
be surprised even though every single
time we are. This is a resource industry
and that is inherently the way resource
industries go. Thank goodness we
have both national oil companies and
forward-thinking companies that bal-
ance the publicly traded ones that have
a very short window. This industry will
see more downturns, although this one
has been particularly steep. But we have
weathered it and that means we have
younger incoming decision makers in
the industry now but that excites me.
That doesn’t scare me in the least.
32
What is your current position
in the industry?
I am a managing director at Broadview
Energy Asset Management in Calgary, a
small, independent, private oil and gas
producer, where I run the energy asset
management part of the company, doing
third-party consulting work from the
framework of a heavy oil producer, not
a third-party consultant. Broadview has
been around since 2011 and I was one
of the initial shareholders of the com-
pany and rejoined them about a year
and a half ago. Broadview’s primary area
has been producing in western Cana-
da, in Alberta and Saskatchewan, but
we have developed and sold one heavy
oil prospect in Saskatchewan and we
are now working full speed ahead on
a second small footprint SAGD project
in Saskatchewan.
I also sit on corporate boards, includ-
ing Green Imaging Technologies, Crest-
wynd Exploration, and MNP Petroleum.
Green Imaging specializes in cutting-
edge nuclear magnetic resonance imag-
ing for special core analysis, which is
valuable in reservoir characterization.
By sitting on boards and doing adviso-
ry work, it allows me to be a consensus
builder. And that is what I will try to do at
the SPE international level.
How did you get involved in SPE?
Ironically, my first SPE card said that I
was a member of the non-section sec-
tion. So I had no privilege and no rights
and no section, because at the time the
Canadian Institute of Mining (CIM) was
the owner of the space in Canada paral-
lel to the American Institute of Mining,
Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers
(AIME), which was SPE’s original par-
ent organization. I joined in 1976 as a
member of the non-section section based
in Alberta. I had just graduated with a
degree in petroleum engineering, oil was
$9.80 a barrel, my future was bleak, and
I had the warm hug of not even being part
of a section.
One person influential to me was
S.M. Farouq Ali, who has won many SPE
awards and was a key professor when
I was at the University of Alberta. He
signed me and other students up as SPE
members upon graduation, and he and a
number of us started the SPE Edmonton
Section a few years later.
I joined Schlumberger Wireline and
worked in various places in western Can-
ada, and eventually wound up in Mount
Carmel, Illinois, which was part of the
old Illinois Basin. There was a small sec-
tion there and I was asked to become the
section chair. This was my start in getting
involved in SPE.
After transferring to Charleston, West
Virginia, I joined the Appalachian Sec-
tion board, and then one day, because
I was the publicity chair on the board,
spent the day with this Italian guy who
happened to be SPE president (2005
JPT • OCTOBER 2017
SPE President Giovanni Paccaloni). It changed my life! I came
away thinking, “Wow, this is a really big organization and
it’s really international. I’ve now been on the board of the
Edmonton, Mount Carmel, and Appalachian sections, this
is really neat.”
Because of a slowdown at our company, I had time to write
my first technical paper, on coiled tubing, which was later ref-
erenced in other technical papers. So for the young SPE mem-
bers out there, if work is slow or you want to influence a promo-
tion or be known technically, don’t just think of SPE as a place
to socialize. Get involved on the technical side. Write a paper.
Present a paper. That teaches all kinds of skills, from presenta-
tion and editing to good writing. And these papers, if written
early in your career, can spawn into multiple papers because Deeper perforation penetration in
they are referenced. concrete does not produce deeper
So here I was stuck in this pre-shale environment, with not- penetration in stressed rock.
so-great oil prices, wondering where on Earth I’d be working
next. Things were not good from a career point of view, but
from an SPE point of view, they were great.
In 2005, Chesapeake came and bought our little company,
and I moved back to Calgary. We had just sold 8,000 shale
wells and the industry thought we were geniuses because Charge performance in
shale was so popular. I became chair of the Calgary Section concrete
and eventually became the Canadian Regional Director on
the SPE International Board and then was nominated for SPE
president. Half my career has been on the service company
side and half my career on the small operator side, so I repre-
sent a large part of the SPE membership in that regard. I hope
I can represent the average member who may not know if their
job is going to be there next year, who isn’t sure which way
is up or down, and needs SPE to provide them with the best
technical information.
Mine is a bit of a story of hope. Every time I turned the cor-
ner there was hope, and a lot of the hope came from participat- Same charge performance
ing in SPE. in downhole formation

As you talk to members around the world, both

professionals and students, what issues are they
most concerned about?
The first thing that comes to mind is that a lot of people are
unsure about the future direction of the industry because of
That’s the HOLE TRUTH.
oil prices. Most technical people, younger members especially, API 19B Section 1 perforations may not
know that there are years and years of need on the hydrocarbon reflect downhole performance.
consumption side and it is a matter of keeping the technology Call or go to perf.com/media.html
ahead of the need. So there is a lot of optimism about the long- to see how it’s done.
term existence of our industry. But the oil price is always at the
forefront of everybody’s thoughts. Your well performance is at stake.
One thing that is pleasantly surprising is how engaged our
members are over this theme of community consensus and cor-
porate social responsibility. It is now part of the DNA of our
industry. I’ll quote Prime Minister Trudeau, who said that Cana-
dians will “no longer choose anymore between economy and
environment.” That message is now global. It is not a matter of
choosing economy or environment, we now choose both. We
are in an era in which the public is going to watch our environ-
mental habits as much as our economic successes. JPT
10400 W. Interstate 20 Millsap, TX 76066
817.341.5300 | www.perf.com
JPT • OCTOBER 2017
 Shale EOR Works,
But Will It Make a Difference?
Stephen Rassenfoss, JPT Emerging Technology Senior Editor
W hen EOG Resources disclosed
that it had found a way to get
from 30 to 70% more oil from Eagle Ford
shale wells, it set off a race among com-
petitors looking for a low-cost way to add
reserves by injecting natural gas.
It has been little noticed because few
companies have said anything publicly
about it. But university researchers and
service companies are seeing widespread
interest from companies that are try-
ing to figure out how EOG uses gas injec-
tion to increase production and whether
those gains can be sustained long enough
to add reserves.
Research interest in gas injection
enhanced oil recovery (EOR) persuad-
34
ed David Schechter, a petroleum engi-
neering professor at Texas A&M Univer-
sity, to equip his lab that has been used
to test carbon dioxide (CO2) for EOR to
safely observe how natural gas affects
reservoir rock. “Basically everyone with
a substantial acreage position is work-
ing on unconventional oil EOR now,”
said Schechter.
“This is the name of the game. Every-
body is talking about EOR and pumping
money into trials of EOR,” said Deep-
ak Devegowda, an associate engineering
professor at the University of Oklahoma.
The question facing EOG and its com-
petitors is, can they take a method that
improves results from some of its best
Testing to see if a mix of gas
and a surfactant can extract
more oil are, from left, Texas
A&M University students Nicole
Bhatnagar, Imad Adel, and Han
Park. Source: Texas A&M.
wells, and use it on a far larger scale to
increase overall recoveries in unconven-
tional formations where more than 90%
of the resource is left behind.
Companies would like to understand
and simulate it and, most important-
ly, they are looking for clues on how
EOG did it. “A whole bunch of folks are
watching what other people are doing,”
Devegowda said.
Companies and researchers are using
statistical analysis to determine patterns
in production data filed with the Texas
Railroad Commission to try to figure out
how EOG is using natural gas injection.
Among those looking is Todd Hoff-
man, an associate professor from Mon-
JPT • OCTOBER 2017
tana State, who was initially skeptical of
EOG’s claims. After studying the data,
Hoffman said that EOG clearly is “seeing
huge increases in added oil production.”
He is now working on a paper based on
the disclosures.
As for how he figured out which of
EOG’s more than 7,000 Eagle Ford wells
to study, he said, “I really had to dig
around to find it. I talked to a number of
companies planning pilots, doing pilots,
in the planning stage, trying to do the
same thing,” he said.
Competitors are also following the
compressors. Another observer said
competitors are tracking trucks moving
the heavy equipment into work sites, and
studying satellite images. The location
and size of the heavy machinery offer
clues as to where and how much EOG
is injecting.
One of the few companies talking
about testing is BHP Billiton, which is
working with its partner Devon in the
Eagle Ford.
“BHP has two enhanced oil recov-
ery pilot projects operating in the Eagle
Ford, one involving gas injections and
the second involving the injection” of a
chemical blend, Alex Archila, president
of North American shale for BHP, said
at the recent Unconventional Resources
Technology Conference.
The partners are expecting to begin
getting results in October. The company
is looking at multiple approaches for
different targets.
“I believe that miscible hydrocarbon
gas injection, aqueous-based chemical
injection, or a combination of these will
provide uplift in the current depressed
price environment,” said Matt Honar-
pour, a principal reservoir engineering
advisor at BHP, adding that “there are
challenges and high risk because of the
complexity of these reservoirs.”
Marathon Oil has reportedly done
a pilot project and plans to do more,
according to other observers who have
studied its work in production records.
The company is also a member of a gov-
ernment-backed consortium work-
ing on enhancing production in North
Dakota—the Bakken Production Opti-
mization Program—along with seven
other companies.
JPT • OCTOBER 2017
Eagle Ford Enhanced Oil Recovery
Cumulative Oil Production per Well
600
1.3x–17x
Enhanced Oil Recovery
Production
500 Response ≈3 Months
After Injection
400
1.0x
(Net Mbo)
300 Primary Recovery
200
100 Produce 2–5 Years
Before EOR Injection
0
EOG’s prediction for how gas-injection EOR will increase output. The company
did not provide a time scale. Source: EOG Resources.
EOG on EOR
EOG is the first company to say it has significantly increased oil production from
an unconventional play using gas injection.
Field tests since program started in 2013:
◗ The production increases on 15 wells indicated from 30 to 70% reserve gains.
◗ A 32-well test in 2016 added 300,000 bbl of oil at $6/bbl finding cost.
◗ Work is ongoing on 100 wells in six areas in 2017.
Inputs and Outputs
◗ Additional capital costs average about $1 million per well.
◗ The process uses associated gas from its wells.
◗ Production response is in 2–3 months.
◗ $1 invested adds $2 to net present value.
It Works if:
◗ The formation is able to contain high-pressure gas injection near the well.
◗ Wellbores contact the most productive rock.
◗ The completion maximizes the fractured area within a restricted zone around
the wellbore.
Source: EOG.
Core Laboratories recently started a well and flows back, or shows up in near-
gas injection EOR joint industry proj- by wells.
ect in the Eagle Ford, said David Hume, Mike Flecker, vice president of Core’s
vice president for Core’s reservoir divi- production enhancement division,
sion. The partners will share the cost and would not name the companies working
information from rock and fluid samples on it, but described them as innovative
they provide. Its production enhance- operators with the scale and expertise
ment division is also doing rock and fluid to take on the challenge. They need to
work and running tracers during injec- be willing to invest in acquiring data and
tion tests for individual companies to see have an understanding of how gas EOR
if injected gas treats the rock around the works at a time when there is not much
35
 science on which to draw. The available
technical papers are based on lab testing
data that are commonly used for simula-
tions because field data are scarce.
The strongest evidence that the meth-
od does work is EOG’s growing test-
ing program. At the time of the first
announcement last May, the company
said its 15 initial wells performed con-
sistently, adding from 30 to 70% to
reserves. It added 32 wells to the program
last year, which produced an average of
80 B/D per well for an average finding
cost of $6/bbl. It has not yet reported on
this year’s 100-well program.
As for how it developed the technique,
Billy Helms, exploration and production
executive vice president for EOG, said
that “results from lab experiments indi-
cated that the process was technically fea-
sible, but the economics and operational
execution were going to be challenged
without some creative problem solving.”
Containment Limits
A broad look at gas injection EOR shows
that it can work, but not always. It has
been a hit in the Eagle Ford and a flop in
the Bakken.
The difference appears to be contain-
ment. For gas injection to be effective,
and affordable, the formation must allow
the operator to pressure up the reservoir,
keep the gas in there long enough to have
an effect, and get it back for reuse or sale.
“The Eagle Ford formation allows
some completions to be vertically con-
tained, a unique feature that also plays a
significant role in keeping the gas injec-
tion in contact with the targeted reser-
voir,” Helms said.
He said EOG’s results last year in the
Eagle Ford gave the company “further
confidence of the applicability of EOR
across major areas of the field.”
But he warned that containment “may
not exist in most horizontal oil plays.”
That could include the Bakken, where
EOG tried the method first and where
those doing tests have been frustrated
by their inability to contain the gas long
enough for it to penetrate the reservoir’s
dense matrix.
Based on lab results, natural gas injec-
tion should be able to extract more oil
from Bakken rock. Small samples from
various parts of the Middle Bakken were
tested by the University of North Dako-
ta’s Energy and Environmental Research
Center (EERC). When exposed to natural
gas or CO2, the chips produced more than
90% of the oil in the rock samples within
24 hours (SPE 184414).
But in field tests, the “CO2 moves so
quickly through fractures that it did not
have enough time, or became too dis-
persed, to interact with stranded oil in
the matrix” rock in the reservoir, James
Sorensen, principal geologist for EERC,
said in a recent EERC report to the US
Department of Energy, which funded the
project. As a result, “past pilot scale CO2
injection tests into horizontal, hydrauli-
cally fractured Bakken wells have shown
little to no effect on oil mobilization,”
he said.
When it comes to containment,
beware of reservoir complexity. “The
Eagle Ford is more uniform than the
Bakken’s complex geology,” Hume said.
The Permian Basin is the most heteroge-
neous of the three so generalizations are
not useful.
The problems with gas-injection frac-
tured Bakken wells are consistent with
the lessons learned in convention-
al formations, where “one of the oldest
rules is you never fracture the injector,”
said Schechter.
The failed tests in the Bakken led the
EERC and its partner XTO Energy, part
of ExxonMobil, to try CO2 injection in the
Bakken this year using an old vertical well
that had pierced an unfractured spot in
the Middle Bakken. After three periods of
injection, lasting a total of 80 hours, and
two shut-in periods giving the gas time to
diffuse in the tight rock, there was a spurt
of oil production, with 9 bbl produced
over 45 minutes before it stopped.
Hoffman said the problems with gas
injection into fractured wells got him
thinking about using gas injection in an
unfractured well, but soon realized that
misses the point. “When we talked to
partners they said there are tens of thou-
sands of wells drilled and they need a
solution for those wells,” Hoffman said.
The failure of conventional methods
in the Bakken suggests to Sorenson that
unconventional approaches are required.
“The industry needs to think differently
about these plays. Specifically, the mech-
anisms that control fluid movement
within them, and recognize that each one
is most likely going to require its own
twist,” he said.

Initiation of Test First Gas Cycle Second Gas Cycle Third Gas Cycle

Repeated gas injection cycles increased the hydrocarbon output from this core sample. Source: Core Lab.

36 JPT • OCTOBER 2017

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 1.4 14 EOG talks about rolling out its meth-
Oil Produced od in clusters of wells, some as close as

Production Wells, thousands

1.2 12
Producing Wells
200 ft apart. “Now the 32-well pattern
Oil Rate, million bopd

1.0 10 is probably a good indication of maybe

what we will look at in the future,” Helms
0.8 8 said during an investor briefing. Develop-
ing clusters of wells on pads would allow
0.6 6
compressors to serve multiple wells. If
0.4 4 injected gas migrates to a nearby well, it
could be captured for reuse, cutting the
0.2 2 gas cost and possibly aiding production.
The production added by gas injection
0.0 0
Jan-05 Jan-07 Jan-09 Jan-11 Jan-13 Jan-15 Jan-17 appears directly related to how the well
was fractured.
Date
The wells that will work are those in
An old vertical well was used to inject CO2 into an unfractured part of the which the initial fracturing job even-
Bakken as part of a program to reverse production decline from older wells. ly stimulated the most productive rock
Source: Energy and Environmental Research Center, University of North Dakota along the wellbore, Flecker said. The
(SPE 184414). many wells that do not meet that stan-
dard could be candidates for refracturing.
100 The surface area created by fractur-
ing matters because the gas in the frac-
tures does work deep into the rock, said
Derek Beckett, director of technology
80
C2H6 development for Core Lab. He said the
Oil Recovery, %

depth of the producing rock “may be an

60
40
20
0
0 4
Natural gas and CO2 recovered most of the oil in a rock sample from the
Middle Bakken, but not nitrogen. Source: SPE 184414.
What Works
EOG has not disclosed how it uses EOR
in the Eagle Ford. Others who have stud-
ied the up and down production pat-
terns in disclosures say it looks like it
is using a huff ‘n’ puff method. That is,
gas is pumped into the well—the huff—
and it is shut in for several weeks to
diffuse into the tight rock around the
fractures—and then it is opened up for
production—the puff.
While huff ‘n’ puff has been around a
long time, it is not widely used because
CO2
85/15 CH4/C2H6
CH4
N2
8 12 16 20
Time, hr
no one wants to interrupt production.
But at this point, soak time appears nec-
essary in ultratight rock.
Schechter said the numbers he stud-
ied show the ups and downs of a huff
‘n’ puff well, with production starting
low, a period with no production, and
then a significant gain. He has studied
the work of other researchers who have
spent a lot of time trying to isolate single
well performance in production disclo-
sure reports commonly covering multi-
ple wells.
inch” or so.
“The key is really to get those devel-
oped with the drilling and the com-
pletions in the most optimal spacing
and to connect as much rock through
the primary process and that really
enhances the EOR effectiveness,” said
William Thomas, chairman and chief
executive officer of EOG, during an
investor briefing.
While EOG said it has successfully
24 tried its method on wells that are as
much as 5 years old, more often it is talk-
ing about adding production to relative-
ly new wells using the latest methods for
targeting the most productive rock and
effectively fracturing it.
“Certainly, economically there might
be an advantage to doing it earlier than
later. But more importantly, the advanced
completions are driving probably incre-
mentally more success to start with,”
Thomas said, adding that gas injection
would likely be applied “in that first cou-
ple years.”
What’s Happening?
Early work on unconventional EOR
quickly showed that widely used men-
tal models—such as a waterflood push-

38 JPT • OCTOBER 2017

ing a bank of oil freed by a CO2—do not
describe what is happening there.
“We are not pushing liquid through
rock. We are engaging liquids with gas
and producing it back out with the gas,”
said Lawrence Bruno, president of petro-
leum services for Core Lab.
Engaging is an apt word for a process
that draws liquids out rather than forcing
them to move.
“It is the damnedest thing. I tried to
inject it (gas) directly into cores. The
pressure builds up and builds until” it
reaches the limit of the equipment cham-
ber, Schechter said. In contrast, he said
when a shale sample is left to soak in
a sealed vessel with gas or surfactant,
eventually “oil starts dribbling out.”
There are long-accepted explana-
tions for how the natural gas engages
the liquids, and more are being offered
as researchers look deep into pores
so tiny they are studying new ways to
image them.
The accepted benefits of injecting gas
into oil reservoirs were described in a
paper from the EERC (SPE 184414) as:
reducing oil viscosity, swelling the oil
volume, and vaporizing and extracting
hydrocarbons from oil.
Beckett described how the interaction
of oil and gas causes lighter molecules in
the rock to become volatile. These light-
er hydrocarbon molecules are stripped
out of the oil by the injected gas, which
is a solvent, and combine with the gas to
create a hydrocarbon mist. Imad Adel, a student at Texas A&M, is running a laboratory analysis that is
Those working on unconventional being adapted to test natural gas injection in unconventional rock. Source:
Texas A&M University.
EOR are trying to understand why heavi-
er hydrocarbons are left behind. “Frank-
ly, we do not know why we are leaving Diffusion and vaporization data are tunately, we do not know it,” Devegowda,
behind stuff,” said Devegowda. required to simulate the pace and effec- said. The problem is that “after 5 years of
A better understanding may ultimately tiveness of the injected gas. Engineers production you do not know what is in
suggest ways of moving molecules small need that to determine what is effective the ground.”
enough through the tight pathways in and when the value added by shutting in
this rock, or how other molecules too big a well is more than the revenue lost by Other Theories
to make that trip are creating blockages. extending it. There are also unanswered questions
For now they need accurate measures Another elusive measure is the mini- about how long to produce before the
to simulate the process so they can figure mum miscibility pressure—the level at next injection cycle, how many cycles are
out what is likely to work. which the injected gas mixes freely with possible before the benefit wanes, and
“One of the challenges that everybody the oil allowing it to be most effective. the volume of gas required.
has is forecasting performance,” Honar- The goal is to pump enough gas to reach “You got to go big or it will be a waste
pour said. “Additional reliable laboratory that level without going much beyond, of time. Small gas injections will do lit-
data such as diffusion and vaporization in which can get costly. tle for you,” said Richard MacDonald,
nanopore systems are needed. That takes “The calculation is straightforward, if an engineering advisor for EP Energy.
effort to obtain.” you know the fluid composition. Unfor- That advice is in line with convention-

JPT • OCTOBER 2017 39

 50
Original Oil
40
Residual Oil
Mole Percentage, %
30
20
10
0 It will take an awful lot of wells pro-
CO2 N2 CH4
The heavier oil molecule left behind in a Bakken rock sample.
Source: SPE 184414.
al experience, but EP blazed its own
path to it.
It developed a simulator with Schlum-
berger, which models how expanding gas
expels oil within the nanoscale dimen-
sions of the organic pores where oil and
gas are created. It was used to predict
how these pores would react if gas was
injected in to recharge that drive, which
is detailed in a recent technical paper
(URTEC 2671283). It is now expanding
that to simulate how gas injections will
affect the total system.
That was a first step in a long-term
project looking at how that process will
affect liquid flow in the inorganic pores
that provide storage and flow paths.
A recent study by the University of
Oklahoma (URTEC 2668849) offered a
novel explanation for the hydrocarbons
left behind. The research investigated
whether many pore openings are clogged
when production begins and large hydro-
carbon molecules, such as asphaltenes,
try to move through pore throats a frac-
tion of their size.
“Asphaltenes cannot flow through the
pore throat but they can plug them quite
effectively,” Devegowda said.
The paper measured this indirectly
by comparing the pore surface area in
rock samples as received by the Univer-
sity of Oklahoma laboratory, and then
observed how much that area increased
40
C2H6 C3H to IC5 to C08 to C13 to C25 to
NC4 C07 C12 C24 C36
Oil Component
when these organic-rich shale samples
were cleaned using a strong solvent.
A large difference was shown in the
surface area after cleaning in the oil-
rich shales. This suggests that injecting
a solvent may open many pores that had
been blocked.
There may be value in early EOR treat-
ments “from day one” using solvents to
try to open up those passages, and keep
those obstructions from becoming per-
manent, Devegowda said.
Economic Imperative
Based on what EOG has said about its
program, gas injection EOR can work.
But will it be like conventional CO2 EOR,
which works well in the few places it
has been widely used, or something far
bigger, further increasing the impact of
shale on world oil markets?
“I am still optimistic, enthusiastic is
too strong a word,” Hoffman said, add-
ing, “It is such a big prize, eventually we
will figure it out. There is so much oil
at stake.”
A lot of the positive energy goes back
to EOG’s success in the Eagle Ford.
But shortly before EOG’s May 2016
announcement, Hoffman had delivered
a paper (SPE 180270) on the frustrating
results from the Bakken and was wonder-
ing if “maybe gas EOR is not the method
we will use.”
Now he is more hopeful that an
EOR method will be developed for the
Bakken but “it may require a differ-
ent solution.”
Dogged persistence will be required.
“There are going to be a couple dozen
failures before they figure out how to do
it right,” Schechter said.
While an early failure can kill a new
idea, the industry desperately needs a
way to add lower-cost barrels and extend
the life of unconventional wells to deliver
a return on the huge investments being
made to develop them.
ducing from 30 to 70% more to move
the industry average rate for ultimate
recoveries. Particularly since many will
be at the low end of the range. “We
believe that 30% uplift is closer to real-
ity than 70% for lean gas injection in
black oil or even in volatile oil,” Honar-
pour said. JPT
Further Reading
SPE 180270 Improved Oil Recovery
IOR Pilot Projects in the Bakken
Formation by Todd Hoffman and
John Evans, Montana Tech.
SPE 184414 Utilization of
Produced Gas for Improved Oil
Recovery and Reduced Emissions
from the Bakken Formation
by Lu Jin, Steve Hawthorne, and
James Sorensen, Energy and
Environmental Research Center,
University of North Dakota.
URTEC 2671283 Dynamic Flow
Behavior in Shales Described via
Digital Rock Modeling Provides
Insight into Gas Injection
by Richard M. MacDonald and
Steve Isaac Geetan, EP Energy;
and Denis Klemin, Schlumberger.
URTEC 2668849 Impact of Solvent
Extraction on Surface Area
Measurements in Organic-Rich
Shales Using Nitrogen Adsorption
by Ankita Sinha, Son Dang, Carl
Sondergeld, and Chandra Rai,
University of Oklahoma.
SPE 185034 CO2 EOR Simulation in
Unconventional Liquid Reservoirs:
An Eagle Ford Case Study
by Tuan Phi and David Schechter,
Texas A&M University.
JPT • OCTOBER 2017
p opl
po d
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nothing without the energy of our
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our energy more dependable, more
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We are looking for experienced

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www.aramco.jobs/jpt
 Finding Your Next
Sweet Spot
Using Dirty DNA
Trent Jacobs, JPT Digital Editor
B iodentify is a Netherlands-based
startup that wants to help oil and
gas explorers zero in on sweet spots
using microbial DNA. Unlike another
new DNA analytical method, which uses
drill cuttings as samples to learn about
unconventional productivity drivers, the
approach this firm is focused on uses soil
samples taken just a foot below the sur-
face to search for good drilling locations.
The company’s technology is bor-
rowed from a still emerging medical sci-
ence breakthrough that uses saliva to test
for tumors as opposed to a much more
invasive biopsy. In looking for alterna-
tive uses, it was thought the same pro-
cess could be used to predict oil and gas
deposits based on microbial reactions to
micro-seepages of gas molecules.
Through oxidation, certain microbes
will thrive on gas seepages, while others
will find the rising gases to be toxic and
die. Either outcome provides a usable
signal that a machine learning model
can turn into an easy-to-interpret pre-
diction map.
42
“Many say it’s too good to be true—
what’s the link between the surface and
what’s down there,” said Chris Te Stroet,
the director of technology and opera-
tions at Biodentify. “The causal link is
that you have a hydrocarbon accumu-
lation—the sweet spots—and a highly
mobile area, probably because of a good
natural fracture network.”
Te Stroet, who has led commercializa-
tion efforts of new oil and gas technolo-
gies since the mid-1990s, said a single
sample may contain as many as 300,000
microbial species—most of which are
newly discovered. But Biodentify has
found that only 50 to 200 of them serve
as key indicators of a positive or nega-
tive signal.
With hundreds of samples in hand a
map is then produced to help explorers
derisk potential drilling locations. The
company says its analytical method is
70–90% accurate; the high end of that
range is achievable if information can
be gleaned from existing wells in the
target area.
Differing populations of
microbes that live on the
surface as calculated through
DNA analysis and machine
learning offer oil and gas
producers a new exploration
tool. Source: Biodentify.
Validation Study Hits Close
to the Mark
Despite a limited track record, the com-
pany is confident in its accuracy thanks
in part to a blind study it performed
with an unconventional operator in the
Haynesville Shale of western Louisi-
ana. The work was done in a producing
field and was 72% accurate in predicting
sweet spots.
When actual production data were
included in a final modeling exercise,
that figure jumped to 86% and 31 “vir-
tual” drilling locations were identified
within a sweet spot where the operator
had drilled 27 high-producing wells.
A New Possibility
The concept being leveraged here would
have been unfeasible just a decade ago.
For one thing, such large batches of DNA
tests would have been far too expensive
for a single project. But recent advanc-
es have driven down the cost of DNA
analysis so much that the typical proj-
ect would represent a fraction of what it
JPT • OCTOBER 2017
 These images come from a blind validation study and include a map of producing well locations in Louisiana’s
Haynesville Shale (left), where about 360 soil samples were taken for DNA analysis (middle). The map on the right was
generated through DNA analysis and indicates a highly productive area in the upper-right-hand corner—matching the
operator’s production history map. Two areas in the lower right are shown as false predictions, generating a map that
was determined to be 72% accurate. Source: Biodentify.

costs to drill a new well or run a seismic
survey today.
DNA analysis itself has also improved
in resolution, “which exposes an incred-
ibly rich signal of diversity in the micro-
bial ecosystem,” said Te Stroet. That sig-
nal, he added, gets clearer when the
differences in microbial populations are
greater. And with new machine learn-
ing approaches, it is possible to find
very small differences within terabytes
of sample data.
For a 250-sq-mile area the company
says that two field technicians would
need 3½ days to take 360 samples, each
about a mile apart. The samples mea-
sure 1 mm3 and are overnighted to the
company’s facility in the Netherlands for
analysis. DNA analysis results are then
run through a machine learning program
that the company has been training for
more than 2 years.
Pilots Influence Real Decisions
A pilot done for a mid-sized operator in
50 m water depths offshore the Nether-
lands serves as another one of the com-
pany’s early validation studies.
Te Stroet said the operator had com-
pleted a 3D survey of an area domi-
nated by salt domes but after drill-
ing a few costly dry holes it turned to
using the new DNA technology. When
the explorer resumes drilling the area
next year the company said it may be
targeting the highest probability loca-
tions as identified through its DNA-
based map.
In a separate onshore project in the
Netherlands, the company helped anoth-
er operator decide against one of its shale
drilling prospects. DNA analysis showed
that one location had a high probability
of sweet spots while the other area had a
zero chance of holding reserves. “There
was a huge debate on whether gas could
have been formed there due to bad matu-
ration conditions and the group of skep-
tics was right,” said Te Stroet.
Biodentify believes these pilots are just
scratching the surface and is eager to
attract more work in the North Ameri-
can unconventional market. The firm has
compiled a profile of six major uncon-
ventional basins including the Permian
Basin, Bakken Shale, and Marcellus Shale.
As the company eyes areas around the
rest of world where its technology may
be applicable, which also includes south-
east Asia and offshore Africa, questions
remain if it will work for deep water. The
cost of taking samples is not the hurdle
since soil samples are routinely taken
for mooring lines. The unknown fac-
ing the company in this arena is that no
one is quite sure how much microbial
life exists at the mudline a mile or two
beneath the waves. JPT

For Further Reading

URTEC 2671117 Predicting Sweet Spots in
This single well-plate contains 96 soil samples from which DNA is extracted
Shale Plays by DNA Fingerprinting and
using a proprietary process that involves beads and shaking. The plates also Machine Learning by Chris Te Stroet,
help keep large numbers of samples organized. Source: Biodentify. et al., Biodentify, TNO.

44 JPT • OCTOBER 2017

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 Adding the Human
to Oilfield Apps
Trent Jacobs, JPT Digital Editor
A s time goes by, an increasing num-
ber of new processes that oil and
gas companies want to push to their
workforce will come in the form of an
app. This is true for field technicians as
well as production engineers.
But just as with anytime change is
introduced, the improvements these
apps are intended to deliver may not
be lasting—or realized at all—without
strong internal acceptance.
ChaiOne is a Houston-based app devel-
oper that has built its business around this
conundrum. In its 9 years, the company
has worked for several of the upstream
industry’s most recognizable names
including ExxonMobil and Schlumberger.
Chief Executive Officer Gaurav Khan-
delwal said the company’s success lies
in its bottoms-up strategy, which begins
with the end user and “understanding
their problems, stresses, frustrations,
and emotions.”
This work relies on teams of behavioral
psychologists, anthropologists, and soft-
ware interaction engineers who are tasked
with figuring out new ways for workers
to save time and money for their compa-
nies. Like others who promise efficiency
46
improvements to the oil and gas business,
a lot of ChaiOne’s efforts are centered
around reducing how much time is spent
on regular working hours and overtime.
“When we take the user-experience-
driven approach, and send people into
the field to study a process, often we find
tremendous amounts of waste in the way
things are being done,” explained Khan-
delwal, adding that, “In 4 to 6 weeks, we
can find millions of dollars in savings in
these companies.”
Smarter Field Repair
Many of the software products that
ChaiOne has created cannot be discussed
thanks to the industry’s penchant for
nondisclosure agreements. But among
those that it can speak freely about is
CygNet, which was developed for inter-
national service company Weatherford.
This iPhone app connects with oilfield
SCADA systems to show engineers produc-
tion trends or to relay important alarms.
Khandelwal said operators who use the
app—12 of which supplied input to steer
its development—are now using fewer
field technicians to deal with routine oil-
field problems.
Touch
Source: Getty Images.
When a worker is on his way back from
a repair job, it is not unusual for anoth-
er problem to arise at a wellsite just 10
minutes away. In the past, Khandelwal
said that the technician would likely be
unaware of a nearby failure, and because
dispatch did not know they were close
by, an additional crew would be sent out.
With the CygNet app, the reverse is
now true for its users. When a repair
team is out on location and a nearby well
sets off an alarm, CygNet sends a geo-
targeted notification. And just as impor-
tant, the app can also help them decide
if the issue needs to be attended to at all.
Dim the Lights
Khandelwal emphasized that the design
of such apps also needs to keep in mind
how things such as the time of day can
affect user experience. “When you have a
guy waking up in North Dakota at 3 a.m.
because some SCADA system alarm is
going off, let’s not design an app that
has white backgrounds and blinds them
when they wake up,” he said.
The smarter alternative is to keep the
app’s interface dark during those pre-
dawn hours—a feature known as night
JPT • OCTOBER 2017

mode. The app should also use a font
size big enough for a waking person
with blurry eyes to read. It also needs
to make it easy to switch an alarm off
if the user sees it is a nuisance alarm
vs. a real concern.
ChaiOne also scrutinizes how apps
are physically used. For one iPad
app created for an offshore produc-
er, the company made it compatible
with a screen protector so workers
could use it without removing their
greasy gloves. “Little things like that
allowed our application to become
successful,” Khandelwal said.
The theme behind all of these use cases
is that apps which introduce a new way of
doing things must not burden personnel
with too many extra tasks or add stress to
their usual routines. Khandelwal said the
emergent term for this strategy is “radi-
cal simplification.”
Your Voice Will Matter
Looking to the future, ChaiOne sees sev-
eral new business opportunities that go
beyond mobile phone apps. The company
Designed by ChaiOne for
Weatherford, CygNet is a mobile
app that puts critical production
activity and trends, along with
alarm notifications, right into an
engineer’s pocket. It includes map
controls and can help set routes
for technicians to repair wellsite
equipment.
ing a well plan—possibly preventing
someone from having to open and sort
through a spreadsheet, for example.
Khandelwal said this technology is
equally justifiable for those working
in the office. Any task related to call-
is certified to develop software tools for ing someone with a question, running
GE’s industrial Internet-of-things plat- a routine calculation, or waiting on a file
form called Predix and is also working on attachment may in the near future be
apps for Apple’s new augmented reality done just by talking to a small Internet-
store, which launched in September. connected device.
Also of interest for the firm is how “All of this repetitive work can be done
upstream companies can take advan- in the cloud and it can all have a voice
tage of the burgeoning category of voice-­ interface—such that you may not even
controlled computer assistants, such as have to build an app for certain things,”
the popular Amazon Echo. These large- he said. “Having an app means you have
ly domestic devices could be installed to download something and open it
on a rig to record a driller’s daily report when you want to use it, and maybe you
or to read out critical data sets concern- can just do that with your voice.” JPT

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www.uswaterservices.com

ANGOLA
Does Recent Change
Mean Economic Development?
Chris Carpenter, JPT Technology Editor
I f it is a truism that the nations of the
developing world are engaged in the
process of developing, it is also clear
that, for a variety of reasons, not all
nations experience the process at the
same rate. In the case of Angola—the
populous southern African republic
described in some quarters as a dynam-
ic, emerging powerhouse, and in others
as a would-be success story stymied
by cronyism—the oil industry waits to
see whether the effect of recent polit-
ical shifts will change the economic
48
and social course that the nation has
charted in its often-tumultuous 42 years
of independence.
The waters off the nation’s Atlantic
coast hold enormous exploration and
production potential, a fact that has
allowed Angola to compete with heavy-
weight Nigeria as the continent’s top oil
producer, even surpassing the Federal
Republic for several months in late 2016.
After years of working to impress upon
the rest of the world that it was prepared
to take on a major role in the continent’s
Luanda is the center of
Angola’s burgeoning oil
industry as well as its
administrative capital.
Source: Getty Images.
future, Angola joined the Organiza-
tion of the Petroleum-Exporting Coun-
tries (OPEC) in 2007. Its proven crude
reserves stand at 9.5 billion barrels (at
least 1–2 billion more barrels may also
rest in its presalt blocks), with another
308 billion cubic meters of natural gas
reserves. At its peak in early 2010, its
crude oil production reached over 2 mil-
lion B/D (as of June 2017, its produc-
tion stood at 1.66 million B/D after the
early-2017 OPEC effort to cut production,
while crude oil exports reached 1.67 mil-
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 lion  B/D). Table 1 provides Angola’s oil
production in recent years.
Angola is the second-largest African
supplier of oil to China, and is a top-
10 global producer of vented and flared
natural gas. But Angola has, naturally,
been subject to the same effects of low oil
prices and market instability that have
wrought recent havoc on all oil-based
economies, especially in light of the fact
that Angola’s production is highly depen-
dent upon cost-intensive deepwater pro-
duction. As the price crash settled into
its deepest ebb in 2016, the influx of for-
eign money from its oil exports dropped
a staggering 55%.
Its famously expensive capital Luanda
continues to erupt into towering walls of
glass and the cranes that hoist them, but
skeptics believe that Angola’s growth may
be too hollow and one-dimensional to
project long-term economic growth. The
question now is whether a recent change
in leadership, in which longtime Presi-
dent José Eduardo dos Santos stepped
down after legislative elections, means
a genuine onset of economic diversifi-
cation and social development for the
nation’s 28 million people, and what such
a transformation might mean for the
industry in Africa.
Angolan oil was first exploited onshore
in the 1950s near the capital, but begin-
ning in the late 1960s, major offshore
discoveries began to drive heavy multi-
national investment. Such producers as
Chevron, BP, Total, and Eni are involved
in operations all along the northern half
of Angola’s coastline and offshore Cabin-
da, the 2,800-square-mile exclave sepa-
rated from the rest of Angola by a strand
of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Before the recent drop in oil pric-
es, Angola thrived as petrodol-
lars drew southern Africans and
multinational-company personnel to
Luanda by the hundreds of thousands;
Luanda enjoyed the highest growth rate
of any city on the continent by 2015, by
which time it had gained notoriety as the
world’s most expensive city for expats.
Despite the appearances of growth, ana-
lysts both outside Angola and within
its state oil organization, the Sonangol
Group, recognized the need for diversi-
fication in a nation whose second eco-
50
TABLE 1—ANGOLA’S YEARLY OIL
PRODUCTION SINCE 2010
Production
Year (thousand B/D) Shift
2010 1,899.00 2%
2011 1,746.00 –8%
2012 1,777.00 2%
2013 1,831.00 3%
2014 1,741.60 –5%
2015 1,841.90 5%
2016 1,670.10 –11%
Source: US Energy Information Administration.
nomic mainstays were diamonds and
agriculture, both sectors long atrophied
by the ravages of the civil war. The Ango-
lan government has announced efforts to
prioritize diversification in a drive remi-
niscent of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030.
The fact remains, however, that for the
vast majority of Angolans, the promise
of development has remained limited to
the streets and high-rises of the capital;
estimates place the number of Angolans
living below the poverty line between 36
and 68% of the total population.
In the political sphere, it is the gov-
ernment and its decades of immovabil-
ity that have made investment in Ango-
lan operations a complex proposition for
multinationals. Dos Santos, a leader of
the war of independence against Portu-
guese colonial rule in the 1970s, guided
his Marxist People’s Movement for the
Liberation of Angola (MPLA) to victory
over both colonial forces and, then, a
host of domestic and foreign opponents
in the 25-year civil war that followed.
Final victory in that conflict in 2002
allowed dos Santos to officially position
the MPLA as a political rather than a
military force, and set the stage for last
August’s unprecedented legislative elec-
tions, in which dos Santos agreed to step
down to make way for a new state leader.
While the results surprised few—the vic-
tor was the MPLA’s João Lourenço, dos
Santos’ chosen successor—the MPLA
posited the results as a genuine mandate
of rule among Angolans, while oppo-
sition parties charged the regime with
vote-tampering. As skeptical as some
are of the scope of change represented
by the election, it nevertheless repre-
sents an example of organized leader-
ship change to which many observers
attach some expectation of diversified,
wide-ranging development.
Although Angola hopes to expand a
number of other economic sectors in
order to make diversification a reality,
these efforts have thus far been chal-
lenged. Recent efforts to fund major agri-
cultural projects have been hampered
by an underdeveloped infrastructure,
despite a concerted campaign to mod-
ernize its railway system, and challenges
posed by nonperforming loans issued by
the national development bank. Its eco-
nomic apparatus therefore remains ori-
ented firmly toward oil, with the national
Sonangol. The national oilfield fabrica-
tion company, Sonamet, is a joint venture
between Sonangol and several multina-
tional shareholders. Based in Lobito Bay
south of the capital, Sonangol fabricates
the equipment and facilities needed for
the many major offshore fields current-
ly in production (including Dalia, Giras-
sol, Hungo, Chocalho, and Acacia, among
several operational areas). The nation-
al entities have increasingly focused on
issues of health, safety, and social respon-
sibility along with operators and service
companies of all kinds in recent years,
but resources provided to allow these oil
industry reorientations only pose further
obstacles to diversification.
The Atlantic waters are simply too
laden with the promise of a stable and
economically viable prosperity for Ango-
la for its many investors to reverse course,
although some have wholly (Vaalco) or
partially (BP) sold off Angolan assets in
the past 2 years. To complicate matters,
US operator Cobalt International Ener-
gy is currently locked in a legal battle
with Sonangol over licensing extension
guidelines. Nevertheless, dozens of rigs
and drillships ply and dot the waters of
the republic’s 50 offshore blocks. But as
the nation prepares to welcome its first
new occupant in the Presidential office
since independence, observers world-
wide hope that, for a variety of reasons,
political change might be a prompt for a
long-awaited development that will ben-
efit both Angola’s people—and the many
investors whose success is bound up in
their own. JPT
JPT • OCTOBER 2017
 Technology developed to help
paralyzed patients regain movement
could help operating companies
manage large amounts of data.
Battelle’s NeuroLife Neural Bypass
Technology creates an electronic neural
bypass that circumvents disconnected
pathways in the nervous system.
Source: Getty Images.

Drive for Innovative Medical Science Crossovers

Olga Koper, oil and gas market leader at
Battelle, discussed some of the projects

Technologies the science research firm has developed

in the medical field that could provide sig-
nificant benefit to operating companies.

Leads Industry to One such device, the NeuroLife Neu-

ral Bypass Technology, helps paralyzed
patients regain conscious control of

Unconventional Sources their fingers, hands, and wrists. The

system uses a neuroprosthetic micro-
chip that, when implanted in the brain,
Stephen Whitfield, Senior Staff Writer forms an electronic neural bypass that
circumvents disconnected pathways in
the nervous system. Battelle applied

I nnovation is a hallmark of oil and gas operations. As companies look machine-learning algorithms to decode
neuronal activity in the brain and con-
to survive in the new economy created by the oil price downturn,
trol the use of a person’s forearm mus-
the need to find new, cost-efficient technology for manufacturing, data cles. The chip picked up signals from
processing, or even overall project management, is greater than ever, so the brain and transmitted the data to a
computer with Battelle’s decoding soft-
much so that the industry is examining other industries for products and ware installed. The decoded data were
processes that may have crossover appeal. then transmitted to a proprietary neu-
romuscular electrical stimulation sys-
That examination was the topic of a panel discussion at the
tem that provided isolated finger move-
Unconventional Resources Technology Conference in July, where a ments, essentially allowing a person to
panel of scientists from firms and laboratories spoke about emerging control a paralyzed hand by translating
his thoughts.
technologies and new uses for old technologies outside the sphere of Battelle partnered with surgeons at
traditional petroleum that could have a disruptive impact on the industry. The Ohio State University to implant
the system in the brain of a man para-

JPT • OCTOBER 2017 51

 Unconventional Resources
The use of additive manufacturing to create metal alloy components may
reduce the need for the storage and production of spare parts. It may also
help reduce transportation costs. Source: BP.
lyzed from the chest down. The sur-
geons implanted a 4×4-mm chip into
the motor cortex area of the man’s
brain, the area responsible for volun-
tary movements. Two years into the
trial, he is able to transfer objects, stir
liquids, and swipe a credit card, among
other actions.
Koper said the algorithms behind the
NeuroLife technology could apply to oil
and gas projects, where owners, opera-
tors, project managers, and on-site per-
sonnel consistently engage in real-time
decision making while stringing togeth-
er large amounts of data. The micro-
chip used in the medical case is capa-
ble of collecting 30,000 samples/sec
across 96 electrodes, producing a total
of 2.88 million data points/sec, making
it potentially useful hardware for a vari-
ety of management systems.
“There’s a lot of data, and it has to be
filtered, you have to see machine learn-
ing of the right data transferred into
specific motions,” Koper said. “With big
data, the real-time decision making, this
is what’s happening right now in the oil
and gas industry. We have the technolo-
gy, but there is not yet that direct type of
application. We have to start thinking,
how will we do this 10, 20, or even 50
years down the road? Where are some
of the new areas where this will be a
useful technology?”
In 2014, Battelle acquired Health-
care Colloquium, a company founded
to improve patient and financial out-
52
comes in hospital treatment. The com-
pany had previously done research to
flag early indicators of risk for heart
failure in asymptomatic patients, and
with Battelle’s clinical predictive analy-
tic software, these efforts have now been
expanded to include early warnings of
kidney failure and diabetes. Koper said
similar algorithms could be used to help
operators analyze operational data such
as flow rates. It may also help them make
optimal decisions about what type of
equipment they may need for a project.
“The algorithm to predict kidney fail-
ure is a very similar algorithm to deter-
mine what type of electrical submersible
pump you might need on a site,” Koper
said. “Sometimes a diverse application
could very much impact oil and gas.”
New Ideas in Old Places
George Koperna said that, over time, the
amount of time between the introduc-
tion of a new technology and its applica-
tion in industry has shrunk considerably,
and that the key to quick adoption of a
new technology is often having the right
people at a company or in an industry
understand its value. Koperna, vice pres-
ident at Advanced Resource Internation-
al, said that the increasing influence of
data analytics in exploration and produc-
tion (E&P) activities is a product of the
increased awareness of its utility among
company decision makers.
“They have been doing this for a long
time, but it’s just a matter of bringing it
out, it’s a matter of having people under-
stand that this can be useful. It doesn’t
replace physics, but it’s a tool in the tool-
kit. With all the data collection and the
computing applications, it’s a real tool for
E&P companies to leverage these big data
sources,” Koperna said.
Like Koper, Koperna pointed to the
medical industry as a source of innova-
tion, though he said the oil and gas indus-
try could benefit from using older tech-
nologies in a new way. He referenced a
paper (Zahasky and Benson 2016) that
proposed the use of positron emission
tomography (PET) to provide direct
imagery of dynamic single-phase and
multiphase fluid flow in porous media.
First utilized in 1961, the PET scan is
an imaging test in which a special dye
with radioactive tracers is injected intra-
venously and absorbed into a person’s
organs and tissues, after which a scanner
highlights the tracers to measure such
functions as blood flow, oxygen use, and
metabolism. The PET scanner used in the
study is different from a traditional scan-
ner in that it has a significantly small-
er system diameter, which Zahasky and
Benson wrote gave it a higher resolution
of the imagery.
The authors wrote that one of the
advantages PET scanners provide in
quantifying flow is that the tracers do not
measurably change the fluid’s properties.
Even renewable energy sources may
be a valuable tool for E&P activities.
Koperna cited a joint industry project
(JIP) launched in 2015 by DNV GL devel-
oped to use a floating wind turbine to
power water injection in a standalone
system to maximize oil recovery. The JIP,
titled WIN WIN (Wind-Powered Water
Injection), has three partners outside of
DNV: ExxonMobil, ENI, and the Norwe-
gian Research Council. Previous partners
included Statoil and Nexen Petroleum.
In the first phase of the project, the
partners determined the technical fea-
sibility of the WIN WIN concept, as well
as whether the concept was capable
of meeting performance targets while
remaining cost-competitive compared to
traditional water injection systems. After
the completion of the initial phase in
April, the partners moved on to the sec-
ond phase, which will focus on physical
JPT • OCTOBER 2017
 Unconventional Resources

lab testing of the electrical systems. The regulations would change. Also, some with Quadriplegia. Nature 533: 247–250.
phase is expected to run over the course 3D-­ printing techniques are not fool- doi.10.1038/nature17435
of 1–2 years and will lead to the publi- proof. The EY report said that direct Camisa, J.A. and Verma, V. 2014. Additive
cation of an application guideline docu- metal laser sintering and electron beam Manufacturing and 3D Printing
ment. If the testing proves successful, melting can produce rough finished sur- for Oil and Gas—Transformative
DNV said a full-scale prototype could be faces, and that additive manufacturing as Potential and Technology Constraints.
available by 2020. a whole has been criticized for poor sur- International Ocean and Polar
Engineering Conference, Busan, Korea,
“Electricity costs are going up. It’s face quality.
15–20 June 2014. ISOPE-I-14-595.
pretty expensive. If you can come up with While it is still an emerging technol-
978-1-880653-91-3.
a new technology that’s cost-effective ogy, Polsky said additive manufacturing
Zahasky, C. and Benson, S.M. 2016.
and helps you with production, deliver could help further streamline the sup-
Phase Saturation Validation and
more energy, and at least offset some of ply chain. Tracer Transport Quantification
the [carbon dioxide], that’s beneficial,” “People like to talk about additive Using MicroPET in a Heterogeneous
Koperna said of the WIN WIN concept. manufacturing as a disruptive technol- Sandstone Core. International
ogy that’s going to replace conventional Symposium of the Society of Core
Additive Manufacturing methods in a manufacturing system, but Analysts, Snow Mass, Colorado,
Yarom Polsky, group leader for the Sen- if you think about it, that may not always 21–26 August 2016. SCA2016-028.
sors and Embedded Systems group at the be the case. Sometimes what you’re going https://gcep.stanford.edu/pdfs/
Oak Ridge National Laboratory, said he to be doing is replacing an inefficient or TechReport2016/2.3.2%20Benson%20
believed the interaction between subject costly step in a conventional manufactur- (s&p).pdf
matter experts and creative minds will ing process, and that by itself will change Ernst & Young. 2016. If 3D printing has
ultimately drive innovation in the energy how things are done,” Polsky said. JPT changed the industries of tomorrow,
sector, primarily in the additive manufac- how can your organization get ready
turing of materials. For Further Reading today? EYG no. 02810-163GBL. http://
Defined by ASTM standard F2792-10 Bouton, C.E., Shaikhouni, A., et al. www.ey.com/Publication/vwLUAssets/
as “the process of joining materials to Restoring Cortical Control of ey-3d-printing-report/$FILE/ey-3d-
make objects from 3D model data, usually Functional Movement in a Human printing-report.pdf
layer upon layer,” additive manufacturing
for oil and gas operations is not an entire-
ly new concept. In 2014, researchers at
ExxonMobil published a paper (ISOPE-
I-14-595) exploring the topic. Additive
manufacturing began as a method to
DATA. DRIVEN. DRILLING.
quickly produce component prototypes,
but in other industries such as aerospace,
it is now being used to manufacture metal
alloy components with complex geom-
etries that traditional manufacturing
methods cannot  replicate.
Ernst & Young’s 2016 report on addi-
tive manufacturing identified some
immediate benefits for industry. It may
reduce the need for the storage and pro-
duction of spare parts, some of which
may never be used. It could help reduce
transportation costs by allowing opera-
tors to manufacture more parts on site,
and it may allow for the faster production
of parts that are tailored to the require-
ments of a specific site. But there are
issues with its adoption. Real-Time Drilling Analytics: Engineered for Lower Well Costs
The EY report cited concerns about
quality and liability. By moving man-
ufacturing to users, it is unclear who www.petrolink.com
would be accountable for product func-
tionality and potential hazards, or how

JPT • OCTOBER 2017 53

 TALENT & TECHNOLOGY
Drawing on Collective Engineering Sentiment
To Improve Learning Outcomes
Michele Lawrie-Munro, Executive Director, AIME, and Lori Dalrymple, Chief Executive Officer,
Architecture of Communication
With many engineering disciplines pro-
jected to have a shortage of workers
in the next 10 years and the impend-
ing retirement of many senior-level
employees, there has been an empha-
sis on identifying job competencies
and skills gaps. SPE, and others, have
developed a variety of tools to iden-
tify and address these and help mem-
bers ready themselves for the emerging
realities of the future workplace, fur-
ther their careers, and meet employ-
ers’ expectations.
As the SPE Soft Skills Committee
reported in the February 2016 issue
of JPT (Fig. 1), the American Associ-
ation of Engineering Societies (AAES)
released an Engineering Compe-
tency Model (CMT) in July 2015. The
group engaged subject matter experts
from its 17 member societies to devel-
op the model in conjunction with the
US Department of Labor Employment
and Training Administration over a
2-year period. The administration part-
ners with industries and professions to
develop and maintain dynamic models
of the foundational and technical com-
petencies that are necessary in econom-
ically vital industries and sectors of the
American economy. SPE’s parent orga-
nization, the American Institute of Min-
ing, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engi-
neers (AIME) participated as a member
society. AIME interfaced with SPE
training staff during development of
this model.
The creation of the competency
model included an examination of exist-
ing bodies of knowledge, as well as the
inclusion and involvement of the stake-
holders within the engineering commu-
nity, including associations, industry,
and academia. The tool was vetted via
54
a webinar, a survey, and an in-person
review session. The team built the model
to provide a universal standard for the
knowledge, skills, and abilities neces-
sary not only for entering the engineer-
ing profession but also for maintaining
proficiency during one’s career. It is also
helpful to employers, educators, associ-
ations, and economic developers.
While the Department of Labor has
used this pyramidal template to devel-
op models for 23 industries, engineer-
ing was the first profession for which
this was used. Additional detail can be
found at https://www.careeronestop.
org/CompetencyModel/.
Bridging the Engineering
Competency Model
With SPE’s Competency Work
The ECM competencies are laid out in
pyramidal fashion to display founda-
tional skills typically learned earlier in
life underneath those skills acquired in
later stages of educational and work-
place achievement. But it stops short
of identifying competencies for specific
engineering disciplines and jobs. This is
where most of SPE’s technical compe-
tencies come in.
SPE has been at the forefront of the
engineering community in competency
development with its:
◗ General Engineer Competencies
(developed by the SPE Minimal
Competency Task Force, 2001)
◗ Soft Skills Matrix (Behrooz Fattahi,
Susan Howes, Giovanni Paccaloni,
and Ford Brett article in JPT,
October 2014)
◗ Graduating Engineer Competencies
(industry survey initiated by the
SPE Engineering Professionalism
Committee, 2011)
◗ Competency Management Tool
(CMT), launched 2015
The lion’s share of SPE’s efforts is
in the technical categories while AAES’
competency model is more soft-skills
focused. The objective is to bridge SPE’s
work in discipline-specific technical and
nontechnical skills with the more gener-
ic competency model work released
by AAES to create a holistic lifelong-
learning roadmap for SPE members.
Other groups who have actively and
broadly engaged in soft skills training
for several years include the American
Chemical Society, American Institute of
Chemical Engineers, and the Emerging
Leaders Alliance (ELA). The ELA is a
partnership among leading engineer-
ing and science-based organizations
that provides high-quality leadership
training. Recognizing the importance
of providing soft-skills training to pro-
pel its young professionals to quickly
occupy the emerging leadership oppor-
tunities, SPE annually sponsors eight
promising members to the ELA work-
shop; however, this single workshop
clearly will not meet industry demand.
Additional details can be found at
www.EmergingLeadersAlliance.org.
SPE Soft Skills Committee
Competency Mapping Work
AIME 2014 president and SPE Soft
Skills Committee charter member
Behrooz Fattahi asked AIME’s execu-
tive director, Michele Lawrie-Munro,
to introduce this model to SPE’s Soft
Skills Committee. The committee was
impressed by the work and agreed that
it would be worthwhile to establish a
task force to map AAES’ model to SPE’s
competency models and to drive the
integration of both models. It includ-
JPT • OCTOBER 2017
 Staffing
Informing
Delegating
Networking
Monitoring Work
Entrepreneurship
Supporting Others
Motivating & Inspiring
Developing & Mentoring
Strategic Planning/Action
Preparing & Evaluating Budgets
Clarifying Roles & Objectives
Managing Conflict & Team Building
Developing an Organizational Vision
Monitoring & Controlling Resources

Fig. 1—Engineering competency model. Courtesy of US Department of Labor Employment & Training Administration.

ed a three-fold purpose, to see if SPE
might adopt the AAES competency
model to:
1. Reduce or eliminate duplication of
effort
2. Enhance soft skills curriculum
development and assessment
(by using learning outcomes
such as the Accreditation Board
for Engineering and Technology
model for universities)
3. Prioritize soft skills training
development going forward
The Competency Mapping Task Force
put the AAES’ competencies in a tiered
Excel format. It was able to map all soft
skills elements of SPE’s General Engi-
neering Competencies and 75% (31
of 41) of the components of SPE’s Soft
Skills Matrix (Fig. 2) to the AAES com-
petency model.
Because AAES will periodically update
the competency model, this task force
will also provide feedback to AAES to
consider adding detail for additional
items found in SPE’s Soft Skills Matrix,
specifically excellence, dialogue, cultur-
al mental models, conversation, estab-
lishing direction, imagination, volun-
teerism, mental models, perseverance,
and patience. Mapping the AAES’ com-
petency model to graduating engi-
neer competencies and the CMT was
more difficult. The group decided that,
because these are mainly technical com-
petencies, there is no need to map to
them at this time.
Upon reviewing the competen-
cy model in detail and the mapping,
the task force recommended consider-
ing adopting of the competency model
because it provides detailed learning
outcomes that would be helpful to aca-
demic members as well as soft skills
trainers in delivering effective curricu-
lum to produce related competencies.
As an example, if an aspiring engineer
wished to understand what could be
expected of their critical and analyti-
cal thinking skills in their future work-
place, they could use Tier 2, Section 2.6

JPT • OCTOBER 2017 55

 Level of Mastery Attributes Division of Soft Skills

Excellence

Leadership, dialogue, • Leveraging

leveraging differences/ Differences/Inclusion
inclusion, excellence, • Dialogue
Integration strategic agility, • Mentoring
business acumen • Leadership
• Strategic Agility
• Business Acumen

Culture System Networks

Cultural mental models,
awareness, teamwork, • Diversity • Systems Thinking • Teamwork
Organizational system thinking, system • Cultural Mental • Systems • Networking
structure/process, Models Structure/Process
networking • Professional
Conduct

Professional conduct, Boundaries Interactions Adaption Resolution

awareness,
communication, • Awareness • Interpersonal • Conversation • Conflict
persuasion, interpersonal • Diversity Skills • Persuasion Resolution
Interpersonal skills, conflict resolution, • Professional • Communication • Establishing • Negotiation
negotiation, diversity, Conduct Direction
establishing direction,
conversation, negotiation

Creativity, innovation, Social Intellectual Emotional

Progression

imagination, critical
thinking, ethics, integrity, • Awareness • Critical Thinking • Stress
persistence, resilience, • Diversity • Creativity Management
Individual patience, volunteerism, • Innovation • Resilience
awareness, stress • Mental Models • Perseverance
management, diversity, • Self-Confidence and Persistence
mental models • Patience

Fig. 2—Progression in people capabilities and actions.

2.6 Critical and Analytical Thinking: Using logical thought processes to analyze information and draw conclusions.

2.6.1 Reasoning
2.6.1.1 Possess sufficient inductive and deductive reasoning ability to perform job successfully.
2.6.1.2 Critically review, analyze, synthesize, compare, and interpret information.
2.6.1.3 Draw conclusions from relevant and/or missing information.
2.6.1.4 Understand the principles underlying the relationship among facts and apply this understanding when
solving problems.
2.6.1.5 Use logic and reasoning to identify strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions or approaches to
a problem.
2.6.2 Mental agility
2.6.2.1 Identify connections between issues.
2.6.2.2 Quickly understand, orient to, and integrate new information.

Fig. 3—Detail from ECM Tier 2-Academic Competencies.

of the engineering competency model
(Fig. 3). In this section, the future engi-
neer would find the expectations of the
desired reasoning and mental agility
skills needed. If lacking, SPE and other
educators could then help them iden-
tify coursework to obtain those skills
to ensure a smooth transition from an
academic environment into the future
work place. Likewise, educators can use
the model to identify gaps in future
engineers’ training and create a tai-
lored education program to address
those gaps.
Next Steps
The group will present its work with
future SPE training stakeholders and
ultimately to the SPE Board of Directors.
The subcommittee would like to thank
the SPE staff for generous support of
these efforts. JPT

56 JPT • OCTOBER 2017

 SPE AWARDS

SPE Honors 2017 International Award

Recipients at Annual Meeting
Stephen Whitfield, Staff Writer

Each year, the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) honors members whose outstanding
contributions to SPE and the petroleum industry merit special distinction during its Annual
Technical Conference and Exhibition (ATCE). Recipients of the 2017 SPE international
awards will be recognized at the Annual Reception and Banquet held on Tuesday,
10 October. The 2017 SPE ATCE will be held in San Antonio, Texas.

Technology and helped found the institute’s Petroleum Recov-

Honorary Membership
Honorary Membership is conferred on individuals for out-
standing service to SPE and/or in recognition of distinguished
scientific or engineering achievement in fields encompassed
in SPE’s technical scope. Honorary Membership is the highest
honor SPE confers upon an individual and is limited to 0.1%
of SPE’s total membership.
Akhil Datta-Gupta is a professor of petro-
leum engineering at Texas A&M University.
He worked for BP Exploration and Research
from 1986 to 1990 and the Lawrence
Berkeley National Laboratory from 1992 to
1994 before joining Texas A&M in 1994.
Datta-Gupta was elected to the US National
Academy of Engineering in 2012 for “developing the theory
and practice of streamline simulation for fluid flow in
heterogeneous reservoirs.”
Datta-Gupta received SPE Distinguished Membership in
2001 and several other honors from SPE, including the John
Franklin Carll and Lester C. Uren awards. He was named an
SPE Distinguished Lecturer in 1999–2000, a Distinguished
Author in 2000, an outstanding technical editor in 1996, and
was awarded the Ferguson certificate in 2000 and 2006. He has
published more than 100 peer reviewed technical papers and 4
books, including an SPE textbook. Datta-Gupta holds a PhD in
petroleum engineering from the University of Texas.
Anil Kumar is the founder and president of
Omak Technologies, which provides petro-
leum engineering consulting services. He is
a pioneer of pressure derivative technology,
which has become a significant technology
platform in transient well testing. He served
as chairman and associate professor of
petroleum engineering at the New Mexico Institute of Mining
ery Research Center. Kumar has worked in senior positions at
Gulf Oil, Chevron, Mobil, Devon Energy of Indonesia, and Petro
China International Jakarta. As a senior vice president at Reli-
ance Industries, he built a 60-member subsurface team for
India’s first deepwater development in KG Basin Block-D6. He
has published numerous papers, supervised theses, and
coauthored several books, including Gas Well Test Analysis
Under Water Drive Conditions.
Kumar is a recipient of the SPE Reservoir Engineering award
in 1997, the SPE Formation Evaluation award in 2013, and the
SPE/AIME Anthony F. Lucas award in 2015. He received SPE Dis-
tinguished Membership in 2001 and served as a Distinguished
Lecturer in 1995–1996. He has served on the SPE board, the JPT
editorial board, and on numerous SPE committees and events
boards as chairman, co-chairman, member, and as a keynote
speaker. Kumar has presented numerous technical short cours-
es for SPE and PetroSkills.
Kumar holds a BSc with top honors from the Indian School of
Mines (now Indian Institute of Technology), an MS from Loui-
siana State University, and a PhD from Stanford University, all
in petroleum engineering.
Robert G. Moore is a professor of chemi-
cal and petroleum engineering at the Uni-
versity of Calgary. A faculty member at the
University since 1970, Moore’s teaching
primarily involves first- and second-year
engineering thermodynamics, and his
research interests are predominantly in
the area of thermal recovery with an emphasis on air injection
processes. He has been the principal of the In Situ Combustion
Research Group (ISCRG) since it performed its first combus-
tion tube test in 1974 and was a founding partner in Hycal
Energy Research Laboratories (now Weatherford Laborato-
ries) from 1978 to 1992. Based primarily on research per-
formed in the thermal laboratory, Moore has published more
than 500 technical reports, journal, and conference papers,

58 JPT • OCTOBER 2017

and has supervised more than 80 graduate students at the
master’s and PhD levels.
Moore is an SPE Distinguished Member, served as an SPE
Distinguished Lecturer in 2002–2003, and is an SPE IOR Pio-
neer. Prior to the Canadian Petroleum Society’s amalgamation
with SPE, he was chairman of the Calgary Section, a member of
the Board of Governors, and a Distinguished Member. Moore
holds a BSc and PhD in chemical engineering from the Univer-
sity of Alberta.
Alexander Neyin is CEO of GACMORK
Nigeria. He worked at Chevron Nigeria for
28 years before retiring, after which he
served briefly at Addax Petroleum Develop-
ment. Neyin pioneered the first seawater
reservoir injection project in Nigeria
through a case study of Chevron’s Meren
field and led a team of engineers and earth scientists to under-
take the first gas utilization study with then-Gulf Oil acreages
in Nigeria.
Neyin received SPE Distinguished Membership in 2011 and
was chairman of the SPE Nigeria Council’s board of trustees in
2012. He was elected SPE International Board Africa regional
director in 2003 and was appointed as chairman of career guid-
ance and student development for SPE from 2002 to 2003. He
was elected as chairman of the SPE Nigeria Council from 1998
to 1999 and has authored several technical papers.
Neyin holds a BS in petroleum engineering from Texas A&M
University and an MS in petroleum engineering from the Uni-
versity of Southwestern Louisiana, Lafayette.
Dean Oliver is a principal researcher at Uni
Research CIPR. He previously served as
senior reservoir engineer and staff research
scientist at Chevron, a professor of petro-
leum engineering at the University of Tulsa,
and director of the Mewbourne School of
Petroleum and Geological Engineering at
the University of Oklahoma. He is the coauthor of the book
Inverse Theory for Petroleum Reservoir Characterization and
History Matching.
Oliver served for 11 years as an associate editor of SPE Jour­
nal, 4 years as editor-in-chief of all peer-reviewed SPE jour-
nals and, in addition, has served on numerous SPE commit-
tees. He received the SPE Distinguished Service award in 2010,
SPE Distinguished Membership in 2008, and the SPE Reservoir
Description and Dynamics award in 2004. Oliver holds a BS in
physics from Harvey Mudd College and a PhD in Geophysics
from the University of Washington.
Sidney S. Smith Sr. is retired from Conoco
and currently serves as an executive director
of Urban Outreach, a faith-based nonprofit.
He joined Camco in 1958 and coauthored the
company’s Gas Lift Manual and became its
gas lift technical director and products man-
JPT • OCTOBER 2017
ager. Smith joined Conoco in 1968 as a gas lift expert in their Pro-
duction Engineering Services Group. While at Conoco, he worked
in several other capacities, including engineering support and
supervision, construction, field supervision, and management in
Houston, Dubai, and Jakarta, until his retirement in 1993.
In 60 years as an SPE member, Smith has served in numerous
leadership roles, including director and chairman of the Gulf
Coast and Jakarta Sections and Southeast Asia regional director.
He also spent 12 years on the SPE Gulf Coast Section (GCS) Pro-
duction and Operations Study Group, 20 years in GCS board-
level positions, and 7 years in Indonesia Section board-level
positions. He received an SPE Distinguished Member award
in 1989, the DeGolyer Distinguished Service Medal in 1998,
Legion of Honor membership in 2007, the SPE Public Service
award in 2008, and the Legends of Artificial Lift award in 2016.
Smith holds a BS in petroleum engineering from the Univer-
sity of Louisiana at Lafayette.
Dongxiao Zhang is the dean of the College
of Engineering, director of the Institute of
Ocean Research, and director of the Insti-
tute of Clean Energy at Peking University in
Beijing, China. Zhang has also worked as a
senior scientist at Los Alamos National
Laboratory and as a professor at the Uni-
versity of Oklahoma and the University of Southern Califor-
nia. He has authored 2 books and published more than 160
peer-reviewed papers.
Zhang has been an associate editor for SPE Journal, Water
Resource Research, Advances in Water Resources, SIAM Multi­
scale Modeling and Simulation, the Journal of Computational
Geosciences, and the Vadose Zone Journal. He is a member of
the US National Academy of Engineering and a fellow of the
Geological Society of America. Zhang holds a master’s degree
and a PhD in hydrology and water resources from the Univer-
sity of Arizona.
SPE Distinguished Lifetime Achievement Award
The SPE Distinguished Lifetime Achievement Award recog-
nizes contributions to SPE and the exploration and produc-
tion (E&P) industry that exhibit such exceptional devotion
of time, effort, thought, and action as to set them apart from
other contributions.
Amin Nasser is president and CEO of Saudi
Aramco and is a member of the company’s
board of directors. In more than 30 years
with the company, Nasser has served in a
number of leadership positions including as
senior vice president for upstream. He is a
longtime SPE member and has served on the
SPE Industry Advisory Council since 2008. In 2015, he received
the SPE Charles F. Rand Memorial Gold Medal for distinguished
achievement in mining administration, including metallurgy
59
 and petroleum. Nasser holds a bachelor’s degree in petroleum
engineering from the King Fahd University of Petroleum
and Minerals.
Anthony F. Lucas Gold Medal
The Anthony F. Lucas Gold Medal, established in 1936, recog-
nizes achievement in improving the technique and practice of
finding and producing petroleum.
Karen Schou Pedersen is the founder and
managing director of Calsep, a company
specializing in software and consulting ser-
vices to the oil industry within PVT simula-
tions for petroleum reservoir fluids. An SPE
member since 1984, she has served as a
committee member for SPE workshops in
Abu Dhabi and Amsterdam and is the author of 2 textbooks on
phase behavior of petroleum reservoir fluids, as well as more
than 50 articles on oil and gas properties. Schou Pedersen holds
a BS in financing from the Copenhagen Business School, an MS
in chemical engineering from the Technical University of Den-
mark, and a PhD in physical chemistry from the Technical
University of Denmark.
John Franklin Carll Award
The John Franklin Carll Award recognizes contributions of tech-
nical application and professionalism in petroleum develop-
ment and recovery.
Mukul Sharma is a professor of petroleum
and geosystems engineering at the Univer-
sity of Texas, where he has worked for the
past 32 years. He served as chairman of the
Department of Petroleum and Geosystems
Engineering from 2001 to 2005. Sharma has
published more than 400 journal articles
and conference proceedings, and he holds 21 patents. He found-
ed Austin Geotech Services in 1996 and cofounded Layline
Petroleum and Karsu Petroleum in 2006. Sharma received the
Anthony F. Lucas Gold Medal in 2009, the Lester C. Uren award
in 2002, and the SPE Faculty Distinguished Achievement award
in 2004. He served as an SPE Distinguished Lecturer. Sharma
holds a bachelor of technology degree in chemical engineering
from the Indian Institute of Technology, as well as an MS and a
PhD in chemical and petroleum engineering from the University
of Southern California.
DeGolyer Distinguished Service Medal
The DeGolyer Distinguished Service Medal recognizes dis-
tinguished and outstanding service to SPE, to the profes-
60
sions of engineering and/or geology, and to the petrole-
um industry.
Sameh Macary is a senior petroleum engi-
neer at Dragon Oil. Over the course of more
than 35 years, Macary has worked for aca-
demic institutions, service companies, and
operating companies. He previously
worked as a production engineering advi-
sor for Chevron Kazakhstan and as a petro-
leum engineering advisor for Chevron Australia. He also spent
more than 2 years as a consultant to Schlumberger. Macary
served as an SPE Distinguished Lecturer in 2007–2008 and
was named Best SPE Section Chairman in the Russian/Caspian
region in 2015. He chaired the SPE Atyrau-Kazakhstan Section
from 2012 to 2015 and chaired the technical program of the
SPE Caspian Conference and Exhibition in 2014. Macary
received the SPE Regional Service Award for Reservoir
Description and Dynamics in the Middle East in 2006. He
holds a BSc (Hon.) in petroleum engineering from Cairo Uni-
versity, and an MSc and PhD in petroleum engineering from
the Azerbaijan State Oil and Industry University.
Lester C. Uren Award
The Lester C. Uren Award recognizes distinguished achieve-
ment in the technology of petroleum engineering by a member
who made the contribution before age 45.
Quoc Nguyen is a professor of petroleum
and geosystems engineering at the Univer-
sity of Texas at Austin, and the Foundation
CMG industrial research chair in reservoir
engineering. His most recent research pro-
gram focused on enhanced oil recovery and
hydrocarbon recovery in unconventional
reservoirs. He has published more than 140 papers, a book
chapter, and he holds 6 patents. In 2016, Nguyen received the
SPE Southwestern North America Region Award for Reservoir
Description and Dynamics. He has spent 15 years as an SPE
technical reviewer. Nguyen holds a BS in chemical engineering
from the Vietnam University of Technology, an MS in environ-
mental sciences from Wageningen University, an MBA from
Thailand Asian Institute of Technology, and a PhD in petro-
leum engineering from Delft University.
Robert Earll McConnell Award
The Robert Earll McConnell Award recognizes beneficial ser-
vice to humanity by engineers through significant contribu-
tions that tend to advance a nation’s standard of living or
replenish its natural resource base.
JPT • OCTOBER 2017
 Charles R. Williams II is the executive
director of the Center for Offshore Safety.
He assumed this position following his
retirement from Shell, where he worked
for 40 years. He began work with Shell as
a production engineer but ultimately
served 14 years in various vice presidential
positions, including vice president of global research and
development. At the time of his retirement he was global
chief scientist at Shell. Williams has served as chairman of
the SPE Artificial Lift Forum and served on the Engineering
Professionalism Committee and the Oil and Gas Reserves
Committee. He has also been a part of several SPE Special
Projects, including Human Factors and Worst Case Dis-
charge. He is a recipient of the SPE Health, Safety, Security,
Environment, and Social Responsibility Award. Williams
holds a BS in mechanical engineering from the University
of Tennessee.
Charles F. Rand Memorial Award
The Charles F. Rand Memorial Gold Medal recognizes distin-
guished achievement in mining administration, including met-
allurgy and petroleum.
Nasir Al-Naimi is the vice president of
petroleum engineering and development at
Saudi Aramco. He has served the company
in various leadership capacities, including
executive director of pipelines, distribution,
and terminals. In 2012, he was appointed as
the vice president of northern area oil oper-
ations, overseeing oil and gas fields in the northern part of
Saudi Arabia and the Shaybah field in the Empty Quarter. Al-
Naimi has served as chairman of the board of directors for the
SPE Saudi Arabia section and has served on various executive
committees for MEOS, ADIPEC, and IPTC. He holds a bachelor’s
degree in petroleum engineering from the University of South-
ern California.
Public Service Award
The SPE Public Service Award recognizes distinguished public
service to a country, state, community, or the public through
excellence in leadership, service, or humanitarianism, provided
the service is above the requirements of employment.
Saka Matemilola is the chief petroleum
engineer at FIRST Exploration and Petro-
leum Development in Lagos, Nigeria. He
previously worked with Shell in various
roles, including reservoir engineering coach
and consultant, hydrocarbon resource man-
agement, and development planning. He
JPT • OCTOBER 2017
was involved in the founding and establishment of the Center
of Excellence in Geosciences and Petroleum Engineering at the
University of Benin. Matemilola was the 2016–2017 chairman
for the SPE Nigeria Council and secretary of the Nigeria Coun-
cil in 2011–2012. He was chairman of SPE Section 103 Port Har-
court in 2011–2012, leading the section to win SPE’s Most Inno-
vative Section award. Matemilola holds a BSc and MSc in
mechanical engineering from the University of Ibadan-Nigeria
and a PhD in applied mechanics from the University
of Cambridge.
Distinguished Service Award
The SPE Distinguished Service Award recognizes contribu-
tions to the society that exhibit such exceptional devotion of
time, effort, thought, and action as to set them apart from
other contributions.
Colin A. Black is managing director of
Carjon-NRG. In his 35-year career, he has
worked in offshore drilling, logging, and
well testing, serving as operations manager
at Petroleum Engineering Services and vice
president of Optima. Black joined the SPE
Aberdeen Section in 1993 and has helped
organize technical programs as well as student career guidance
and Energy4me education events in locations such as the Unit-
ed States, Mexico, Brazil, Italy, Ghana, Angola, Nigeria, Norway,
Australia, and the United Kingdom. He is a member of the SPE
Global Energy Information and Energy4me committees, and he
served as a director of SPE Europe from 2011 to 2017. He
received the SPE North Sea Region Service award in 2010 and
2016. He holds an SVQ Level 5 and an MSc in management from
Robert Gordon University.
Maria Angela Capello is an executive advi-
sor for the Kuwait Oil Company, with expe-
rience in field development and transfor-
mational management strategies. She
began her career at Petroleos de Venezuela
(PDVSA) as the first female supervisor of
geophysical field operations in the country,
and she ultimately became an oil asset general manager for
PDVSA. She then worked for Halliburton as subsurface prac-
tice and operations manager for Latin America and the Middle
East. Capello is an SPE Distinguished Lecturer for 2017–2018
and the associate editor of field development for JPT. She
received the SPE Regional Service award in 2014 and Distin-
guished Membership in 2015. She has authored more than 50
papers in peer-reviewed and industry journals and coauthored
the book Learned in the Trenches: Insights on Resilience and
Leadership. She holds a degree in physics from Universidad
Simon Bolivar and an MS in geophysics from the Colorado
School of Mines.
61
 Frédéric Jean-Bernard Guinot is the drill-
ing and completion manager at Geo-
Energie Suisse (GES) and a part-time senior
production technologist at IS-56. He has
29 years’ experience in drilling and com-
pletion activities. Prior to joining GES and
IS-45, Guinot worked for Addax Petroleum
in a variety of positions, including sand control expert, techni-
cal auditor, and production technologist. Previously, he
worked for 16 years at Schlumberger. Guinot founded the SPE
Swiss Section in 2005 and has been secretary, program chair,
and chairman of the section. He is active in the SPE mentoring
program for students and young professionals. He has also
served for 4 years in the SPE International Standing Commit-
tee for membership and received the 2012 SPE Regional Ser-
vice award for South and Central Europe. Guinot has authored
and coauthored 10 technical papers and holds 3 US patents in
the field of well completion. He holds a degree in mechanical
engineering from INSA Lyon.
Anuj Gupta is a team lead for reservoir
engineering research at the Aramco
Research Center-Houston. In this role, he
leads a team of researchers focused on
development of unconventional gas reser-
voirs. Prior to joining Aramco, Gupta
served on petroleum engineering faculties
at various institutions for 21 years, including the University
of Oklahoma, Missouri University of Science and Technology
(formerly University of Missouri-Rolla), Louisiana State Uni-
versity, the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) Petro-
leum Institute, and Texas A&M University in Qatar. Gupta is a
25-year SPE member, during which he served as a member
and chairperson of the committee for the Distinguished
Achievement Award for Petroleum Engineering Faculty; and
a member of the Continuing Education Committee, the Edu-
cation and Accreditation Committee, and the Engineering
Professionalism Committee. Gupta holds a BEng in mechani-
cal engineering from Delhi University and an MS and PhD
in  petroleum engineering from the University of Texas
at Austin.
Cedric K. Ferguson Medal
The SPE Cedric K. Ferguson Medal recognizes professional
achievement in petroleum engineering. The medal is presented
for the paper written by an SPE member age 35 and under at the
time the paper was peer-approved. The paper being recognized
is titled “Directional-Permeability Assessment in Formations
With Complex Pore Geometry With a New Nuclear-Magnetic-
Resonance-Based Permeability Model.”
62
Lu Chi is a research scientist and US repre-
sentative at iRock Technologies. She has
more than 10 years of experience in research
and development, with a present focus on
digital rock physics, nuclear magnetic reso-
nance petrophysics, and log and core analy-
sis. She has been a technical reviewer for
various journals, including SPE Journal and Petrophysics, and
the organizer and assistant editor of a special section for SEG
interpretation from 2015 to 2017. Lu holds a BS in physics from
Peking University, an MS in material science from the Univer-
sity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a PhD in petroleum
engineering from Texas A&M University.
Zoya Heidari is an assistant professor of
petroleum and geosystems engineering at
the University of Texas at Austin. Before
joining UT-Austin, she was an assistant pro-
fessor of petroleum engineering at Texas
A&M University. She was the founder and
director of the Texas A&M joint industry
research program on multiscale formation evaluation and
unconventional and carbonate reservoirs from 2012 to 2015.
She founded and has been the director of the UT-Austin
industry-affiliated research program on multiscale rock physics
since 2016. An associate editor for the SPE Reservoir Evaluation
and Engineering Journal, Heidari has published more than 100
papers in peer-reviewed journals and conference proceedings.
She received the SPE Regional Formation Evaluation award
from the Gulf Coast North America and Southwest North Amer-
ica regions in 2016 and the SPE Petroleum Engineering Junior
Faculty Research Initiation award. She also received the SPE
Innovative Teaching Award in 2015. Heidari holds a PhD in
petroleum engineering from UT-Austin.
Young Member Outstanding Service Award
The Young Member Outstanding Service Award recognizes
contributions to and leadership in the public and community
arenas, as well as SPE, the profession, and the industry, by a
member under age 36.
Mohamed Abd El-Rahman has been an
SPE volunteer since 2008 through SPE
Suez Canal University student chapter,
where he has moved between several aca-
demic and organizational committees to
serve the chapter activities in the universi-
ty. After his graduation from Suez Canal
University, he joined the SPE Egypt Young Professionals as a
student chapter liaison and Energy4me team member, after
which he became technical manager for the SPE Egypt Young
Professionals and, ultimately, was elected vice-chairperson of
the chapter for 2015–2016. In 2015, he received the SPE
Regional Young Member Outstanding Service award for the
JPT • OCTOBER 2017
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 Middle East region. El‑Rahman was appointed as a judge in
the SPE Student Chapter Award and Section Award Commit‑
tee. He holds a BSc in petroleum engineering from Suez Canal
University and is currently enrolled in Cairo University for a
master’s degree.
Ali Alkhatib is currently working with the
production planning division in the
Upstream Development Strategy and
Reserves Department at Saudi Aramco. He
previously worked for Saudi Aramco in a
variety of roles, including petroleum engi‑
neer in reservoir management, researcher
at the Advanced Research Center, and coordinator of Saudi
Aramco’s Young Leaders Advisory Board in corporate plan‑
ning. Alkhatib has authored or coauthored 26 technical publi‑
cations, including 7 peer‑reviewed publications. He chaired
the 2016 Saudi Arabia SPE Annual Technical Symposium and
Exhibition event courses and workshops committee, and he
served as an organizing member of Saudi Aramco’s participa‑
tion at the 2016 SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibi‑
tion. Alkhatib holds a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineer‑
ing with management from the University of Edinburgh, and a
master’s and PhD in petroleum engineering from Imperial
College London.
Alexey Borisenko is a senior technical
sales support engineer at Schlumberger.
He has worked with the company for more
than 10 years, previously serving as a fluid
technical engineer specializing in fractur‑
ing for Russia and Central Asia, and in
cementing for North America. Borisenko
was a secretary and president of the SPE Student Chapter, and
later a program chair and chairperson of the SPE Tyumen Sec‑
tion, leading it to the 2014 SPE International Award for Out‑
standing Student Support, the 2015 SPE International Award
for Innovation, and the 2016 and 2017 SPE President’s Awards
for Section Excellence. He was a jury member of the Student
Paper Contest at the SPE Russian Petroleum Technology Con‑
ference and Exhibition. He received the 2015 SPE Russian and
the Caspian Region Service Award. Borisenko holds a degree
in petroleum engineering from the Tyumen State Oil and
Gas University.
Pringle Egbe is a petroleum software engi‑
neer at CypherCrescent and serves as the
2016–2017 Internet chairperson for the
SPE Port Harcourt Section. He developed 4
activities for SPE, including Energy4Me’s
“Train the Trainer.” Egbe holds an MSc in
oil and gas computing from Robert Gordon
University and a BEng in electrical/electronic engineering
from the University of Port Harcourt.
64
Augustina Ovuema is a production tech‑
nologist in the Department of Petroleum
Engineering at the Federal University of
Petroleum Resources in Nigeria, as well as
a registered engineer with the Council for
the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria.
She is a member of the Center for Research
and Innovation at the university and is a supporting lecturer in
drilling courses, maintenance, and calibration of equipment/
apparatus, and is involved in the planning of field trips. From
2013 to 2014, Ovuema served as student affairs liaison officer
for SPE Warri Nigeria Section and as a member of the planning
committee of the SPE Nigeria Council. She also served on the
council’s Young Professional Planning Committee as a volun‑
teer in 2014. In 2015 and 2016 she was on the committee for
planning and executing the SPE Student Technical Conference
and Exhibition. She was appointed the Young Professional
chairperson for the Warri Nigeria Section for 2016–2017 and
as a co‑chairperson of the SPE Nigeria Council Young Profes‑
sional committee. She holds an ND and an HND in petroleum
engineering and geosciences from the Petroleum Training
Institute, a BEng in petroleum and gas engineering and an
MSc in production in operations from the University of
Port Harcourt.
Babatunde Yusuf is a project engineer
with Nalcor Energy, having recently transi‑
tioned to the position after 5 years as a res‑
ervoir engineer. An SPE member for 14
years, he has made extensive contributions
to SPE at the sectional, regional, and inter‑
national levels. He was a session chair for
the 2015 SPE Deepwater and Harsh Environment Workshop in
St. John’s, a committee member of 2017 SPE Production Opti‑
mization and Forecasting Workshop in Calgary, and he will
chair one of the sessions during the 2017 SPE Well Integrity
Life Cycle Management for Subsea Field Developments Work‑
shop in St. John’s. He founded the Young Professionals Com‑
mittee for the SPE Atlantic Canada Section, where he served as
the pioneer Young Professional Chair. Yusuf is currently the
chairperson for the Atlantic Canada section. He received the
Canadian Region Young Member Outstanding Service Award
in 2015 and is also a recipient of the 2017 Canadian Region
Service Award. He earned a BEng in petroleum engineering
from University of Benin and an MEng in oil and gas engineer‑
ing from Memorial University of Newfoundland.
Distinguished Achievement Award for Petroleum
Engineering Faculty
This award recognizes superior teaching, excellence in
research, significant contributions to the petroleum engineer‑
ing profession, and/or special effectiveness in advising and
guiding students.
JPT • OCTOBER 2017
 Ramona Graves is the dean of the College of
Earth Resource Sciences and Engineering
and a professor of petroleum engineering at
the Colorado School of Mines. She has an
extensive background in multidisciplinary
reservoir characterization, rock mechanics,
environmental issues in petroleum develop-
ment and production, and high-power laser-rock-fluid interac-
tion. Graves received SPE Distinguished Membership in 2009
and began a 3-year term as SPE Director for Academia in 2017.
She is a member of the SPE Academic Advisory Committee and
the SPE Research and Development Committee. She also served
on the SPE International Nominating Committee for president
and board members and the SPE Education and Accreditation
Committee. Graves holds a BS in math and physics from Kear-
ney State College and a PhD in petroleum engineering from the
Colorado School of Mines.
SPE Technical Awards
These awards recognize outstanding achievement or contri-
butions to the advancement of petroleum engineering in the
areas of the technical disciplines.
Completions Optimization and Technology Award
D.V. Satya Gupta is a Baker Hughes, a GE
Company, Technology Fellow and previous-
ly served as business director of technology
for pressure pumping. He has more than 38
years’ experience in oilfield chemical prod-
uct development and applications, and he
has helped develop several technologies
including encapsulated breakers, polymer-specific enzyme
breakers, and ultralightweight proppants. He has coauthored
chapters on fracturing fluids in the book Modern Fracturing as
well as the SPE monograph on hydraulic fracturing and 70 pub-
lished papers. He is on the SPE editorial board and an SPE Dis-
tinguished Lecturer for 2014–2015. Gupta was a member of the
2012 SPE Forum Series in Europe Committee (“Advanced Chem-
icals and Fluids for the Oilfield”), received SPE Gulf Coast Sec-
tion Volunteer of the Month honors in April 2013, and co-
chaired the 2017 SPE Forum on waterless fracturing. He holds a
doctor of science degree in chemical engineering from Wash-
ington University in St. Louis.
Drilling Engineering Award
Eric van Oort is a professor of petroleum
engineering at the University of Texas at
Austin. He previously worked at Royal Dutch
Shell in a variety of senior technical and
managerial roles over a 20-year period,
including research scientist; deepwater
drilling advisor on f­luids and cement; and
manager of unconventional well technology associated with
drilling automation, improved hydraulic fracturing, and water
JPT • OCTOBER 2017
management. He is a co-principal investigator of the Offshore
Energy Safety Institute (OESI) and cofounded two startup com-
panies: Genesis RTS and R5 Automation. He is also the CEO of
EVO Energy Consulting. At UT-Austin, van Oort is the director of
the Rig Automation Performance Improvement in Drilling
(RAPID) consortium. He received the SPE Drilling and Comple-
tions Best Paper award in 1996 and was an SPE Distinguished
Lecturer for 1996–1997. Van Oort holds a BS in chemistry and an
MS and PhD in chemical physics, all from the University
of Amsterdam.
Formation Evaluation Award
Mark Proett is a senior petroleum engi-
neering consultant for Aramco Services
Company, Upstream Group. Prior to join-
ing Aramco 4 years ago, Proett worked at
Halliburton for 33 years, holding various
roles in technology including global tech-
nical advisor for formation testing and
sampling. He is best known for his publications advocating
the viability of formation-testing-while-drilling, which was
introduced in 2002. He is also known for developing new
methods of pressure transient analysis, such as the oval probe
and focused sampling that improve sample quality while
reducing rig time. Proett is a former chair of the SPE Pressure
Transient Testing Committee. He has also served on the SPE
Reservoir Description and Dynamics Committee and on
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65
 numerous SPE Advanced Technology Workshops throughout
his career. He was designated an SPE Distinguished Lecturer
for 2006–2007 and 2017–2018. In 2013, he received the SPE
Gulf Regional Formation Evaluation award. Proett holds a BS
in mechanical engineering from the University of Maryland
and an MS from Johns Hopkins University.
Health, Safety, Security, Environment,
and Social Responsibility Award
J. Jack Hinton is the chief health, safety, and
environment (HSE) officer of Baker Hughes,
a GE Company. Prior to joining the company
in 2005, he spent 2 years as a dean and pro-
fessor at the Kazakhstan Institute of Man-
agement, Economics, and Strategic Re-
search. Hinton previously spent 26 years at
Texaco serving in leadership roles that included director of envi-
ronment, health, and safety, and vice president of international
petroleum. Hinton started his career as a field engineer with
Procon, a subsidiary of Universal Oil Products, building a vacu-
um pipe still at the Texas City Refinery. He currently serves on
the SPE HSSE-SR Advisory Committee and was a member of the
SPE International HSE Conference Executive and Program Com-
mittees in 2012, 2014, 2016, and 2017. He co-chaired the 2014
SPE International HSE Conference Management Committee and
has been actively affiliated with the committee and the confer-
ence since 1998. He holds a BS in biology and chemistry from
Trevecca Nazarene University, an MS in environmental sciences
and a doctorate in occupational health from UT-Austin.
Management and Information Award
Reidar Bratvold is a professor of invest-
ment and decision analysis at the Univer-
sity of Stavanger and the Norwegian Insti-
tute of Technology. His research interests
include decision analysis, project valua-
tion, portfolio analysis, real-option valua-
tion, and behavioral challenges in decision
making. Prior to joining academia, Bratvold spent 15 years in
the industry in various technical and management roles. He is
a coauthor of the SPE book Making Good Decisions and has
served as an SPE Distinguished Lecturer on three occasions.
He is the executive editor for the SPE Economics and Manage-
ment Journal. Bratvold holds a PhD in petroleum engineering
and an MSc in mathematics, both from Stanford University, an
MSc in petroleum engineering from the University of Tulsa,
and has business and management science education from
INSEAD and Stanford University.
Production and Operations Award
Kenneth Sorbie is a professor for the
Institute of Petroleum Engineering at
Heriot-Watt University. He has worked in
oil-related research for more than 37 years,
first with the Department of Energy (now
DECC) Laboratory at AEE Winfrith and,
66
since 1988, at Heriot-Watt. His current research focuses on
the fundamentals of multiphase flow through porous media;
oilfield chemistry, particularly mineral scale formation and
control; and enhanced oil recovery both by gas injection and
chemical methods. Sorbie was an SPE Distinguished Lecturer
for 2000–2001 and received the SPE Improved Oil Recovery
(IOR) Pioneer Award in 2008. He holds a first degree in
chemistry from Strathclyde University and a PhD in theoreti-
cal chemistry and applied mathematics from the University
of Sussex.
Projects, Facilities, and Construction Award
Jean-François Saint-Marcoux is an indus-
try consultant. He spent 40 years working
in engineering and engineering manage-
ment, with a specialty in flow assurance
and hydrodynamics, contributing to the
design of deepwater riser systems. After 2
years with Cameron as a wellhead engi-
neer, he joined ETPM first as a topsides project engineer and
later as manager of engineering. He chaired numerous in-
house project expert committees, including Total Girassol,
Pazflor and CLOV, ExxonMobil Ehra, Shell Bonga, BP Greater
Plutonio, and Petrobras Guara Sapihnoa. Saint-Marcoux has
served as a member of the board of SPE-France and a member
of the OTC programming committee. He holds an ingénieur
degree from Ecole Centrale de Lyon, an MS in Mechanical
Engineering from Caltech, and a docteur-ingénieur degree in
physical oceanography from UPMC Sorbonne Universités.
Reservoir Description and Dynamics Award
Tayfun Babadagli is a professor of civil
and environmental engineering for the
School of Mining and Petroleum Engineer-
ing at the University of Alberta, where he
holds an NSERC Industrial Research Chair
in Unconventional Oil Recovery. Babadagli
previously served on the faculty at Istanbul
Technical University in Turkey and Sultan Qaboos University
in Oman. He was an executive editor for the SPE Reservoir
Evaluation and Engineering journal from 2010 to 2013 and
was named an SPE Distinguished Member in 2013. Babadagli
currently serves on the JPT editorial board. He received SPE
Outstanding Technical Editor awards in 2002 and 2008, and
Outstanding Service award in 2010, and SPE’s “A Peer Apart”
award in 2013. He holds BS and MS degrees from Istanbul
Technical University and MS and PhD degrees from the Uni-
versity of Southern California, all in petroleum engineering.
Distinguished Members
SPE Distinguished Membership recognizes SPE members
whose achievements and/or service to the society are deemed
worthy of special recognition. SPE members become Dis-
tinguished Members once they become a past president of
JPT • OCTOBER 2017
 Abu-Khamsin Al-Afaleg Balhoff Bashbush Black de Wardt Edet

Flew Hanson Honarpour Guinot Gupta Liu Macary

Matemilola Mody Morita Nguyen Ogedegbe Ortwein Paul

Reed Pedersen Sur Weijermars Williams Zhang Ziauddin

SPE or the American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and
Petroleum Engineers; an SPE Honorary Member; a recipi-
ent of the Anthony F. Lucas Gold Medal, John Franklin Carll
Award, Lester C. Uren Award, Charles F. Rand Memorial
Gold Medial, Robert Earll McConnell Award, DeGolyer Dis-
tinguished Service Medal, Public Service Award, or Distin-
guished Service Award; or if they are elected by the SPE Board
of Directors.
Sidqi Abu-khamsin, King Fahd University, Dhahran,
Saudi Arabia
Nabeel Al-afaleg, Saudi Aramco, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia
Matthew Balhoff, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas,
USA
Jose Bashbush, National University of Mexico, Mexico City,
Mexico
Colin Black, Carjon NRG Ltd., Inverurie, UK
John de Wardt, De Wardt and Company, Steamboat Springs,
Colorado, USA
Effiom Edet, Baba Energy Nigeria, Lagos, Nigeria
Steve Flew, Petrofac Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Barrett Hanson, Sproule, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Mehdi Matt Honarpour, BHP Billiton, Houston, Texas, USA
Frédéric J. Guinot, Geo-Energie Suisse AG, Zürich,
Switzerland
Anuj Gupta, Saudi Aramco, Katy, Texas, USA
Hui-hai Liu, Aramco Research Center, Houston, Texas, USA
Sameh M. Macary, Dragon Oil Ltd,, Perth, Western Australia
Saka Matemilola, First Exploration & Petroleum Development
Company, Lagos, Nigeria
Rustom Mody, BHGE, Houston, Texas, USA
Nobuo Morita, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas,
USA
Quoc Nguyen, Universtiy of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas,
USA
Okurerie Ogedegbe, Shell Petroleum Development Nigeria,
Port Harcourt, Nigeria
Sara Ortwein, XTO Energy, Ft. Worth, Texas
Donald Paul, University of Southern California, Los Angeles,
California, USA
Teri Reed, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
Karen Schou Pedersen, Calsep A/S, Lyngby, Denmark
Sidhartha Sur, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation, Ahmedabad,
India
Ruud Weijermars, Texas A&M University, College Station,
Texas, USA
Charles R. Williams II, Center for Offshore Safety, Cypress,
Texas, USA
Dongxiao Zhang, Peking University, Beijing City, China
Murtaza Ziauddin, Schlumberger, Sugar Land, Texas, USA

JPT • OCTOBER 2017 67

 Fifty Years of TUDRP
Gail Banzet-Ellis, The University of Tulsa
M any professionals in today’s drill-
ing engineering industry can trace
their careers back to a historic research
facility in Tulsa. One of the oldest drill-
ing consortia in the world, The Univer-
sity of Tulsa Drilling Research Project,
TUDRP, is celebrating 50 years and is
poised to continue its tradition for anoth-
er 5 decades.
TUDRP is the concept of legendary
TU professor Kermit Brown who initially
established the consortium. A nonprof-
it cooperative between industry part-
ners and university associates, TUDRP
conducts basic and applied research to
advance drilling technology. Students
gain experience in the industry while part-
ners benefit from the research developed.
Professor B.J. Livesay was the group’s first
director and welcomed a small group of
industry partners. Livesay left the pro-
gram in 1972, and John Day served as
interim director until J.J. Azar accept-
ed the permanent role. Azar arrived at
TU in 1965 as an assistant professor in
aerospace engineering. As director, he
reached out to major oil corporations,
independents, contractors, and suppliers.
“We were the only existing cooperative
research program in petroleum engineer-
68
Stefan Miska (left) passed
on the directorship to Evren
Ozbayoglu in July 2017.
ing that specialized in drilling while also
promoting academics,” Azar said.
TUDRP grew to more than a dozen
members with worldwide recognition,
and by the late 1980s, more than 25 com-
panies were involved.
Azar led TUDRP for 22 years while
teaching drilling courses to hundreds
of students and helping them publish
technical papers as a direct result of the
research at TUDRP.
Professor Stefan Miska, who initially
taught at New Mexico Tech, joined TU in
1992 and succeeded Azar as TUDRP direc-
tor in 1996. Miska continued to focus on
Azar’s priorities while also expanding the
research. The development of a flow loop
system by Azar provided a location for
new experiments, and Miska was eager to
implement additional applications.
“I wanted to do more for the drilling
industry,” he said. “I wanted to devel-
op something that would be unique
and useful.”
TUDRP began looking at all aspects of
drilling mechanics and introduced new
tools such as the Rock Mechanics Facil-
ity to better understand factors affecting
the drilling rate and ultimately drilling
costs. Current TUDRP resources include
a low-pressure flow loop, advanced cut-
tings transport facility, drillpipe/coiled
tubing buckling facility, full-scale testing
rig, drillpipe fatigue testing facility, fluids
characterization laboratory, small and
large indoor flow loops, shale-fluid inter-
action test cell, triaxial rock mechan-
ics testing facility, and others. The con-
sortium team includes eight TU faculty
members as well as research technicians,
several consultants, and research assis-
tants. To date, 170 projects have been
completed, and 14 are in progress.
“We can call on mechanical engineer-
ing, electrical engineering, or other
departments from TU’s College of Engi-
neering when we need help,” Miska said.
“We’re not just by ourselves, and we have
full support around the campus.”
James R. Sorem Jr., dean of TU’s Col-
lege of Engineering and Natural Sciences,
has collaborated with TUDRP in the past.
“One of our biggest strengths is the
synergy of our scientists and engineers,”
Sorem said. “We’re a part of one unit,
and there are significant opportunities
among all of our disciplines.”
TUDRP is not immune to the challeng-
es of today’s industry, but Miska said the
organization respects oil’s cyclical nature
and keeps pushing harder to advance
drilling technology and minimize costs.
“This makes our industry relationships
even stronger during these challenging
times,” he said.
TUDRP membership currently includes
15 oil and service companies from the US
and abroad. Members visit TU’s North
Campus biannually for advisory board
meetings. Updates on current projects are
presented, and members provide valuable
feedback and improvement suggestions.
“We listen to our members, and we
act accordingly,” Miska said. “We’re
focused on optimization and automa-
tion. We are aiming for the future of the
drilling industry.”
According to Senior Associate Director
Nicholas Takach, research projects are
validated and prioritized through a strict
vetting process.
JPT • OCTOBER 2017

“Members are aware that our proj-
ects provide tangible deliverables,” he
said. “Each project starts with a state-
ment of the problem, and members
know the expected results at the end of
the project.”
TUDRP requires research assistants to
meet the academic challenges of theo-
retical development while also under-
standing practical research principles
of the industry. The consortium focus-
es on long-term research ideas deemed
beneficial to its members. Hundreds of
graduate students conducted research
on TUDRP projects while successfully
acquiring masters and PhD degrees in
petroleum engineering.
“We knew we could count on their per-
formance, and it was easy to show con-
tinued success with TUDRP,” said Rhonda
Jacobs, a past employee of the US Depart-
ment of Energy National Energy Technol-
ogy Laboratory who worked closely with
TUDRP for several years.
“They knew how to transform students
into future experts and keep stockholders
engaged,” Jacobs said.
Associate Director Mengjiao Yu has
worked for TUDRP at the North Campus
for 15 years.
“We are proud of our results and our
research assistants,” Yu said. “Compa-
JPT • OCTOBER 2017
The faculty, research technicians, and assistants
of TUDRP at TU’s historic North Campus.
nies hiring our past students are always
impressed with the level of skills and
knowledge they have of the oil industry.”
J.C. Cunha, technical director of man-
agement and information for the Soci-
ety of Petroleum Engineers, was Mis-
ka’s first doctoral student at TU. He has
enjoyed a long career with Petrobras, the
University of Alberta, Ecopetrol, and the
US Bureau of Safety and Environmen-
tal Enforcement while keeping a close
relationship with TUDRP. Cunha helped
build the consortium’s horizontal buck-
ling facility and published several papers
on the technology.
“It’s hard in academia to attract sup-
port from companies, but TUDRP has
always provided one of the best cost/ben-
efit relationships when you consider the
relatively small annual membership and
the fantastic results provided,” he said.
Robello Samuel, a Halliburton Re-
search Fellow, also earned his doctorate
under the mentorship of Miska. Samuel
has written several books and received
SPE’s Drilling Engineering Award
in 2016.
“TUDRP provided a platform to net-
work and gave me a head start in the
industry,” he said. “I gained a more in-
depth understanding of research, and I
found my love for teaching.”
On 1 July, Evren Ozbayoglu became the
new director of TUDRP. Miska retired
from the directorship but will continue
teaching. Ozbayoglu received his doctor-
ate from TU in 2002. After teaching in
Turkey for a few years, he returned to
TUDRP in 2009.
“Looking back on the past 50 years, we
are well-known around the world for our
drilling research,” Ozbayoglu said. “My
major goal is to maintain that.”
Much like Miska, Ozbayoglu plans to
promote TUDRP to current and future
members. He understands the importance
of tackling hot topics in today’s industry.
Challenges that arose 20 years ago still
are researched today but with new meth-
odologies and technologies. Representa-
tives from each member company serve
as champions of TUDRP—professionals
who are TU alumni and strengthen the
consortium’s business relations.
TUDRP has made essential contribu-
tions to the oil and gas industry in the past
50 years, and Ozbayoglu said the organi-
zation will continue to adapt and directly
serve the world’s energy companies.
“We focus on developing projects that
are applicable in the field to answer ques-
tions in industry,” he said. “That’s what
made our past successful. That’s what will
direct our future.” JPT
69
 TECHNOLOGY FOCUS

Field Development Projects

Maria A. Capello, SPE, Executive Adviser, Kuwait Oil Company

The new dynamics and strategies of field
development are marked more than
ever by the profitability considerations
imposed by an extended period of low
oil prices. The new market scenario has
apparently cornered producers from the
Organization of the Petroleum Exporting
Countries to maintain their production
volumes because reducing production to
raise oil prices would trigger profitability
levels for shale oil and nonconventional
producers. Interweaved forces of precar-
ious equilibrium affect field development
and redevelopment plans.
The papers presented at main SPE
conferences are grounded in this real-
ity, and I found that a staggering num-
ber of articles by researchers and service
and producing companies are related
to theoretical and real-data economic
modeling, with approaches rarely seen
before, where the long-term profitability
Interweaved forces
of precarious equilibrium
affect field development
and redevelopment plans.
has acquired prime weight. Early assess-
ments of the future reservoir response to
enhanced-recovery systems need more-
detailed, -reliable, and -precise fore-
casts to enable decisions of ever-more-
demanding investors and stakeholders in
international and national oil companies.
Development/redevelopment plans for
new and established oil fields of any kind
undergo a detailed screening of future
performance in low-price scenarios, and
further challenges to cost arise when pro-
ducing from frontier areas or from reser-
voirs with different maturity levels at the
same time or with environmentally chal-
lenged production systems.
The papers selected typify this new
trend and exemplify several of the chal-
lenges experienced in new and mature
oil fields. Paper SPE 181598 showcases
challenges for offshore redevelopment in
the Middle East to extend production for
25 years. Paper IPTC 18984 accounts for
an incipient shale development in China,
and paper SPE 182269 departs from the
conventional net-present-value maximi-
zation and capital-expenditure minimi-
zation to explore alternative options for
subsea-production-systems design.
The industry is evolving to a more
factual approach to profitability, with
emphasis in modeling the long-term
scenarios with detail. And this applies
for developments in both mature and
new fields. JPT

Maria A. Capello, SPE, is an executive adviser with the Kuwait Oil
Company (KOC) for the North Kuwait Asset, advancing strategic
initiatives in reservoir-management best practices for all assets
of KOC and diversity for all companies upstream and down-
stream of the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation holding. She is an
experienced consultant for the oil and gas industry and an
expert in field-development and -monitoring strategies. Capello
has worked in Latin America, the United States, and the Middle
East. She holds a licentiate degree in physics from Simon Bolívar University and an
MS degree in geophysics from the Colorado School of Mines. Capello holds an honor-
ary lifetime membership from the Society of Exploration Geophysicists and has
received its Distinguished Member and Regional Service awards. She serves on the
JPT Editorial Committee and can be reached at mcapello@kockw.com.
Recommended additional reading
at OnePetro: www.onepetro.org.
SPE 182632 Model-Based Well-Location
Optimization—A Robust Approach
by B.A. Ramirez, Shell, et al.
OTC 27592 Johan Sverdrup—Creating a
Unique Environment for Successful Drilling
Operations in an Accelerating Spotlight
Project by Jákup Øregaard, Statoil, et al.
SPE 184848 Optimizing Well Spacing and
Well Performance in the Piceance Basin
Niobrara Formation by N. Li, Black Hills
Exploration and Production, et al.

70 JPT • OCTOBER 2017

Field Life Extension in Abu Dhabi
Through Hybrid Development Concept

F ield A, a giant field consisting of

many subreservoirs, is offshore
Abu Dhabi and has produced for
50 years, mainly through peripheral
water injection. A long-term
development plan (LDP) for the field
aims to extend the production plateau
by 25 years through infill drilling and
waterfloods. This paper describes an
approach for optimizing the number
and type of drilling centers required
to enable the development plan to be
flexible in design to accommodate
infrastructure, facilities, drilling, and
subsurface constraints.
Introduction
Field A, a giant carbonate field, has
been developed for 50 years. As the field
reaches maturity, it moves to another
phase of development. Design of the
next development phase, the LDP, began
in the early 2010s. The LDP assessment
stage, which screened the surface and
subsurface development concept, was
recently completed, and the develop-
ment planning team is preparing for
the selection stage. The assessment-
stage conclusion was for drilling from
artificial islands (AIs), wellhead towers
(WHTs), or a combination of both and
leaves a degree of freedom. This paper
describes the optimization approach of
the drilling-center options.
The LDP is just the first phase of a
large-scale long-span offshore reservoir
redevelopment that aims for a further
50 years of production. The complexity
of the field is significant because of lim-
ited seabed space, the age of the exist-
This article, written by Special Publications Editor Adam Wilson, contains highlights
of paper SPE 181598, “Prospective Unlocking of Future Reserves in Offshore Abu Dhabi:
Field-Life Extension Through Hybrid Development Concept,” by T. Nakashima, SPE,
D. Ouzzane, SPE, G. Dudley, SPE, and M. Al-Marzouqi, ADMA-OPCO, prepared for
the 2016 SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, Dubai, 26–28 September.
The paper has not been peer reviewed.
ing surface facilities and pipelines, and
challenging drilling circumstances.
These complexities differentiate the
development project from other off-
shore projects, and an appropriate se-
lection of drilling centers is one of the
more important keys to project success.
Field and Development History
The field of carbonate reservoirs is in
shallow water. The field is 40×20 km,
and different reservoirs have been de-
veloped by two different operators. The
stack of reservoirs is divided into shal-
lower reservoirs (U Reservoirs) and
deeper reservoirs (L Reservoirs).
The L Reservoirs are geologically di-
vided into two major reservoirs, L1 and
L2, which have been developed similar-
ly. The development began with natu-
ral production with original reservoir
energy. Beginning in the 1970s, pres-
sure maintenance through dump flood-
water injection by connecting the tar-
get reservoirs with a shallow aquifer
was conducted for 10 years. For fur-
ther reservoir-pressure maintenance,
powered peripheral water injection
was started, and the development
scheme has been continuous, with re-
inforced pressure maintenance through
immiscible gas injection from the
top structure.
Currently, the field development calls
for increasing the density of peripher-
al water injectors and infill producers,
with improvements in injectivity and
productivity achieved through well hor-
izontalization and control of fluid distri-
bution with advanced completion tech-
nologies. Additional water-injection
reinforcement is planned in the middip
area for further pressure support.
Development-Plan Overview
and Challenging Environment
Overview of LDP. Because of the dif-
ferent natures of the reservoirs and the
different maturity levels with respect to
the ongoing development, Reservoirs
L1 and L2 are developed with differ-
ent schemes. Reservoir L1 development
continues the peripheral water injec-
tion, with a line of water injectors at
the middip area dividing the field into
two parts and enhancing pressure sup-
port. Gas injection from the crest will
be reinforced with an increasing injec-
tion rate using existing wells and facili-
ties. Reservoir L2 will be developed ini-
tially with a five-spot water-injection
pattern, followed by an inverted-nine-
spot pattern of water injection with full
gas lift.
This development plan requires new
infill drilling of 180 wells, both oil pro-
ducers and water injectors. Pipelines,
water-injection-capacity upgrade, gas
lift equipment installation, and 
processing-facility construction are
also needed. These 180 wells can be
drilled from AIs or from steel structures
such as WHTs. Deciding the optimal
number and type of drilling centers is
the focus of this paper.
Challenging Circumstance for Rede-
velopment. To implement the devel-
opment plan successfully, the following
challenges must be managed properly:
◗ Seabed space is already occupied by
pipelines, and the available space for
future development is limited.
◗ Aging facilities need to be replaced.
◗ The U Reservoirs have been and will
be developed differently than the L
Reservoirs because of their different
natures.

For a limited time, the complete paper is free to SPE members at www.spe.org/jpt.

JPT • OCTOBER 2017 71

 Don’t Related to the first and second points,
the seabed needed for surface-facility de-
ber of candidates. At this stage, three op-
tions out of seven were eliminated be-

let your velopment is already quite occupied with

many pipelines, steel structures, and AIs
from previous development.
cause of seabed obstruction or conflicts
with existing facilities.
The drilling-feasibility study provides
SPE member Empty slots remain, however, on the
existing WHTs, and those 180 new wells
opportunities to eliminate other drilling-
center options. Technical drilling limita-
could be drilled from there. Maximum tions constitute the first screening crite-
benefits use of existing WHTs is a preferable op-
tion purely from a short-term econom-
ria, and a few options are expected to be
dropped at this stage. The study also pro-

run dry. ic point of view. The option, however,

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is not encouraging because the existing
WHTs are already aged (the majority of
those towers were constructed in the
1980s) and their continued use for an ad-
ditional 50 years without integrity issues
seems unlikely.
Creating new drilling centers (WHTs
or AIs) would be a more-realistic op-
tion. Nevertheless, the number and type
of drilling centers must be decided care-
fully because seabed space is already
quite limited.
With respect to the third point, dif-
ferent reservoir characteristics require
different development concepts. The U
Reservoirs consist of tight reservoirs and
require smaller well spacing and more
reservoir contact. This results in dense
well drilling and longer well trajectories.
The LDP wells must avoid intersecting
existing wells and faults. Ideally, drilling
centers should be distributed sufficiently
to cover all the target points with as few
departure wells as possible to minimize
the risk of intersection.
Integrated Drilling-Center
Optimization
The assessment phase concluded that the
following three options are technically
and economically robust:
◗◗ 27 WHTs (WHT option)
◗◗ Three AIs plus two WHTs (AI
option)
◗◗ Combination of WHTs and AIs
(hybrid option)
The locations of the drilling centers
are chosen considering subsurface target
locations so that the distance from the
drilling center to the well is as small as
possible. Fig. 1 shows well and drilling-
center locations for the first two cases.
It is assumed that 100 slots are available
on each AI and 12 slots are available on
each WHT.
Before the drilling-feasibility study,
preliminary screening reduced the num-
vides an estimate of drilling duration and
cost for all of the wells. Drilling duration
is used to evaluate the effect on produc-
tion profile. The production profile and
drilling cost are then included in an eco-
nomics calculation.
The final stage of the work flow is the
selection of the optimal drilling-center
options. All outcomes from drilling fea-
sibility, production profiles, and proj-
ect economics are integrated, and a few
­drilling-center options continue to the
selection stage.
Drilling-Feasibility Study. Drilling Dif-
ficulty. The first two drilling-center op-
tions were analyzed by creating trajec-
tories and designing well structures for
each well. The hybrid options were eval-
uated on the basis of lessons learned
from the first two options.
As a representation of drilling diffi-
culty, the directional difficulty index is
used. This index is an empirical index
based on industry experience and rep-
resents well complexity computed using
the trajectories.
Drilling Duration. Drilling duration
was also estimated for all the scenarios.
Wells were placed in one of seven classes
on the basis of departure, and drilling du-
ration for each well was estimated using
historical drilling experience.
Drilling-Center Effects on Production
Profile. Reservoir simulation was per-
formed to evaluate the effect on produc-
tion of each drilling-center option. Inde-
pendent reservoir models were used for
Reservoirs L1 and L2.
Drilling is assumed to start 1 year
before the first oil from the LDP. The
drilling sequence is based on rig loca-
tion (not to allow rigs to move from
one drilling center to another without
completing all wells) and is consistent
with the estimated duration from the
drilling-­feasibility study.

JPT • OCTOBER 2017

 Target of oil producer Target of water injector WHT AI

Fig. 1—Drilling-center options for 27 WHTs (left) and three AIs plus 2 WHTs (right). Black solid lines connecting well
target and drilling center represent well/drilling-center relation but not trajectory. Well target locations are common for
both drilling-center options.

Selection of Optimal Drilling-Center field-development concepts and ◗ Flexibility should be built in for
Options. The options with more drill- production profiles is an important expandability of surface facilities
ing centers are more advantageous for step in the optimization loop. to extend field life. JPT
drilling feasibility and oil production;
however, other aspects such as ease of
workover, logistics, expandability, and
capital expenditure should be consid-
ered. For this, a dedicated team was
established that consisted of reser-
Lenzing OptiFil®
voir engineers, drilling engineers, and
Automatic Filtration in Oil & Gas
planning engineers. The team had sev-
eral discussions regarding the findings
of the drilling-feasibility study and the
reservoir-simulation work to summarize
technical advantages and challenges.

Conclusion
The work flow discussed in this paper
has been used to optimize the number
and type of drilling centers. By integrat- Filtration of completion fluids Filtration of produced water
ing outcomes from the drilling-feasibility
study, reservoir simulation, economics, Prefiltration of nano-filtration or RO Filtration of fracking water
and net-present-value evaluation, optimal
drilling-center options can be selected. Oil production Refinery Oil platform
The approach followed in this project
study revealed the following lessons:
◗ Integration of different functions
and disciplines early in the project
phase is paramount in field-
development planning before Sugar cane / beets White sugar
project sanction. Lenzing Technik GmbH ▪ 4860 Lenzing, Austria ▪ Tel.: +43 (0) 7672 701-3479
◗ A study of the feasibility of complex Fax: +43 (0) 7672 918-3479 ▪ E-Mail: filter-tech@lenzing.com ▪ www.lenzing-technik.com

trajectories and their effect on

JPT • OCTOBER 2017 73

 3D Full-Field and Pad Geomechanics Models
Aid Shale Gas Field Development in China

T he oilfield-development plan
(ODP) for a shale gas field at the
southern edge of the Sichuan Basin
shown in Fig. 1. Drilling pads for shale
gas developments are commonly lo-
cated in narrow valleys that are often
geomechanics and its role at various
scales during the progress of the ODP
is vital. This paper describes the devel-
in China started in early 2014. The home to farmland and residential vil- opment of 3D full-field geomechanics
first wells drilled in the field and its lages with dense populations. Differ- models and high-resolution 3D pad geo-
adjacent blocks experienced significant ences of elevation among neighboring mechanics models and their engineer-
challenges, such as severe mud losses, pads can be from several hundred me- ing applications.
stuck tools, losses in the hole, high ters to more than 1000  m. To speed
treating pressure, and unexpected up development of marine shale gas Geomechanics-Modeling
screenout. Because an accurate in the Sichuan Basin and its adjacent Approach
understanding of geomechanics and areas with a minimized learning curve, A topographic and geological survey of
its roles at various scales is vital, 3D a geoscience-to-production integration the study field and its adjacent blocks
full-field and pad geomechanics models of research, engineering, and opera- suggests that this area may have been
were developed for achieving efficiency tion with its associated research and de- affected significantly by four major
and effectiveness in implementing velopment, methodologies, and work tectonic movements, which resulted
the ODP. flows must be applied. This geoscience- in extreme structural complexity and
to-production integration aims to opti- natural-fracture systems.
Introduction mize both efficiency and effectiveness Dense faults, which can be seen in
The Ordovician-Silurian Wufeng-Longmaxi dynamically at single-well, pad, and seismic data, are just some of the struc-
hot shale is an emerging shale gas play field scales with systematic and con- tural complexities. Numerous subseis-
in China. tinuous optimization of technologies mic structures, or microfolds, and rich
Currently, the major exploration and and solutions and the accumulation of multiscale natural fractures complicate
development activities of the play are knowledge and experience to enhance the structure further.
in the Sichuan Basin and its adjacent well productivity. To achieve reasonable geomechanics
areas. For shale gas development in the One shale gas field, which is the study models with increasing accuracy and
Sichuan Basin and its adjacent areas, area of this paper, is in the mountainous reliability, this study takes an approach
using the megascale, high-density, and area at the southern edge of the Sich- that includes the following procedures:
continuous and regular pad drilling as uan Basin. The first wells drilled in this ◗ An extensive characterization
is used in North America is difficult field and its adjacent blocks experienced of mechanical properties was
because surface and subsurface condi- significant geomechanics-associated conducted by the evaluation of
tions are significantly different from challenges, such as severe mud losses, cores and well logs and integration
those of the well-known North Ameri- tools or drillingpipe sticking, losses in with seismic data.
can shale plays. the hole, high treating pressure while ◗ Multiscale geomechanics modeling
The strong environmental and so- hydraulic fracturing, and unexpected was conducted at the full-field,
cial constraints that typify the Sich- screenout of fracturing stages. Having pad, and single-well scales
uan Basin and surrounding area are reliable yet evolving understanding of with different resolutions and
accuracies.
This article, written by Special Publications Editor Adam Wilson, contains ◗ Live modeling was performed with
highlights of paper IPTC 18984, “Three-Dimensional Full-Field and Pad iterative updating and validation.
◗ Systematic quality control was
Geomechanics Modeling Assists Effective Shale Gas Field Development, Sichuan
performed with all available data
Basin, China,” by Liang Xing, PetroChina; Xian Chenggang, SPE, Schlumberger;
continuously and promptly.
Shu Honglin, PetroChina; Chen Xin, Schlumberger; Zhang Jiehui, PetroChina;
The geomechanics-modeling efforts
Wen Heng, Schlumberger; Wang Gaocheng, PetroChina; and Wang Lizhi, Guo began with high-resolution structur-
Haixiao, Zhao Chunduan, Luo Fang, and Qiu Kaibin, SPE, Schlumberger, al, geological, reservoir-property, and
prepared for the 2016 International Petroleum Technology Conference, Bangkok, multiscale natural-fracture models.
Thailand, 14–16 November. The paper has not been peer reviewed. Copyright 2016 A live modeling approach was applied
International Petroleum Technology Conference. Reproduced by permission. for Earth modeling. Three-dimensional

For a limited time, the complete paper is free to SPE members at www.spe.org/jpt.

74 JPT • OCTOBER 2017

Fig. 1—Typical geography and surface conditions in the mountainous area of the southern Sichuan Basin. Both images
show farmlands and dense population in valleys and limited infrastructure. The selection of pad locations for shale gas
development presents huge challenges technically, economically, and environmentally.

full-field, high-resolution pad geome-
chanics modeling was part of the Earth
modeling. Multiscale models for the
full field, a pad, and single wells were
used for drilling, completion, and pro-
duction applications as development
progressed. This paper focuses on the
geomechanics modeling.
One very important parameter for
geomechanics modeling is the pore
pressure of this shale formation. In
this study, logs from acoustic mea-
surements were used to estimate pore
pressure in shale. A 3D sonic veloc-
ity model, built using a velocity ver-
ticalization process for horizontal
wells, supplies crucial information for
the creation of a pore-pressure model.

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 In the studied field, anisotropic sonic
measurements were acquired for four
pilot wells before the first version of
the geomechanics modeling was con-
ducted. More acoustic logs were mea-
sured from logging-while-drilling sonic
tools in horizontal wells. Although only
monopole sonic was measured, com-
pressional slowness, especially its mea-
surement in the horizontal section of
wells, revealed the horizontal compres-
sion characteristic of the formation and
could be used in building the 3D sonic
velocity model.
Sonic logs indicate that the
Wufeng-Longmaxi shale formation is
overpressurized.
Considering the limitation of using
acoustic measurements for pore-
pressure prediction in the Wufeng-
Longmaxi hot shale formation, which
has complex overpressure mechanisms,
multiple methods were used for qual-
ity control. These efforts were based on
thorough analysis of different data re-
sources, including mud pressures and
mud-gas logs, drilling events, prefrac-
turing injection tests, instantaneous
Technical Papers
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¨ troduced a series of drilling issues—in
76
shut-in pressures, flowback data, and
well shut-in pressures.
In this study, real-time drilling data
for all drilled wells were referenced to
help identify the changes in pore pres-
sure in response to drilling mud weight.
Together with total-gas observations,
key evidence was supplied for the inter-
pretation of the relationship between
mud weight and pore pressure.
Finally, an advanced finite-element
simulator was used to compute 3D stress
distribution and multiscale natural-
fracture models. The large model
(80×80-m cells) covers the full field,
and the pad model (20×20-m cells) cov-
ers a 15- to 20-km2 area. All have 0.5-m
vertical resolution of the targeted sweet
section to capture vertical heterogene-
ities measured from logs. Large-scale
parallel-computing technology was used
to perform the massive geomechanical
modeling. The models were calibrated
or constrained by all available data.
Field Applications
Computed stress models match the high-
ly compressive background and current
understanding of the dominant tectonic
movements of the Sichuan Basin. They
are sufficient to reveal orientations,
magnitudes, anisotropies, and hetero-
geneities of in-situ stresses. Large varia-
tions of in-situ stresses can be quantified
among pads and wells and along later-
als. Such variations correspond to or
align with changes in texture and com-
position at various scales. The full-field
model was used to optimize pad and
well locations and well trajectories and
to assess geological integrity, resources
in place, and instability of natural frac-
tures. The full-field and high-resolution
pad models were used for near-wellbore-
stability analysis, real-time drilling man-
agement, and hydraulic-fracturing de-
sign and monitoring.
A critical drilling issue in the study
field was the severe mud loss in some
wells. Considering initial learnings from
offset fields and with the first drilled
pad being in the region of highest pore
pressure, a mud weight as high as
2.2  g/cm3 was selected to control drill-
ing risks in high-pressure zones. This in-
particular, severe mud losses near faults
and fractures and tool failures in wells.
Simulations of wellbore stabilities and
a safe mud window that integrated the
3D pore-pressure-prediction model and
geomechanics stress results enabled
incorporating optimized mud weight into
well planning and drilling development.
In this study, the 3D geomechanics
models were widely used in engineered
completions such as staging, perfora-
tion clustering, and pumping schedules;
real-time monitoring and adjustments
of hydraulic fracturing; engineered
flowback and testing design; post-
fracturing review and analysis of
hydraulic-fracturing operations; and
hydraulic-fracturing-effectiveness anal-
ysis and fracturing-design optimization
calibrated by production data.
Conclusions
Three-dimensional geomechanics mod-
els for the full field and for well pads,
with different scales and resolutions,
were established in a shale gas field.
The live-model method was used to im-
prove the accuracy and reliability of
those models continuously by using all
available data sources during field de-
velopment. The computed stress mod-
els match the highly compressive back-
ground and current understanding of
the dominant tectonic movements of
the Sichuan Basin. They are sufficient
to reveal orientations, magnitudes, an-
isotropies, and heterogeneities of in-
situ stresses. Large variations of in-situ
stresses can be quantified among pads
and wells and along laterals. Such varia-
tions align with changes in texture and
composition at various scales.
At the same time, 3D geomechanics
models were used for different applica-
tions at different scales, from the full
field to a single well. The full-field model
was used to optimize pad and well loca-
tions and well trajectories and to assess
geological integrity, resources in place,
and instability of natural fractures. The
high-resolution pad models were used
for near-wellbore-stability analysis, real-
time drilling management, and hydraulic-
fracturing design and monitoring. The
approach was determined to be capable
of being integrated effectively into the
drilling-and-completion process. This is
the first time such multiscale 3D geo-
mechanics models have been built for
China’s shale gas development. JPT
JPT • OCTOBER 2017
Approach Redefines Ideal Project Scope
and Facilities Size for Field Development

T his paper investigates how decisions

made through reservoir evaluation
and drilling-and-completion planning
dent, but still convincing, is the fact that
several subsea tiebacks, successfully con-
ducted over the past decades across the
not realize the effects of their decisions
regarding the design of production in-
frastructure—for example, reposition-
affect the design of subsea production world, were possible only because a host ing the tophole location of subsea wells
systems and, in turn, the design of already existed nearby that had available or modifying well flow rates or compo-
production hosts. Practical alternatives process or storage capacity. sitions. Typical key decisions a project
are explored by challenging the current Sometimes, overdesigning a host may team has to make are
approach to project framing and not be avoidable because of the limited ◗ Quantity and types of required
definition. Rethinking the requirements time the operator has to develop and pro- subsea and surface facilities
of deepwater-field development will duce the offshore fields. If contracts were ◗ Size of processing equipment,
help define the proper size of the subsea structured in a different way and the op- host structure and topside, and
and surface facilities, the optimal erators had the chance to operate the off- subsea-production-system main
design life, and the possible need for shore field for a longer period, it might components
staged developments. have been possible to use smaller hosts ◗ When facilities will be needed and
and subsea production systems, thus re- expected duration of service
Introduction ducing both Capex and operational ex- When the wells begin depleting and
During the past 2 years, the offshore in- penditure (Opex). overall production begins declining,
dustry has looked with increasing inter- secondary- and tertiary-oil-recovery
est, and undeniable concern, to practical Project Framing methods may be required to sustain pro-
and effective ways to reduce the capital ex- and Host Sizing duction and to ensure that the process-
penditure (Capex) of deepwater projects. Overview. Before a deepwater project ing equipment on the host topside can
Looking at the three main components starts its life cycle, and then periodically operate within the predetermined opera-
of a deepwater-field production infra- during the cycle, reservoir engineers and tional parameters. Subsea tiebacks may
structure—host, subsea production sys- drilling-and-completion engineers study be considered as a way to use the exist-
tem including export, and subsea wells— and determine the optimal way hydro- ing, unused processing or storage capac-
the host offers the greatest opportunity carbons can be recovered. Subsequent- ity. Because these subsea tiebacks are not
for Capex reduction. Cost reduction is ly, wells and completions are designed originally planned, extensive brownfield
achievable by optimizing the subsea pro- to achieve this goal. The decisions made work may be required to ensure new sub-
duction system and by adopting new within these disciplines become part of sea wells are connected to the host safely.
technologies and practices for the con- the basis-of-design document that is the Usually, brownfield work at topside and
struction of subsea wells, but a more rel- starting point for other disciplines tasked subsea is quite expensive. In addition,
evant cost reduction is possible in prin- with the design of the host and the subsea brownfield work might require interrupt-
ciple by properly sizing the host. This, in production system. ing production, which, in turn, would re-
turn, requires rethinking the way deep- Engineers working on the design of a sult in financial losses for the operator.
water projects are sanctioned and con- host or a subsea production system may An aging host requires the implemen-
tracts between local governments and not be aware of the reasons dictating tation of a proper integrity-management
operators are negotiated. given oil or gas throughputs or expect- process. Inspections are needed periodi-
The fact that over capacity exists in off- ed water-production levels. At the same cally. Engineering work and repairs may
shore hosts is well-documented. Less evi- time, reservoir and well engineers may be required to ensure that the host re-
mains fit for purpose during its intended
field life. Field operations are typically
This article, written by Special Publications Editor Adam Wilson, contains highlights
concluded when it is no longer profitable
of paper SPE 182269, “An Investigation of the Optimal Definition of Project Scope,
to produce hydrocarbon from the field.
Facilities Sizing, and Design Life for Truly Sustainable Deepwater Field Development: This happens mostly because the volume
Technical Aspects and Economic Considerations,” by Francesco Beltrami, SPE, of produced hydrocarbon diminishes
Energo Engineering, and Andrew Gifford, Shiladitya Basu, and Andre Berardi, over time, while the amount of produced
Granherne, prepared for the 2016 SPE Asia Pacific Oil and Gas Conference and water and produced gas to be handled in-
Exhibition, Perth, Australia, 25–27 October. The paper has not been peer reviewed. creases. When Opex exceeds the value of

For a limited time, the complete paper is free to SPE members at www.spe.org/jpt.

JPT • OCTOBER 2017 77

 the produced hydrocarbons, production
usually is shut down.
Staged Projects. Developing offshore
fields in two or more stages a few
years apart is a practical way to re-
duce the risks associated with a large
full-field development.
To further reduce the initial Capex, a
subsea architecture may be adopted in
which standalone drill centers are added
independently, one or more at a time.
The first stage of a deepwater project
might use an early-production system
(EPS) with reduced processing and stor-
age capability. This is beneficial to the
project because it hastens arrival of the
first-oil date and allows the operator to
begin learning about the reservoir’s fea-
tures and performance. This informa-
tion enables a better and more-informed
decision on the subsequent stages of the
project. An EPS is financially effective be-
cause of its limited size. In general, small-
er hosts may be a more sustainable way
to develop deepwater fields.
Benefits of a Smaller Host. The criteria
typically adopted in framing a deepwater
78
project and in sizing host and subsea in-
frastructure are a relatively short field
life and a large processing (and stor-
age, as applicable) capacity for the host.
Challenging these well-established crite-
ria may not be easy, but reducing the size
of a host and producing for a longer time
are likely to bring the following benefits:
◗ Project Capex is smaller for both
host and subsea production systems.
◗ The reuse of part of the subsea
production system in future stages
is possible, thus reducing overall
Capex.
◗ Opex is lower because the host to
be maintained is smaller.
◗ Longer production time is possible
because of the lower Opex, so
greater recovery from the reservoir
can be achieved.
◗ Risks are reduced. Before
sanctioning a subsequent stage,
necessary information is available
to make an informed decision.
Late-Production System. A late-
production system may be a novel con-
cept to be investigated further because it
appears to provide the following benefits:
◗ A tailored processing capability
is defined on the basis of the data
collected during the earlier field life.
◗ A smaller oil-treatment section is
required with larger—and possibly
expandable—water and gas
sections.
◗ Less oil-storage capacity is needed.
◗ The number of personnel on board
is reduced.
◗ Opex is lower.
◗ Greater recovery of hydrocarbons
from the reservoir would result
from a reduced Opex sustaining
operations longer.
Ideally, the subsea production system
should be designed for a rapid replace-
ment of the full-field-development host
with the late-production system. Both
the subsea field layout and the design of
risers and umbilicals need to take this
late-life activity into account.
Longer Field Life. The size of the pro-
duction facilities and the field life of the
offshore development are strongly relat-
ed. The link may not be evident because
past and current deepwater projects
tend to have a limited life, during which
accelerated production is achieved by
means of large processing units installed
on sizeable floating platforms.
Assuming that new contracts may be
signed with local governments and with
contractors, and accepting a reduction
in the host size, it can be seen how lon-
ger field lives are possible. So far, longer
design lives have been associated with
very large projects. In the future, smaller
projects might also have very long field
lives. The offshore industry should look
at the small, low-productivity onshore
wells that produce very limited amounts
of oil over time.
Conclusions
This paper challenges the common ideas
and practices ingrained in the offshore
industry. The objective is to start rethink-
ing the way deepwater projects are de-
fined, sanctioned, and executed. The cur-
rent approach may not be viable, and
alternatives may have to be explored. The
financial, technical, and environmental-
sustainability objectives of deepwater
projects might be met by reducing the
size of the hosts and keeping them in op-
eration for longer. The main conclusions
of this study are
◗ Capex and Opex reduction may be
more achievable and more relevant
by focusing on the host rather than
on the subsea production system or
the subsea wells.
◗ Operating smaller offshore facilities
will result in a longer field life that,
in turn, will require operators to
rethink how production-sharing
agreements are structured.
◗ Timed replacement of the host might
have to be considered as a possible
way to produce larger amounts of
hydrocarbons in better operational
conditions. In particular, the
feasibility of late-production systems
should be investigated further.
◗ Hosts might have to be leased rather
than purchased by the operator,
to ensure that the host is removed
from the field when its intended life
is concluded.
◗ The new approach is not free of
risk. In light of potential benefits
associated with smaller hosts
producing for longer, measures to
identify and mitigate these risks
should be studied. JPT
JPT • OCTOBER 2017
TECHNOLOGY FOCUS

New-Frontier Reservoirs II
Leonard Kalfayan, SPE, Global Production-Engineering Adviser, Hess Corporation

A year ago, this feature noted the contin- A year ago, this feature forward, recent studies, including field
ued languishing of crude-oil prices and trial programs, have shown that appli-
the low margins in tight and very tight noted the continued cations such as gas injection and water-
reservoir asset developments and the languishing of crude-oil flooding, including smart water injection,
resulting substantial reduction in new- have the potential to create significant
well drilling and completion. Little has
prices and the low margins improvement in oil recovery.
changed since then. In the meantime, in tight and very tight The three papers featured this month
technology advancements have enabled a reservoir asset are from Canada. All address the impor-
greater number of hydraulic fractures in tance of wettability and wettability alter-
long horizontal completions in such res- developments and the ation in improving sweep efficiency and
ervoirs, for example, resulting in more- resulting substantial oil extraction by use of gas injection or
cost-effective completions and great- water injection. Both laboratory stud-
er initial oil-production rates. But low reduction in new-well ies and field application, in the case of
primary oil recovery and steep initial- drilling and completion. waterflooding, are discussed. Each, with
production-rate declines still present their unique perspectives and approach-
overriding limitations. These tight and
Little has changed es, provides understanding of EOR fluids;
very tight oil-bearing reservoirs are typi- since then. formation interactions; and the benefits
cally characterized by oil-recovery fac- and present limitations of gas injection,
tors of approximately 10%. However, on enhanced-oil-recovery (EOR) methods in conventional waterflooding, and smart
a positive note, in addition to improve- such reservoirs. water injection. JPT
ments in completion efficiencies, recent While enhancing oil production from
advancements also have been made in multizone, hydraulically fractured com-
the understanding and application of pletions in tight reservoirs is not straight- Recommended additional reading
at OnePetro: www.onepetro.org.
Leonard Kalfayan, SPE, is a global production-engineering SPE 185037 EOR in Tight Reservoirs—
adviser with the Hess Corporation in Houston. He has 35 years of Technical and Economic Feasibility
experience in the industry, working with a major operator and a by K. Joslin, Computer Modelling Group,
major pressure pumping company and as an independent con- et al.
sultant before joining Hess in 2009. Kalfayan’s background is in SPE 185680 Compositional-Simulation
conventional and unconventional oil and gas, geothermal pro- Evaluation of Miscible-Gas-Injection
duction enhancement and stimulation, new-technology devel- Performance in Tight Oil Formation
opment and deployment, and business development. He was an by Ahmed Mansour, Texas Tech University,
SPE Distinguished Lecturer in 2005 and has served on numerous SPE program and et al.
technical committees. Kalfayan is author or coauthor of more than 30 publications SPE 180284 The Use of Propellants
through SPE and other technical societies, serves as a technical reviewer for SPE To Stimulate and Enhance Productivity
Production & Operations, and is coeditor of the SPE monograph Acidizing From Tight, Damaged, and Low-Quality
Fundamentals. He is a member of the JPT Editorial Committee. Reservoirs by J. Gilliat, Baker Hughes, et al.

JPT • OCTOBER 2017 79

 Water-Injection Operations and Gas-Injection
Sensitivities in the Bakken Formation

A lthough improvement in
hydraulic-fracture properties
and infill drilling remains the focus
cial laboratory on 12 surface-separator
oil and gas samples. Recombina-
tion of fluids at reservoir temperature
tical grid resolution of the simulation
model, these properties were averaged
and scaled up to the grid resolution (ap-
of recovery enhancement from the (156.2°F) yields a final gas/oil ratio of proximately 3  ft). It is known that the
Bakken, low oil recoveries and steep 810 scf/STB. Subsequently, a series of initial pressure in the Viewfield Bak-
initial decline rates are experienced constant-composition-expansion and ken is approximately 2,600 psi, which
in primary-recovery operations, even differential-liberation tests was con- is well above the oil-saturation pres-
after application of multifractured- ducted on the recombined fluid to de- sure of 1,480 psi, so the only remain-
horizontal-well technology. Therefore, termine oil-saturation pressure, oil- ing parameter to evaluate is the initial
many pilots have been executed to formation-volume factor, oil density, water saturation.
determine the viability of waterflooding and oil and gas viscosity as a function of The Bakken reservoir in the study
for maintaining oil rates and improving pressure. The Peng-Robinson equation area is overlain by the Lodgepole aqui-
recoveries through reservoir-pressure of state and modified Pedersen viscosity fer. To account for this, two layers are
maintenance and sweep-efficiency correlation were tuned to replicate the added to the top of the model. Unfortu-
enhancement. This paper presents PVT properties of oil and gas as a func- nately, only sparse data are available for
the performance results from one tion of pressure. the rock properties of the aquifer, so an
of the waterflood pilots in the assumption has been made that those
Viewfield Bakken. Reservoir Grid Model. On the basis of properties are similar to those of the
the well tops and reservoir net-pay val- target reservoir, with the exception of a
Numerical-Model Setup ues, reservoir structure for the study water saturation of 100%.
A section of the Bakken reservoir (the area was generated. It is known that the Horizontal wells in the pool have been
geology of which is described in detail minimum horizontal stress is aligned in typically completed with liners and
in the complete paper) deemed to be the northwest direction and at approxi- therefore are in contact with the reser-
representative of the waterflood per- mately 50° with respect to the east/west voir through hydraulic-fractured stag-
formance in Viewfield is considered for horizon. Therefore, reservoir gridding es only. In the study area, six wells out
modeling. This section has been devel- is rotated at this angle to mimic the of eight have been fractured at 230-ft
oped by use of multifractured horizontal hydraulic-fracture orientation along the spacing between 16 stages, while the
wells completed in the Middle Bakken horizontal-well laterals. Grid size in the spacing of the other two wells (Wells A
(main target reservoir) with a well spac- horizontal direction is 65×65 ft, and and C) is increased to 460 ft between
ing of 200  m (eight wells per section, the total thickness of the reservoir is ap- eight stages. It was assumed that the
named A through H). All eight wells proximately 28 ft, which is divided into fracture planes cover the entire verti-
started oil production within a similar nine layers of equal thickness. cal height of the model, including the
time frame, and, after approximately High-resolution (inch-by-inch) mea- top aquifer layers (this assumption is
1  year of production, every other well sured profile permeability and poros- based on the water production of the
was converted to a water injector. ity values of Bakken core extracted wells during the primary-recovery pe-
from the study area were used to model riod). The fracture half-length is corre-
Reservoir-Fluid Model. Convention- the vertical variations in these prop- lated with injection tonnage used in the
al pressure/volume/temperature (PVT) erties. Because the measurement reso- fracture operations and ranges between
analysis was conducted by a commer- lution cannot be reflected in the ver- 295 and 360 ft.
To capture the physics of the fluid
flow within the fracture pathways, log-
This article, written by JPT Technology Editor Chris Carpenter, contains highlights
arithmically spaced local grid refine-
of paper SPE 185030, “Improved Oil Recovery in Tight Oil Formations: Results of
ment is used (Fig. 1). With this arrange-
Water-Injection Operations and Gas-Injection Sensitivities in the Bakken Formation ment, the middle fine grid designated
of Southeast Saskatchewan,” by S.M. Ghaderi, C.R. Clarkson, and A. Ghanizadeh, for the fracture plane is assigned a high
University of Calgary, and K. Barry and R. Fiorentino, Crescent Point Energy, permeability and the grid sizes in-
prepared for the 2017 SPE Canada Unconventional Resources Conference, Calgary, crease on both sides of the fracture
15–16 February. The paper has not been peer reviewed. plane symmetrically.

For a limited time, the complete paper is free to SPE members at www.spe.org/jpt.

80 JPT • OCTOBER 2017

 Well
Well H
Grid Top (ft) Well Well G
Well Well Well E F
4,991 Well B C D
A

Well H 4,981

4,971
Well G
4,961
Well F
4,951
Well E
4,940
Well D
4,930

Well C 4,920

Well B 4,910

Well A 4,900

4,890

(a) (b)

Fig. 1—(a) Top view of the reservoir displaying the location of individual wells and local grid refinement used for
building hydraulic fractures along the wells; (b) 3D view of the model.

History Match of Produced/
Injected Fluids
Once the fluid and geological mod-
els were prepared, a few sensitivity
runs were performed to identify the
primary tuning parameters affecting achieve a history match, this study in-
­ istory-match quality, at the field and
h corporated original and detailed data
individual-well levels. While it is com- to replicate actual reservoir conditions
mon practice to manipulate permea- better. After a few trials, it was realized
bility data, locally or even globally, to that the following parameters have a

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 profound effect on the results and hence
were used as tuning parameters:
◗ Conductivity of the hydraulic
fractures
◗ Relative permeability of the matrix
◗ Relative permeability of the
hydraulic fractures
The final results of the history match
at the field level demonstrate that, even
under the unusual and complex arrange-
ment of fluids in this reservoir (i.e., an
overlying aquifer instead of the typi-
cal configuration of bottomwater), an
acceptable match within a reasonable
number of iterations was accomplished.
Further scrutiny reveals that the sim-
ulated water-production rate between
Day 600 and Day 800 is less than the
actual production rates.
It is well-known that fracture con-
ductivity is variable between wells. Be-
cause the fracture planes (middle fine
grid of the local grid refinement) all
have a constant width of 1.64 ft, the con-
ductivity (fracture width times fracture
absolute permeability) value becomes a
function of absolute permeability. The
range of conductivity values is 40 md-ft
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82
up to 85 md-ft, with the wells with high-
er water cuts having higher conductivity
values. In other words, higher conductiv-
ity of the fractures in these wells increas-
es the contribution of the aquifer, and
hence water production, in these wells.
By the end of primary production,
and with eight active producers, oil
recovery factor reaches a value close
to 6%. With the well conversion and
waterflood operation, the rapid decline
in oil-production rates ceased and rates
stabilized at approximately 200 STB/D
at the field level, which is indicative of
waterflood success in this region. At the
end of the entire production period (in-
cluding waterflood), the recovery factor
improved to 11% and the average reser-
voir pressure increased to approximate-
ly 2,000 psia.
Application
of the History-Matched Model
Once a calibrated (history-matched)
model has been obtained, it can be used
to answer a variety of what-if questions
that aim at optimizing current opera-
tions or can provide insight into de-
velopment planning in analogous sec-
tions in the same pool. For instance,
the model can be used to evaluate how
the major design elements—well spac-
ing, fracture spacing, and fracturing-
job tonnage—can be changed to maxi-
mize value.
The calibrated model is used to as-
sess the long-term performance of pri-
mary and waterflood recovery in the
Bakken. Furthermore, the effect of
enhanced-oil-recovery schemes is illus-
trated. It should be noted that neither
operational constraint (e.g., infrastruc-
ture for handling high water or gas vol-
umes) nor economic constraint (e.g.,
initial capital investment) is considered
in these scenarios.
The Bakken has not been considered
by some operators as a candidate for
waterflood until recently, mainly be-
cause of its perceived low injectivity
as a result of low permeability. How-
ever, this study, which incorporates re-
alistic permeability and other reser-
voir data, suggests a clear and distinct
production advantage with the use of
waterflooding operations.
The complete paper contains a de-
tailed discussion of gasflooding per-
formance in this part of the Bakken.
That discussion establishes that car-
bon dioxide (CO2) flooding outperforms
immiscible-gas flooding in all cases. In
comparison with CO2, at Bakken reser-
voir temperature and pressure, the im-
miscible gas studied has a much small-
er density and viscosity, which leads to
inferior results.
Conclusions
In this study, details of the numerical-
simulation history match of a water-
flood pilot are provided. The primary
conclusions of the modeling efforts are
◗ Incremental recovery by use of
waterflood operations is confirmed
through simulation.
◗ Satisfactory history matching of
primary and secondary waterflood
operations can be achieved fully
despite the limitations of some
model inputs, such as those
associated with homogenization
of horizontal parameters.
◗ The accurate and detailed
characterization of permeability
and porosity variability in the
target zone (Middle Bakken) with
experimental measurements
improves confidence in the model’s
ability to evaluate flood sweep
efficiency. No permeability and
porosity adjustments were made
during the history-matching
process.
◗ The simulation-model results
confirm the breach of the hydraulic
fractures into the Lodgepole
aquifer on top of the Bakken,
consistent with produced-water
trends.
◗ Although hydraulic-fracture
penetration into the Lodgepole
aquifer on top of the Bakken has
a detrimental effect on primary-
depletion performance, waterflood
operations are affected to a much
lesser extent.
◗ Because of the strong effect of
gravity segregation in gasflooding
operations, more-accurate
modeling of the Lodgepole
Formation is required to quantify
the gas leakage into the top aquifer
and its effect on the performance
of both miscible and immiscible
processes. JPT
JPT • OCTOBER 2017
Enhanced Sweep Efficiency
by Use of Smart Water in Tight Oil Reservoirs

I n the literature, improvement

of oil recovery in smart-water-
injection schemes has been shown to
be mediated by wettability alteration.
This process reduces residual oil
saturation, which, in turn, affects
microscopic sweep efficiency and
leads to subsequent enhancement
of overall waterflood performance.
Currently, there are few studies on
smart waterflooding in tight and very
tight oil reservoirs. This work examines
smart-waterflood opportunities in
such reservoirs.
Introduction
Residual-oil-saturation reduction im-
proves microscopic sweep efficien-
cy and, therefore, overall waterflood
performance. Furthermore, decreas-
ing endpoint water relative permea-
bility diminishes mobility of the water
phase such that water production is
similarly reduced. Though these cir-
cumstances improve oil-production be-
havior, the primary parameters that
lead to this improvement are still not
well-understood.
Among the statistically significant
parameters that can influence smart-
waterflood performance is clay con-
tent. One plausible explanation for the
strong correlation between clay content
and oil recovery is the positive corre-
lation between cation-exchange capac-
ity (CEC) and clay content. With higher
CEC values, more rock surface may be
charged. This results in either the ex-
pansion or compression of the double
layer, which also induces a wettability
This article, written by JPT Technology Editor Chris Carpenter, contains highlights
of paper SPE 185032, “Enhance Microscopic Sweep Efficiency by Use of Smart
Water in Tight and Very Tight Oil Reservoirs,” by T. Kadeethum, H.K. Sarma,
and B.B. Maini, University of Calgary, prepared for the 2017 SPE Canada
Unconventional Resources Conference, Calgary, 15–16 February. The paper has not
been peer reviewed.
alteration. Although tight oil reservoirs
have limited flow capability, high CEC
values in these reservoirs facilitate the
wettability-alteration process. The ob-
jectives of the complete paper are to ex-
amine the smart-waterflood potential
in tight and very tight oil reservoirs,
and to identify the CEC effect on smart-
water-injection performance. The com-
plete paper provides a discussion of the
methodology (procedures and strate-
gies) of the study.
Discussion
The literature contains evidence of
smart-waterflood performance, with
some works demonstrating that smart
water improves oil recovery by reducing
residual oil saturation. Furthermore, it
decreases the endpoint water relative
permeability. Smart water also improves
microscopic sweep efficiency, leading to
overall waterflooding efficiency.
There is a distinct effect of porosi-
ty mean and porosity variance on CEC;
there is furthermore a profound effect
of CEC upon smart-water performance.
Simulation properties relevant to the
CEC effect are shown in Table 3 of the
complete paper. There are two main
types of fluid composition: in-situ fluid
composition, which is the initial fluid
in the reservoir at timestep zero, and
the injected-fluid composition, which
is the fluid that is forced into the res-
ervoir at timestep greater than zero.
Three homogeneous-reservoir cases
with varying CEC values are considered.
Oil recovery, water cut, and mineral
changes of calcite, dolomite, and feld-
spar at the end of the production pe-
riod are summarized in Table 5 of the
complete paper. Even though the stat-
ic model is a homogeneous reservoir,
there is some variation in oil recov-
ery and water cut. The mineral changes
of calcite, dolomite, and feldspar, how-
ever, illustrate significant variation. All
three cases have a simulation material-
balance error of less than 10–5. Mineral
changes (moles) can affect the porosity
and permeability.
The interpolant, aqueous-phase Ca2+
concentration, alters smart-waterflood
performance by changing relative per-
meability. The interpolant value direct-
ly affects the smart-waterflood process
because it alters the effective permea-
bility of each phase. This is one possible
explanation for the results in Table 5 of
the complete paper, which prove that
CEC value affects smart-waterflood be-
havior. Incorporating these results with
those indicating that the porosity mean
and variance influence CEC value, the
authors conclude that the porosity mean
and porosity variance can also alter
smart-waterflood performance.
From results of further experimen-
tal scenarios, it can be seen that smart
water improves production behav-
ior in three ways: by increasing oil re-
covery, decelerating water production,
and requiring less water injection. All
three of these developments will im-
prove project revenue while concomi-
tantly decreasing environmental impact
by limiting water usage. Thus, a smart-
water-injection scheme has strong po-
tential in tight oil reservoirs. However,
rapid pressure drop and the multiphase
flow that the pressure drop incurs must
also be considered.
Microports Result. In a different sce-
nario involving three cases, a micro-
ports reservoir was used. The situation
presents a porosity distribution with

For a limited time, the complete paper is free to SPE members at www.spe.org/jpt.

JPT • OCTOBER 2017 83

 mean of 7% and variance of 0.01. The Interestingly, water cut is not devel-
flooding pattern was line drive, with oped until 3,000 to 4,000 days (more
two producers and two injectors. In this slowly than in the mesoports scenar-
scenario, there are two low-salinity- io), which means that pressure support
water cases: the low-salinity case and is unproductive at the beginning of the
the optimized low-salinity case. Fig.  11 pressure-maintenance scheme. To con-
of the complete paper displays wet- sider this observation, the average res-
tability alteration from more oil- ervoir pressure is analyzed. All cases
wet to more water-wet with decreas- have a material-balance error of less
ing salinity. than 10×10–4, which indicates reliable
The high-salinity-water case has simulation results.
the lowest oil recovery, while the opti- Reservoir pressure drops sharply,
mized low-salinity-water case has the from 1,430 to 700 psi, in the first 500
highest. These results align with the days. As stated previously, only the oleic
mesoports-reservoir scenario. Residu- and aqueous phases exist in the reser-
al oil saturations of two low-salinity voirs of this hypothetical model. How-
cases are reduced by 4 to 20%, which ever, this pressure drop may release
improves the microscopic sweep effi- the dissolved gas from the oleic phase
ciency of the waterflood process. Fur- in a real situation, resulting in three-
thermore, smart water decelerates the phase flow and significantly reduced
water-cut trend by reducing endpoint liquid relative permeability. There ex-
water relative permeability by 15 to ists a contradiction between the meso-
35%. As a result, water cut for the opti- port and microport outcomes regard-
mized low-salinity case develops much ing average reservoir pressure. In the
more slowly than for the high-salinity- microport scenario, the optimized low-
water case. salinity-water case has the same av-
erage reservoir pressure as the high-
salinity-water case by the end of the
simulation and requires the highest cu-
mulative water injection. In the com-
plete paper, mineral-precipitation and
-dissolution results are used to explain
Check out this behavior.
the new JPT website These results show that smart water
and sign up for the improves production behavior through
three mechanisms: the increase of oil
eNewsletter. recovery, the deceleration of water pro-
duction, and the improvement of effec-
• Expanded Coverage tive porosity and permeability. Two of
the three mentioned benefits can im-
• Daily Updates
prove project revenue. Higher water-
• Mobile Friendly injection requirements may affect prof-
• Improved Navigation it and environmental effect negatively.
This could be mitigated by fine-tuning
the injection/production pressure and
All of this and more at controlling the intake fluid volume.
Thus, while a smart-water-injection
www.spe.org/jpt scheme has strong potential in very
tight oil reservoirs, the pressure-drop-
induced multiphase-flow problem and
the water-injection requirement still
must be considered.
Conclusion
To determine oil-recovery-improvement
¨ opportunities in tight and very tight
oil reservoirs, a smart-waterflood nu-
merical study was conducted. The ef-
84
fect of rock property (porosity vari-
ation related to clay content) on
smart-waterflood behavior was de-
scribed and shown. Furthermore, the
factor of smart water that causes wetta-
bility alteration, residual-oil-saturation
reduction, and endpoint water rela-
tive permeability reduction was inves-
tigated, because change in residual oil
saturation directly affects microscopic
sweep efficiency and overall waterflood
performance. Finally, a smart-water-
injection scheme in tight and very tight
oil reservoirs was presented. The fol-
lowing conclusions were drawn from
the investigation:
◗ Experiments have shown that
smart water could improve oil
recovery in tight oil reservoirs by
wettability alteration. Residual oil
saturation is reduced by 5% when
low-salinity water is used.
◗ The mean and variance of
porosity could influence CEC
distribution in the system.
Furthermore, each static-model
realization should be examined
carefully before performing
dynamic simulation.
◗ Smart waterflooding has the
potential to improve oil recovery
by up to 3% while decreasing
the water production in tight
oil reservoirs, as shown in the
mesoport and microport cases.
◗ Smart water could reduce residual
oil saturation and endpoint water
relative permeability by wettability
alteration.
◗ High-salinity water displays earlier
water breakthrough than does low-
salinity water.
◗ Smart waterflooding requires
less cumulative water injection
but yields more oil production
than high-salinity waterflooding.
However, with high levels of
mineral dissolution, this might not
entirely be the case.
◗ Pressure-maintenance efficacy
should be considered. Severe
pressure drop could lead to gas-
phase liberation and, subsequently,
a decrease in the liquid relative
permeability.
◗ Smart water could improve
effective permeability through the
mineral-dissolution process. JPT
JPT • OCTOBER 2017
Imbibition Oil Recovery From Tight Rocks With
Dual-Wettability Networks in the Montney

P revious studies demonstrate that

Montney rock samples present
a dual-wettability pore network.
Recovery of the oil retained in the
small hydrophobic pores is uniquely
challenging. In this study, the authors
applied dual-core-imbibition (DCI)
methods on several Montney core
plugs and introduced the imbibition-
recovery (IR) trio to investigate the
recovery mechanisms in rocks with
dual-wettability pore networks.
Introduction
Spontaneous imbibition of aqueous
phases (water, brine, or surfactant solu-
tions) in fractured sandstone has been
studied as a possible mechanism for en-
hanced oil recovery. Extensive experi-
mental and mathematical investigations
have been conducted for relating the im-
bibition rate and total oil recovery to the
capillary and gravity forces and geomet-
rical parameters. However, rock/fluid in-
teractions in tight and shale reservoirs
are more complicated than those seen in
conventional reservoirs. In addition to
capillary forces, organic materials and
reactive clay minerals can influence the
fluid flow and storage in the small pores
of low-permeability rocks. The affinity of
reservoir rock to a particular fluid in such
formations depends especially on rock
mineralogy and properties of the organic
matter that coats and fills the pores.
Previous comparative imbibition tests
show that the affinity of the Montney
samples to oil is significantly higher than
their affinity to water. This behavior
was explained by the presence of water-
This article, written by JPT Technology Editor Chris Carpenter, contains highlights of
paper SPE 185076, “Imbibition Oil Recovery From Tight Rocks With Dual-Wettability
Pore Networks: A Montney Case Study,” by Ali Javaheri and Hassan Dehghanpour,
SPE, University of Alberta, and James Wood, SPE, Encana, prepared for the 2017 SPE
Canada Unconventional Resources Conference, Calgary, 15–16 February. The paper
has not been peer reviewed.
repellent pores within or coated by solid
bitumen or pyrobitumen. In the com-
plete paper, the authors focus on imbibi-
tion oil recovery of samples cored from
the Montney Formation and investigate
the role of rock-fabric complexities, such
as dual-wettability characteristics, in
oil recovery by water imbibition. A de-
tailed discussion of materials used in the
spontaneous-imbibition and oil-recovery
tests, including rock and fluid properties,
is included in the complete paper.
Methodology
The authors conducted three sets of com-
parative tests on five twin core plugs,
which were dry cut from Montney cores.
The samples are characterized by mea-
suring mineral concentration, total-
organic-carbon (TOC) content, porosity,
and permeability. The methodology is
fully described in the complete paper.
Results and Discussions
Contact-Angle Tests. Oil and brine drop-
lets were equilibrated on the surface of
a Montney core plug. Oil droplets com-
pletely spread on all samples, while brine
droplets equilibrated with a nonzero
contact angle. Similar trends were ob-
served for all five plugs. In a liquid/liquid
system, the affinity of the sample to brine
is higher than its affinity to oil, and simi-
lar trends were observed for all samples.
According to the results of air/liquid con-
tact-angle tests, the samples are fully oil-
wet and partially brine-wet. However,
according to liquid/liquid contact-angle
tests, the samples are brine-wet. The re-
sults of imbibition tests show that liquid/
air contact-angle results are consistent
with the results of water- and brine-
imbibition tests in air-saturated samples,
and that the liquid/liquid contact-angle
results are consistent with the results of
soaking tests that show oil production
from the oil-saturated samples by spon-
taneous water imbibition.
Spontaneous-Imbibition Tests. By
comparing imbibition curves for both oil
and brine, the authors observed consis-
tently that the oil curves reached equi-
librium later than the brine curves and
that the total imbibed volume of oil was
significantly higher than that of brine. In
general, brine imbibes faster than oil for
all samples, but brine curves plateau ear-
lier than oil curves. If one regards porous
media as a bundle of tubes, the liquid
flow is slower in pores with smaller diam-
eters. Brine imbibition stops after 200 to
300 hours for all samples, while oil im-
bibition continues for more than 1,000
hours for all samples. This behavior sug-
gests that there is a significant number of
small pores that have low affinity to brine
and high affinity to oil. The rock matrix
comprises organic matter and inorganic
minerals such as quartz, feldspar, dolo-
mite, plagioclase, and clays.
There are two general observations
from the results: (1) Oil imbibition con-
tinues, suggesting that oil imbibes into
small-scale pores that have low af-
finity to water and high affinity to oil;
(2) scanning-electron-microscope (SEM)
images show that there are small-scale
pores within large-scale pores. It can
therefore be concluded that the Mont-
ney core plugs show dual-porosity and
dual-wettability behavior and small-scale
pores have a higher affinity to oil than to
brine. Although TOC content of core plugs
is small (less than 1%), organic materials
cover the surface area of pores. Organic
matter is known to have high affinity to
oil, while inorganic matter is mostly hy-

For a limited time, the complete paper is free to SPE members at www.spe.org/jpt.

JPT • OCTOBER 2017 85

 Produced-oil droplets
Rock surface along lamina
Fig. 1—Recovered oil (yellow droplets lined up at the surface of the sample)
is observed along the depositional laminations of an oil-saturated sample
immersed in brine.
drophilic, especially in the presence of
clay minerals. The total clay content of all
samples is 9 to 14%, and the majority of
inorganic material is quartz.
Imbibition Oil-Recovery Tests. The au-
thors place the oil-saturated samples in
imbibition cells filled with brine. The
oil expelled by brine imbibition is col-
lected at the top of the cells. The volume
of produced oil is measured at different
times. Brine-saturated samples were also
immersed in oil, but brine production
for all samples was not observed. This
observation is consistent with liquid/
liquid contact-angle tests. Fig. 1 shows
recovered-oil droplets for Rock Sam-
ple MT4. As the imbibition process con-
tinues, oil droplets detach from the
rock surface and accumulate at the top
of the cell. In order to obtain accurate
data, cells need to be shaken to help the
recovered-oil droplets to detach from the
rock surface or prevent them from stick-
ing to the bottleneck of the cell.
To analyze the oil-recovery results, the
authors introduced IR trios. Each IR trio
consists of three curves: oil- and brine-
imbibition curves related to dry samples
and oil-recovery curves related to oil-
saturated samples immersed in brine.
One immediate observation was that oil-
recovery curves follow the trend of brine-
imbibition curves. Brine curves reach
equilibrium at 200 to 300 hours. Re-
covery curves reach equilibrium almost
at the same time, unlike oil-imbibition
curves, which reach equilibrium at 1,000
to 2,000 hours. Moreover, the amount
86
Conclusions
In this study, the authors applied the DCI
technique to five sets of twin plugs cored
from the Montney Formation. First,
contact-angle tests were performed.
Next, spontaneous-imbibition tests were
conducted; in these, one plug of each
pair was placed in oil and the other was
placed in brine; the weight gain of each
was measured during the spontaneous-
imbibition process until equilibrium was
reached. Finally, the oil-saturated sam-
ples from the previous stage were placed
in brine and the volume of recovered oil
was measured with respect to time. The
oil-recovery profiles were compared with
the imbibition profiles of oil and brine
obtained from the imbibition tests. The
results can be summarized as follows:
of recovered oil is always less than the ◗ According to air/liquid contact-
amount of brine imbibed during the im- angle tests, the samples are fully
bibition tests on dry samples. oil-wet and partially brine-wet,
All five IR trios for the five sets of consistent with the results of
twin plugs were studied. The authors ob- imbibition tests on dry core plugs.
served three similar trends for all sets of According to liquid/liquid tests, the
twin plugs: samples are brine-wet, consistent
◗ Brine-imbibition curves reach with the results of countercurrent
equilibrium faster than oil- imbibition tests on oil-saturated
imbibition curves, and the final samples.
imbibed volume of brine is lower ◗ In general, brine imbibes faster than
than that of oil. oil into the dry samples, but the
◗ Oil-recovery curves reach brine-imbibition profiles reach the
equilibrium almost at the same time equilibrium state faster than the oil-
as brine-imbibition curves for all imbibition profiles. Furthermore,
samples. the final imbibed volume of brine is
◗ The final volume of recovered oil in significantly lower than that of oil,
oil-recovery tests is always less than suggesting that a significant part of
the final volume of imbibed brine in the pore network is water repellent.
imbibition tests. Analysis of the imbibition profiles
These observations suggest that the oil and SEM images indicates that the
produced during the soaking tests main- water-repellent pores are smaller
ly comes from the hydrophilic part of the than water-wet pores.
pore network. The nonrecovered oil may ◗ In general, the shape of imbibition
be trapped in small-scale pores that tend oil-recovery profiles is similar to
to be water repellent on the basis of the that of water-imbibition profiles
imbibition-test results or in parts of the for dry samples. This indicates
hydrophilic pores because of the snap- that the oil recovered during water
off mechanism. The similarities between imbibition into oil-saturated
oil-recovery and brine-imbibition curves samples comes from the water-wet
suggest that capillarity is the main driv- part of the pore network, which
ing force for oil recovery. Fluid displace- can be accessed by water when
ment during spontaneous imbibition is the samples are soaked in water.
dominated by two main driving forces: In addition, the results suggest
capillary force and gravity force. that there is an approximate
A discussion of parameters affecting porosity threshold of 0.025 below
recovery, such as porosity, permeability, which oil can hardly be produced
and wettability, is provided in the com- by spontaneous imbibition
plete paper. of water. JPT
JPT • OCTOBER 2017
TECHNOLOGY FOCUS

Petroleum Data Analytics

Luigi Saputelli, SPE, Senior Reservoir Engineering Adviser, ADNOC, and Frontender

While many other industries have expe-
rienced tremendous benefits over the
last few decades, adoption of data-driven
analytics is still young in the oil and
gas sectors. Benefits captured across
industries involve improving the qual-
ity of decisions, improving planning and
forecasting, lowering costs, and driving
operational-efficiency improvements.
However, many challenges for full adop-
tion exist in our industry. In addition
to the outdated data-management chal-
lenges, key gaps exist in the under-
standing of basic principles concern-
ing how and when to use different
data-analytics tools.
Data-analytics benefits are being
demonstrated through the efficient
exploitation of data sources to derive
insights and support making decisions.
An exponential increase in the num-
ber of applications in recent years has
been observed for enhancing data qual-
ity during/after acquisition by automati-
cally removing noise and outliers; bet-
ter assimilating new and high-frequency
data into physics-based models; opti-
mizing calendar-based inspections for
preventive-maintenance tasks; increas-
ing equipment availability of well, sur-
face, and drilling systems; optimiz-
ing reservoir recovery on the basis of
injector-to-producer allocation factors;
and many others.
Machine learning is a collection of
techniques, both supervised and unsu-
pervised, that gives computers the ability
to learn and adapt without being explicit-
ly programmed. This ability to learn pro-
vides capabilities for describing past and
current operating conditions, predict-
ing, and prescribing.
Supervised learning includes regres-
sion and classification methods in which
a relationship is established between
the input and a known output. Unsuper-
vised learning includes clustering, which
addresses problems with no prior knowl-
edge on the output, automatically group-
ing a large number of data variables into
a smaller variable set.
Most data-driven projects may follow
a similar approach during implementa-
tion. In the majority of these, large efforts
are made in collecting and preparing the
data, which typically reside in scatter
sources and exist in unstructured for-
mats. Once data are placed in proper tab-
ular forms and relationships are estab-
lished, then data are ready for analysis,
which may include exploratory visual-
izations, model order or dimensionality
reduction, clustering, regression, classi-
fication, pattern recognition, cross vali-
dation, model validation, prediction, and
optimization. Insights and syntheses are
derived along the analysis process.
Text mining and natural language pro-
cessing (NLP) allows the possibility of
efficiently extracting valuable informa-
tion from text documents and reports.
These methods enable an unexploited yet
powerful source of insights about oper-
ational transactions (e.g., recommen-
dations, success/failure) that are cap-
tured in unstructured text. In the drilling
area, NLP has been used successfully
to describe and predict nonproductive-
time and invisible-lost-time causes from
a massive amount of unstructured data
collected from the drilling-operation
reports. Major contributions will also
occur in reservoir management and pro-
duction optimization. JPT

Luigi Saputelli, SPE, is a senior reservoir engineering adviser with

ADNOC. During the past 25 years, he has held positions as reser- Recommended additional reading
voir engineer, drilling engineer, and production engineer. Saputelli at OnePetro: www.onepetro.org.
previously worked for 3 years with Hess Corporation, for 5 years SPE 181015 Natural Language Processing
with Halliburton, and for 11 years with Petróleos de Venezuela. He Techniques on Oil and Gas Drilling Data
is a founding member of the SPE Petroleum Data-Driven Analytics by M. Antoniak, Maana, et al.
Technical Section and the recipient of the 2015 SPE International OTC 27577 Assessment of Data-
Production and Operations Award. Saputelli has authored or Driven Machine-Learning Techniques for
coauthored more than 70 technical publications in the areas of digital oil field, reser- Machinery Prognostics of Offshore Assets
voir management, reservoir engineering, real-time optimization, and production by Ping Lu, American Bureau of Shipping,
operations. He holds a BS degree in electronic engineering from Simon Bolívar et al.
University, an MS degree in petroleum engineering from Imperial College London, and SPE 181037 Big Data Analytics for
a PhD degree in chemical engineering from the University of Houston. Saputelli serves Prognostic Foresight by Moritz von Plate,
on the JPT Editorial Committee, the SPE Production and Operations Advisory Cassantec
Committee, and the Reservoir Description and Dynamics Digital Oil Field subcommit-
SPE 185695 A Novel Adaptive Nonlinear-
tee. He has served as a reviewer for SPE Journal and SPE Reservoir Evaluation & Regression Method To Predict Shale Oil
Engineering and as an associate editor for SPE Economics & Management. Saputelli Well Performance on the Basis of Well
also serves as managing partner at Frontender, a petroleum-engineering-services firm Completions and Fracturing Data
based in Houston. He can be reached at lsaputelli@frontender.com. by Amol Bakshi, Chevron, et al.

JPT • OCTOBER 2017 87

 Technique Blends Dimensionless Numbers
and Data Mining To Predict Recovery Factors

U sing attributes from a database

of 395 deepwater Gulf of Mexico
oil fields, a set of dimensionless
work flow, which suffers from a draw-
back: the need for accurate representa-
tion of subsurface geology. Data mining,
plication of the data-mining process. In
order to be successful, any data-mining
technique relies on three qualities: clean
numbers is calculated that helps in on the other hand, provides an alter- data, a well-defined target to predict,
scaling attributes for all the oil fields. native top-down intelligent-reservoir- and good validation to avoid overfitting.
On the basis of these dimensionless modeling approach, which uses mea-
numbers, various data-mining sured reservoir properties as the basis Step 1: Prior Knowledge and Objective
techniques are used to classify the for modeling. Question. The Gulf of Mexico oilfield
oil fields. Subsequently, partial-least- Using publicly available informa- data set consists of 84 attributes. Most
square (PLS) regression is used to relate tion—including information on ge- critical attributes are grouped in four
the dimensionless numbers to the ology, geophysics, reserves, produc- classes—geological, reserves and pro-
recovery factor. This study shows that tion, and infrastructure—the complete duction, petrophysical, and pressure/
dimensionless numbers, together with paper applies various data-mining and volume/temperature (PVT) and reser-
data-mining techniques, can predict predictive-analytics algorithms to es- voir. While most of the geological attri-
field behavior in terms of recovery timate recovery factor. Classical reser- butes are the result of seismic interpre-
factor for sparse data sets. voir engineering assumes that recovery tation, the engineering attributes (i.e.
factor is dependent on rock proper- reserves, petrophysical, and PVT and
Introduction ties, fluid properties, geological struc- reservoir) are reported by operators to
The digitization of information and the tures, and mode of production. In- the federal government.
rise of inexpensive sensor technologies stead of using traditional deterministic The objective goal that the study at-
have ushered in a new era of computing methods, such as material balance or tempts to reach with data mining is a
in which acquired data are used to show numerical simulation, this study uses field’s classification and a prediction of
hidden patterns and trends. This meth- data-driven analytics to estimate the the recovery factor by use of histori-
od of computing is very efficient in solv- recovery factor. cal data from deepwater Gulf of Mexico
ing inverse problems where parameters oil fields.
affecting system characteristics are not Data-Mining Methodology
completely known. Hydrocarbon res- The Bureau of Ocean and Energy Man- Step 2: Data Preparation and Explor-
ervoirs provide a classic case of a natu- agement has published geological and atory Data Analysis. Data Prepara-
ral system where engineers have limit- geophysical properties of 1,300 deep- tion. It is important to prepare data
ed control on the design of the system water fields in the Gulf of Mexico, out to suit data-mining algorithms. For ex-
that they work with; thus, they have to of which 633 are depleted. Classify- ample, decision trees can handle miss-
rely on indirect measurements to de- ing fields with gas/oil ratios less than ing values while principal-component
termine properties of the reservoir and 9,700  scf/STB as oil producers results analysis (PCA) will not process missing
use these properties for prediction of in 395 oil fields and 905 gas fields, indi- values; hence, data types (e.g., numeric,
future trends. Performance prediction cating that the Gulf of Mexico is mainly binomial, nominal) for each attribute
is usually accomplished with either an- a gas-prone basin. Gas volumes are con- need to be checked and low-quality en-
alytical material-balance equations or verted to barrels of oil equivalent and tries needs to be removed. Reducing
numerical reservoir simulation. How- are used in the calculations. Data for the number of attributes, without cre-
ever, both methods use a bottom-up deepwater oil fields are selected for ap- ating a significant loss in the perfor-
mance of the model, is known as fea-
ture selection. This can be achieved by
This article, written by Special Publications Editor Adam Wilson, contains highlights
ranking attributes in order of their sen-
of paper SPE 181024, “Recovery-Factor Prediction for Deepwater Gulf of Mexico Oil
sitivity toward the objective function.
Fields by Integration of Dimensionless Numbers With Data-Mining Techniques,” The complete paper used dimension-
by Priyank Srivastava and Xingru Wu, SPE, University of Oklahoma, and Amin less numbers for scaling and dimen-
Amirlatifi, SPE, Mississippi State University, prepared for the 2016 SPE Intelligent sionality reduction of deepwater Gulf of
Energy International Conference and Exhibition, Aberdeen, 6–8 September. The Mexico oilfield data sets. Dimensionless
paper has not been peer reviewed. numbers lead to scaled attributes that

For a limited time, the complete paper is free to SPE members at www.spe.org/jpt.

88 JPT • OCTOBER 2017

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 Log-Log Plot of Dimensionless Attributes
1 10 1000
1
ORF 2 tor, while clusters overlap in the scatter
1000
Npc
1 10
Ng
10 15
5
0.01 0.05 0.20 1e+04 1e+06 1e+08
Fig. 1—A scatter plot for dimensionless numbers according to K-means
clustering. ORF=oil recovery factor; Npc=capillary number; Ng=gravity
number; Dn=density number; R1=aspect ratio.
are based on which reservoir perfor-
mances from a wide variety of fields can
be compared.
Exploratory Data Analysis. A scat-
ter plot of reservoir and fluid properties
illustrates the complexity of the basin
where various geological, reservoir,
completions, and operating constraints
interact, resulting in definite behavior
of fields in terms of production. This be-
havior is quantified by physical quanti-
ties such as production rates of liquids
and gases. A wide variation in reported
recovery factors is seen for reservoirs
having comparable porosity, permeabil-
ity, sand thickness, and fluid properties.
While data are highly multicollinear and
scattered, data-mining algorithms are
likely to show patterns and clusters for
reservoirs with identical characteristics.
Step 3: Generation of Dimensionless
Numbers. Dimensionless numbers pro-
vide a way to scale data from different
reservoirs for comparison and, there-
fore, act as scaling variables to compare
field performance of fields with differ-
90
5 10 15
0.50
0.01 0.05
1e+04 1e+06 1e+08
Dn
0.02 0.10 0.50
R1
0.02 0.10 0.50
ent characteristics. These numbers de-
liver insight into the relative importance
of driving forces such as viscous, gravi-
ty, and capillary forces for the fluid flow
in porous media. Four dimensionless
numbers based on forces controlling the
displacement process (i.e., gravity, vis-
cous, capillary, and dispersion) are used
in this study.
Step 4: K-Means Clustering and Pre-
dictive Modeling. After generation of
dimensionless numbers, data-mining
algorithms are used to mine for hidden
patterns and generate correlations from
the multidimensional data set. The ob-
jective goal of data mining in this step
is to cluster fields on the basis of char-
acteristic attributes to describe behav-
ior of recovery factor among the 395
oil fields. A K-means distance-based
clustering technique was used to ob-
tain clusters on the basis of dimension-
less numbers (Fig. 1). Fig. 1 shows that
higher capillary number (Npc) leads to
higher gravity number (Ng), while as-
pect ratio (Rl) shows a nonlinear rela-
tionship with density number (Dn). It
also shows distinct clusters for the Npc
and Ng relationship with recovery fac-
plot for Rl and Dn.
To determine the correlation between
recovery factor and the aforementioned
dimensionless numbers, PLS regression
is applied to the dimensionless num-
bers. This technique was chosen be-
cause of the multicollinearity of the di-
mensionless data points. PLS regression
identifies the latent factors, which ac-
count for most of the variation in the
response, similar to PCA. It incorpo-
rates dimension reduction by linearly
extracting relatively few latent factors
that are most useful in modeling the re-
sponse. PLS regression finds the pre-
dictors (dimensionless numbers) that
are relevant to target variables (recov-
ery factor). This is in contrast to PCA, in
which the principal component explains
only the predictors. This study uses uni-
variate PLS regression because there is
only one target variable, recovery fac-
tor, with Dn being the next important
variable influencing the model for pre-
diction of recovery factor. By identify-
ing factors that affect recovery-factor
calculations, it is possible to narrow
data-acquisition plans to collect critical
information for expensive deepwater as-
sets that can help in making informed
decisions and mitigating risk.
Conclusions
This paper shows the integration of di-
mensionless numbers with data-mining
techniques for successful classification
of reservoir performance from fields ex-
hibiting a wide assortment of reservoir
and geological properties. K-means clus-
tering on dimensionless numbers was
able to classify oil fields. Dimension-
less numbers helped in reducing a mul-
tidimensional data set to characteristic
features that can be used to predict re-
covery factor. Through application of
PLS regression, a correlation-coefficient
value of 0.76 was obtained for 395 oil
fields in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico,
which suggests an acceptable accuracy
for the predications. Higher coefficients
of Dn and Rl suggest strong influence of
reservoir-fluid characteristics and res-
ervoir geometry, respectively, in estima-
tion of the recovery factor. JPT
JPT • OCTOBER 2017
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 Proxy-Based Metamodeling Optimization
of Gas-Assisted-Gravity-Drainage Process

U nlike continuous gas injection

and water-alternating-gas
injection, gas-assisted gravity drainage
Produced Fluids

(GAGD) takes advantage of the natural

segregation of reservoir fluids to provide Vertical Injectors
gravity-stable oil displacement. The
feasibility of carbon dioxide (CO2)
GAGD was investigated for immiscible
injection through equation-of-state
compositional reservoir simulation with
design of experiments (DOE) and proxy
modeling to obtain the optimal future-
performance scenario. After history -
matching, Latin-hypercube sampling
(LHS) was used as a low-discrepancy and
more-uniform DOE approach to create
hundreds of simulation runs to construct
a proxy-based optimization approach.

Introduction
Many enhanced-oil-recovery studies
have been conducted for CO2-flooding
optimization in real oil fields; however,
Fig. 1—Schematic of the GAGD process.
to the best of the authors’ knowledge,
no study has been made for GAGD im-
plementation and optimization in a real the operational decision factors affecting top of the formation. Because of gravity
oil field. To implement the optimization GAGD. Four proxy models were adopt- segregation resulting from the distinct
process, a full compositional reservoir ed and validated as metamodels for the fluid densities at reservoir conditions,
simulation was constructed to evaluate compositional reservoir simulator: poly- the injected gas accumulates at the top
the reservoir performance through CO2- nomial proxy model, multivariate ad- of the pay zone to form a gas cap, provid-
GAGD flooding for 10 years of future ditive regression splines (MARS), fuzzy ing gravity-stable oil displacement that
reservoir prediction. Then, proxy-model logic/genetic algorithm, and generalized drains down toward horizontal produc-
optimization was conducted through boosted modeling (GBM). ers and leading to better sweep efficiency
manipulating the operational decision and higher oil recovery. Fig. 1 illustrates
factors that influence the CO2 flooding GAGD the basic concepts of GAGD.
through GAGD by means of DOE. More The GAGD concept involves placing hori-
specifically, DOE and proxy modeling zontal producers at the bottom of a pay GAGD Simulation
were combined to create a simplified al- zone. Then, gas is injected in a gravity- The main-pay reservoir in the South Ru-
ternative (metamodel) to the composi- stable mode, either immiscible or mis- maila oil field was selected for a full, de-
tional reservoir simulation to optimize cible, through vertical wells from the tailed compositional reservoir simulation
to enhance oil recovery through GAGD.
The main pay has only three lithology
This article, written by Special Publications Editor Adam Wilson, contains highlights
types—sand, shaly sand, and shale—
of paper SPE 185701, “Proxy-Based Metamodeling Optimization of the Gas-Assisted- with distinct areal permeability distri-
Gravity-Drainage Process in Heterogeneous Sandstone Reservoirs,” by Watheq J. butions. A high-resolution geostatistical
Al-Mudhafar and Dandina N. Rao, SPE, Louisiana State University, prepared for reservoir model was reconstructed for
the 2017 SPE Western Regional Meeting, Bakersfield, California, USA, 23–27 April. lithofacies and petrophysical properties
The paper has not been peer reviewed. considering multiple-point geostatistics.

For a limited time, the complete paper is free to SPE members at www.spe.org/jpt.

92 JPT • OCTOBER 2017

 The geostatistical reservoir model was then upscaled for
GAGD flow simulation. The upscaled reservoir model was ex-
ported to build the compositional reservoir-flow simulation. HOST

For future-field-development evaluation, excellent history

matching was obtained through trial and error with respect to
field cumulative oil production, water injection, and fluid-flow
rates. Production and injection matching is a good indicator of
reservoir and fluid behavior because it reflects the matching
of water cut and saturation distributions. The entire produc- Supported By Knowledge Partner

tion history for the simulation period in this study is approxi-

mately 56 years.

Optimization Approaches One global industry. One city. One meeting place.
DOE is a systematic statistical tool that creates a proper set FORGING TIES, DRIVING GROWTH
of experiments for simulation. DOE is used for the purpose
of identifying the most sensitive factors that affect the re-
sponse through the sensitivity-analysis procedure. For this REGISTER TO HEAR FROM GLOBAL
study, LHS was adopted with proxy modeling to determine the
optimal values of the operational production decision factors OIL & GAS BUSINESS LEADERS
for GAGD optimization.

LHS. LHS is a statistical sampling tool that is used to create AT ONE OF THE WORLD’S
LARGEST OIL & GAS
samples from input factors to construct many computer experi-
ments from a multidimensional distribution. To capture many
levels of variation for each factor with minimum experiments, CONFERENCES
the sampling techniques provide limited data points through

1
119
the design domain in a uniform distribution through the space- OPENING CEREMONY
filling design. LHS is an efficient design that produces uniform KEYNOTE & FEATURED SPEAKERS

and low-discrepancy observations.

LHS generates more-efficient experiments for K param-
eters than simple Monte Carlo sampling. More specifically,
4 MINISTERIAL
SESSIONS
TECHNICAL SESSIONS

• E&P GEOSCIENCE

4
it provides a regular spread-points design because it main- GLOBAL BUSINESS LEADER
• OFFSHORE & MARINE
tains the maximum distance between each design point and SESSIONS
all other points. Sampling K variables in LHS is performed by • DRILLING AND COMPLETION
NEW
4
TECHNOLOGY
dividing each factor into many equal partitions. LHS is also an GLOBAL DOWNSTREAM
BUSINESS LEADER SESSIONS • PRODUCTION FACILITIES
augmentation procedure that generates a new set of experi- TECHNOLOGY
ments in a random manner if the original data set does not NEW
represent the problem. There is no exact procedure to deter- 9 C-SUITE DIALOGUES
SESSIONS
• HSE

• UNCONVENTIONAL OIL
mine the number of experiments that can be created.

Proxy Modeling. Adding the proxy model to the LHS meth-

8 INDUSTRY TECHNICAL PANELS
SESSIONS
• UNCONVENTIONAL GAS

• PROJECTS ENGINEERING AND

od enables design-quality optimization by incorporating the MANAGEMENT

training data obtained from the LHS-designed simulations. 14 SECURITY IN ENERGY

SESSIONS
• PEOPLE & TALENTS
More specifically, the training data are the simulation jobs • GAS TECHNOLOGY
created from LHS-designed experiments, and they are used
to build the proxy model. To increase the chance of reaching 8 WOMEN IN ENERGY
SESSIONS
• UNCONVENTIONAL RESOURCES

• FIELD DEVELOPMENT
global optima and to improve prediction accuracy of the proxy
model, the training data need to be validated by verification-
simulation jobs. These verification-simulation jobs are creat-
8 OFFSHORE & MARINE
SESSIONS
• OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE

• IOR/EOR

• PETROLEUM ADVANCED
1
ed iteratively to ensure a 95% confidence interval between the YOUNG ADIPEC
ANALYTICS
proxy-predicted and simulation-actual objective functions. ANNUAL YOUTH FORUM
The proxy model is updated frequently after adding a new
set of simulation jobs (verifications) to obtain the true op-
timal solution. The LHS-plus-proxy model was adopted for
optimization of production-control parameters through the
FOR CONFERENCE REGISTRATION
www.adipec.com/confreg +971 2 697 0500
GAGD process.
adipec.delegate@dmgeventsme.com +971 2 444 4383
The resulting polynomial proxy model then is included in
the response-surface methodology (RSM) for modeling the re- HostfiCfity fiOffififififififififififi fiTfifihnfififififiConffirfinfifi fiADIPEC
Pfirtnfir Orgfinfisfir OrgfinfisfififiBy

JPT • OCTOBER 2017

 SPE Canada
Unconventional
Resources Conference
www.spe.org/go/18URC
&
SPE Canada
Heavy Oil
Technical Conference
www.spe.org/go/18CHOC
Two great events, one low price.
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sponse factor as a function of input vari-
ables. Unlike the linear models, the RSM
considers either the polynomial or the
ordinary Kriging model to obtain the
­expected value of the response factor.
Additional Validation
and Comparison
From the DOE and polynomial proxy
modeling, 643 simulation jobs were cre-
ated for training and validation runs.
These runs then were adopted for the
comparison of three other proxy mod-
els: MARS, fuzzy logic/genetic algo-
rithm, and GBM.
MARS. MARS is a nonparametric regres-
sion procedure that automatically fits
the relationship between variables, tak-
ing into account nonlinearity by use of
piecewise linear segments called splines.
In MARS, a set of coefficients and basis
functions, which are driven for the ex-
periments data, is used to build the re-
lationship between response param-
eter and predictors. MARS is suitable
for high-dimensional predictors because
the basis functions partition the input
data into regions, each with its own coef-
ficients set to get rid of possible outliers.
Fuzzy Logic/Genetic Algorithm. Fuzzy
logic is a form of knowledge representa-
tion suitable for notions that cannot be
defined precisely but that depend upon
their contexts. Fuzzy logic is a conve-
nient way to construct a fuzzy model of
the input and output data. A fuzzy-logic
system consists of three stages—fuzzi-
fier, fuzzy inference system, and de-
fuzzifier. The mechanism of fuzzy-logic
systems is as follows. The crisp inputs to
the system are transformed into fuzzy
inputs in the fuzzifier stage. Then, fuzzy
inputs are propagated to the inference
system where the actual computation
is performed. The rule base, where the
expert knowledge is contained, is com-
bined with fuzzy inputs and the infer-
ence engine to produce fuzzy outputs
for each rule in the rule base. These
fuzzy outputs form a fuzzy set, which is
transformed into a crisp value in the de-
fuzzifier stage. The genetic algorithm,
however, is a random search tool to
generate potential solutions that com-
pete with each other in order to find an
optimal solution.
Fuzzy logic/genetic algorithm is an
evolutionary algorithm of fuzzy-systems
population, which is randomly generat-
ed by the genetic algorithm, to be used
as a prediction model.
GBM. GBM is a powerful machine-­
learning tool derived to capture com-
plex nonlinear function dependencies.
GBM has been adopted efficiently in
many data-driven tasks with high ac-
curacy in modeling and prediction of
response variables. In GBM, accurate
modeling is obtained by consecutively
fitting new models to reduce the vari-
ance between predicted and observed
responses. The main idea of GBM is to
learn the data to achieve maximum cor-
relation with the negative gradient of
the loss function. The idea behind loss
functions in GBM is to penalize large
deviations from the target outputs and
­neglect small residuals.
Conclusions
The first proxy-modeling work flow in-
cludes generating simulation jobs as
training runs to build the proxy model,
which was iteratively validated through
four sets of validation tests. To cre-
ate an accurate proxy model that truly
models the compositional reservoir
simulator, polynomial regression and
three other approaches were used to
construct the proxy models. The four
models are polynomial (quadratic) re-
gression, MARS, fuzzy logic/genetic
algorithm, and GBM. The GBM model
was the most accurate metamodel for the
GAGD process. The fuzzy-logic/genetic-
algorithm proxy model was the second-
best-matching model. The polynomial
and MARS proxy models showed signif-
icant mismatch between the cumulative
oil production calculated by the simu-
lator and predicted by the two proxy
models. Additionally, the simulator- and
proxy-based cumulative-oil-production
outputs from the GBM and fuzzy-­logic/
genetic-algorithm models have bet-
ter scatter-point matching than those
from the polynomial-­ regression and
MARS models. Consequently, GBM and
fuzzy-logic/­genetic-algorithm models
can be used as a simplified alternative
metamodel to the full-­resolution com-
positional reservoir simulator through
GAGD evaluation and prediction. JPT
JPT • OCTOBER 2017
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 Natural-Language-Processing Techniques
for Oil and Gas Drilling Data

R ecent advances in search, machine

learning, and natural-language
processing have made it possible to
extract structured information from
free text, providing a new and largely
untapped source of insight for well and
reservoir planning. However, major
challenges are involved in applying
these techniques to data that are messy
or that lack a labeled training set. This
paper presents a method to compare
the distribution of hypothesized and
realized risks to oil wells described
in two data sets that contain free-text
descriptions of risks.
Introduction
In the oil and gas industry, risk identifica-
tion and risk assessment are critical. This
holds particularly true during the drilling
stages, which cannot begin before a risk
assessment is conducted. While these
risk assessments are typically conduct-
ed in a group setting, the project drilling
engineer usually has a predetermined list
of risks and likelihood scores that are the
focus of the conversation.
One problem with this approach is that
drilling engineers are inherently biased
by personal experiences, which can affect
their view on how likely an event is to hap-
pen. For example, if a project drilling en-
gineer recently encountered well-control
issues, the engineer will likely overesti-
mate the chance of future well-control is-
sues. On the other hand, if the engineer
has never encountered a well-control
issue, it may be unintentionally omitted
altogether from the risk assessments.
Using historical data as a barometer
could help the drilling engineer over-
This article, written by Special Publications Editor Adam Wilson, contains highlights
of paper SPE 181015, “Natural-Language-Processing Techniques on Oil and Gas
Drilling Data,” by M. Antoniak, J. Dalgliesh, SPE, and M. Verkruyse, Maana, and
J. Lo, Chevron, prepared for the 2016 SPE Intelligent Energy International Conference
and Exhibition, Aberdeen, 6–8 September. The paper has not been peer reviewed.
come these issues, though doing so re-
quires a unified view of both prior risk
assessments and prior issues encoun-
tered. Chevron maintains both data sets
in disparate systems. The Risk Assess-
ment database contains descriptions of
risks from historical risk assessments,
and the Well Operations database con-
tains descriptions of unexpected events
and associated unexpected-event codes,
which categorize the unexpected events.
Leveraging both, a system has been
created that allows a project drilling en-
gineer to enter a risk in natural language,
return drilling codes related to this risk,
produce statistics showing how often
these types of events have happened in
the past, and predict the likelihood of the
problem occurring in certain fields.
Data
Well Operations Database. The Well
Operations data set contains free-text
descriptions of unexpected events that
occur during the lifetime of the well.
As events occur on the well, engineers
create log entries describing the events
and categorizing them. Each unexpected
event includes a free-text description and
two unexpected-event codes, Type and
Type Detail.
The unexpected-event codes Type and
Type Detail provide category and subcat-
egory classifications for the event. This
project focused only on five combina-
tions of the Type and Type Detail labels,
so Type and Type Detail were concate-
nated into a single label for each event.
All other labels were grouped into a sixth
category, Other, which includes the ma-
jority of the instances.
Risk Assessment Database. The Risk
Assessment data set contains all of the
risks anticipated for a well or set of wells
in free-text form. The text usually con-
sists of short phrases containing techni-
cal jargon.
Unlike the Well Operations data set, the
Risk Assessment data set is not labeled
with unexpected-event codes. The codes
are automatically extracted for a set of
approximately 1,400 risk-assessment in-
stances by use of handwritten rules. This
data set is referred to as the Risk Assess-
ment Auto data set. In order to validate the
results on the Risk Assessment data set, a
random set of approximately 700 instanc-
es was hand labeled from the Risk Assess-
ment data set. This data set is referred to
as the Risk Assessment Gold data set.
Comparison. Although the Well Oper-
ations and Risk Assessment data sets
were created for the same wells by peo-
ple from the same organization on the
same topics of unexpected events, signif-
icant differences exist between the two.
First, the vocabulary and style used in
the Risk Assessment data set differ from
the vocabulary and style used in the Well
Operations data set. The Risk Assessment
data set is cleaner and more formal than
the Well Operations data set. Drilling en-
gineers usually create the risk-assessment
data, while rig crews create the Well Op-
erations data. The Risk Assessment data
set is standardized, while the Well Opera-
tions descriptions are inconsistent in vo-
cabulary, structure, and spelling.
Second, the distribution of event types
in the Well Operations data set does not
match the distribution in the Risk As-
sessment data set. The Risk Assessment
data set is a list of potential events, so
costly events such as stuck pipe or lost
circulation are more common, while the
Well Operations data set is a list of events
that actually occurred, so the majority
are common events.

For a limited time, the complete paper is free to SPE members at www.spe.org/jpt.

96 JPT • OCTOBER 2017

Methods
An application was created that receives a
free-text risk assessment from an engineer
and displays relevant events from past
operations. Historical data are searched
from the Well Operations data set to de-
termine how many wells were drilled and
how many were labeled with the problem
described in the input risk assessment.
This allows users to determine the likeli-
hood of the risk occurring and helps the
engineer make accurate predictions.
To compare the input risk assess-
ment with the historical data, the risk
assessments are enriched with the
unexpected-event-code labels from the
Well Operations data set. Once both data
sets are labeled, users are able to compare
a new risk assessment to the historical
data and to determine the accuracy of the
risk-assessment predictions by comparing
the distributions of the Risk Assessment
database’s risk assessments to the Well
Operations database’s unexpected events
for particular wells and well groups.
To obtain the unexpected-event-code
labels for the risk assessments, a statis-
tical classifier is trained on the labeled
data in the Well Operations data set. The
Well Operations instances are split into
60% training, 20% development, and
20% test sets, and the Risk Assessment
database descriptions are treated as an
unlabeled test set. A series of preprocess-
ing functions is applied to the free-text
descriptions: The text is made lowercase,
numbers and punctuation are removed, n-
gram features are extracted, and features
that occur fewer than five times in the Well
Operations training set are removed. The
remaining features are used to convert
each instance into a sparse-feature vector.
To address the differences in style and
vocabulary between the Risk Assessment
and Well Operations data sets, a set of
labeled instances was automatically ex-
tracted from the Risk Assessment data
set. A series of simple queries was written
that captures unambiguous unexpected-
event-code matches. These instances were
added to the Well Operations training
set, and the combined Well Operations/
Risk Assessment Auto data set was used
to train the classification model.
Results
The classifier is evaluated by running
the model against both the held-out Well
JPT • OCTOBER 2017
Operations test set and the Risk Assess-
ment Gold data set. The best results were
Behind
found when the class weights were rebal-
anced and the training data were supple-
mented with the Risk Assessment Auto
data set.
every
Rebalancing the class weights was only
slightly helpful for the Well Operations
test set but was very helpful for the Risk
Assessment Gold data set.
Supplementing the Well Opera-
tions training data with the automati-
cally labeled Risk Assessment instances
winner
is a
improved the results on the Risk As-
sessment Gold data set even more than
rebalancing the class weights.
The large improvement caused by the
great
supplemental Risk Assessment Auto data
set is particularly interesting because the
distribution of the labels in the Risk As-
sessment Auto data set varied signifi-
nomination
cantly from the Well Operations or Risk
Assessment distributions. This improve-
ment demonstrates that the investment of
a small amount of additional data (hand-
written rules to get Risk Assessment Auto
data) can yield substantial improvements.
The results allowed for building an ap-
plication through which drilling engi-
neers can predict risks to wells better by
viewing the historical risk assessments,
the encountered unexpected problems,
and a unified view of the two.
Conclusion Nominate a colleague for
Natural language is the primary means outstanding work
of human-to-human communication, but in the E&P industry.
it can pose potential problems during
analysis with nonmanual means. In the Now until 15 February, the
world of drilling operations, enormous
Society of Petroleum Engineers
amounts of historical data are captured in
this format, often stored in free-text de- is accepting nominations
scriptions of events. These historical data for outstanding work in the
can be very useful if they can be mined E&P industry.
and presented to engineers when they
Visit www.spe.org/awards
are planning a similar drilling operation.
This paper presents some techniques to for more information on
navigate between and connect indepen- nominating a colleague today.
dently created free-text databases and
shows how to supplement unstructured
data with labels so that these data can
be compared with and used alongside
structured data. These natural-language-
processing techniques allow unstruc-
tured data to be searched, organized, and
mined, allowing engineers to leverage
the underlying insights without having to
read through entire databases. JPT
 TECHNOLOGY FOCUS

Sand Management and Sand Control

Xiuli Wang, SPE, Senior Adviser, Baker Hughes, a GE Company

More than half of all existing wells are To ensure successful revitalization of existing wells in order to
estimated to require sand control or sand squeeze more production from deplet-
management throughout their lifetime, sand management, ed reservoirs. The same holistic sand-
including unconsolidated sandstone in a multidisciplinary management tactic should be applied to
conventional reservoirs or flowback in remedial sand control.
unconventional reservoirs. The majority
engagement In summary, production from sand-
of recent major hydrocarbon discoveries, is necessary. prone reservoirs is a daunting task,
from Africa (Mozambique, Angola, and with formidable challenges. Sand
Tanzania), transcontinental countries control barriers. In a worst-case scenar- management and control remain
(Egypt), North America (US and Cana- io, this can lead to dangerous uncon- as an old problem but with new chal-
da), to Far East Asia (Malaysia), are off- trolled production. lenges because of the suppressed
shore with high-permeability soft forma- To ensure successful sand manage- oil and gas prices. Cost-saving and
tion sands. Approximately half of them ment, a multidisciplinary engagement value-adding solutions are vital now
are gas-bearing reservoirs. is necessary. The teams should be able more than ever.
High-flow-rate gas wells are partic- to predict sanding tendencies, detect For more information, read the fea-
ularly susceptible to sand production. the sanding locations, select appropri- tured papers, recommended addi-
High-velocity or turbulent fluid flow ate downhole sand-management and tional reading, and other publications
generates large drag forces, dislodging -control devices, and implement the best at OnePetro. JPT
unconsolidated sand particles. The free- operating practices for the life of the well.
flowing particles can erode downhole Because of the current downturn,
and surface equipment, including well- operators are shifting their efforts to the Recommended additional reading
at OnePetro: www.onepetro.org.
Xiuli Wang, SPE, is a senior adviser with Baker Hughes, a GE SPE 181596 Defining Sand Control in an
company. Previously, she was vice president and chief technol- Uncharted Frontier: A Case Study on the
ogy officer for XGas, focusing on natural-gas monetization. Zawtika Field Development in Myanmar
Wang also has 8 years of operational experience with BP, spe- by Graham Grant, PTTEP International, et al.
cializing in oil and natural-gas production, completion, and sand SPE 181360 Case History: Integrated
control. She holds a PhD degree in chemical engineering from Approach to Sand Management and
the University of Houston, a BS degree from Dalian University of Completion Evaluation for Sand Producer
Technology, and an MS degree from Tsinghua University. Wang in a Mature Field, North Sea by M. Ruslan,
was the associate editor in chief of the Journal of Natural Gas Science and Engineering Dong Oil and Gas, et al.
during 2008–11 and currently serves on the JPT Editorial Committee. In 2007, she was SPE 182511 New Criteria for Slotted-Liner
named the United States Asian American Engineer of the Year by the Chinese Design for Heavy-Oil Thermal Production
Institute of Engineers—USA. Wang was an SPE Distinguished Lecturer in 2013–14 and by Mahdi Mahmoudi, University of Alberta,
was named an SPE Distinguished Member in 2014. et al.

98 JPT • OCTOBER 2017

Downhole Sand-Ingress Detection
With Fiber-Optic Distributed Acoustic Sensors

T here is currently no proven

technology available in the market
that accurately identifies downhole
production to improve future
designs
fingerprint of sand ingress into
hydrocarbon-producing wells (i.e., to
have a description of what sand ingress
sand-ingress locations in real time. Sand Detection into a production tubing “sounded” like
In this paper, the authors present While conventional surface acoustic on DAS optical fiber). This acoustic pat-
results from use of a new technology sand detectors provide a delayed indi- tern of sand ingress was derived em-
that uses in-well-conveyed fiber-optic cation of onset of downhole sanding pirically with the help of experimental
distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) for events, they do not provide information data from a multiphase flow-loop ex-
the detection of sand-ingress zones about the zones in the reservoir that periment. The results have now also
across the reservoir section throughout are producing sand. A successful sand- been modeled through first principles
the production period in real time. shutoff operation, however, requires to obtain a clearer understanding of the
knowledge and definitive identification underlying physics. The flow loop com-
Introduction of the zones (or depth sections) in the prised a test section with multiple fluid
Mechanical sand-control systems are reservoir contributing to sanding and and sand-ingress ports. The fiber was
not always fully effective. The end re- their relative concentrations. attached to the outside of the test pipe
sult may be high sand production, which DAS has been viewed as a potential to simulate the case in which the fiber is
results in choking back the well and candidate technology for downhole installed as part of the downhole com-
reducing hydrocarbon production sig- sand detection in recent years. DAS sys- pletion. Known concentrations of sand
nificantly. In most cases, the precise tems are intrinsic optical-fiber-based were then injected along with known
sanding interval is unknown, making acoustic-sensing systems that use the quantities of multiphase fluids, to sim-
sand-remediation operations (such as backscatter component of the light ulate reservoir conditions better. The
remedial plug placements) often ineffec- injected into an optical fiber to de- DAS data were then gatherered across
tive. A successful remediation requires tect acoustic perturbations along the the entire test section to analyze the
identification of locations of sand entry length of the fiber. The fiber itself acts characteristics of the acoustic data spe-
to inform targeted sand-shutoff oper- as the sensing element, with no addi- cifically at the sand-entry points and to
ations. However, no proven technolo- tional transducers in the optical path, compare these with zones where there
gy accurately identifies sand-ingress and measurements are taken along the was no sand injection but only multi-
locations during well production in length of the entire fiber, allowing for phase fluids. These experiments formed
real time. a true distributed measurement using the basis for uniquely identifying and
The technology described in this a single fiber. The technology provides extracting the sand-ingress fingerprint.
paper has now been used successfully sensitivity to strain variations by moni- This was followed by experiments to
◗ To monitor sand ingress during toring changes in the length and index quantify the performance limits of the
production (in real time) to inform of refraction of the fiber induced by im- DAS system by varying the concentra-
and optimize oil production pinging acoustic pressure waves. tions of injected sand at different loca-
◗ To inform and implement a tions across the test section.
targeted sand-shutoff operation to Technology Development Specific tests were also conducted
increase hydrocarbon-production Flow-Loop Experimentation. The first to examine the variability of the sand-
rates step in developing a real-time sand- ingress acoustic pattern with respect
◗ To assess the reliability of the detection system was to develop a to variations typically observed during
sand-control equipment during physical understanding of the acoustic production, to simulate reservoir con-
ditions better. The data were also ana-
lyzed to distinguish sand transportation
This article, written by JPT Technology Editor Chris Carpenter, contains highlights of
acoustics from sand-ingress acoustics.
paper SPE 183329, “Downhole Sand-Ingress Detection With Fiber-Optic Distributed
Acoustic Sensors,” by Pradyumna Thiruvenkatanathan, Tommy Langnes, Field Trials. Following the flow-loop
Paul Beaumont, Daniel White, and Michael Webster, BP, prepared for the trials, the performance of the DAS sys-
2016 Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference, Abu Dhabi, tem and the real-time sand-detection
7–10 November. The paper has not been peer reviewed. algorithm was tested with field data

For a limited time, the complete paper is free to SPE members at www.spe.org/jpt.

JPT • OCTOBER 2017 99

 SPE Artificial 0
Lift Conference
500
1000
and Exhibition—
Measured Depth (m)
1500
Americas
2000
2500
28–30 August 2018 3000
The Waterway Marriott
3500
and Convention Center
The Woodlands, Texas, USA 22:50 23:05 23:20
www.spe.org/go/shareartificial-lift
Surface flowline acoustic-sensor data
Call for Papers Fig. 1—DAS-system sound field filtered to monitor sand transport.
is Now Open! acquired on a well with a history of
sand production. The candidate well
had openhole-gravel-pack completions,
Submit your proposal by and a fiber-optic cable was preinstalled
24 October 2017 across the reservoir interval. Three con-
secutive field trials were conducted at
6-month intervals.
Field Trial 1. The acquired data were
“Share your technical depth calibrated to ensure data align-
advancements and ment with the wellbore measured depth
gain exposure for (MD) before commencement of data ac-
your work among key quisition for sand-monitoring purposes.
players in the E&P The DAS data were acquired from the en-
industry.” tire length of the fiber that was installed
permanently within the downhole com-
Greg Stephenson, ConocoPhillips pletion assembly. The well was initially
Program Committee Chairperson operated at a steady production rate and
then ramped up to higher drawdown
pressure before being brought back to
initial production conditions. The data
were then manually processed to check
and analyze the data gathered across
the reservoir section, to identify zones
with acoustic signals with characteris-
tics similar to those of the sand-ingress
pattern as modeled and experimental-
ly observed during the flow-loop trials.
This indicated multiple depth zones
with acoustics with characteristics simi-
lar to those of the sand-ingress pattern,
and these zones of interest were then
investigated further to verify confor-
mance with the sand-ingress pattern.
The data were later reprocessed to filter
out the background flow and instrumen-
tation noise. The filtered sand acoustic
Slug Flow
Surface sand sample
taken during
highlighted interval
23:35 23:50 00:05 00:20 00:35 00:50 01:05 01:20
Time Stamp
signals were then averaged through time
to construct a sand log across the entire
reservoir section.
The DAS-system sand log presents
the acoustic amplitude (filtered for sand
ingress) as a function of depth across
the reservoir interval. Reviewing the
log indicates five distinct zones of sand
ingress, with relatively higher sand-
ingress noise observed in Zones 3 and 4.
The DAS data were then further an-
alyzed to study the transportation of
the sand from the point of entry all the
way up to the surface. Fig. 1 displays
a DAS sound field, filtered to moni-
tor sand transportation over the en-
tire well depth, acquired for a period of
several hours during well ramp up. The
sound field displays the calibrated mea-
sured depth along the y-axis and the
time stamp along the x-axis; the acous-
tic intensity is shown by a color scale
(with red being high acoustic intensity
and blue being low). The plot also over-
lays the surface flowline acoustic-sensor
data (red data trace at the bottom of the
illustration) aligned in time with the
DAS sound field.
A few observations can be made from
the sound field shown in Fig. 1:
◗ Filtering the DAS sound fields to
pick up sand-transport acoustics
indicated sand slugs originating
from approximately 3000-m MD
and reaching the surface with
velocities increasing at shallower
JPT • OCTOBER 2017
 depths. Correlating the DAS well was brought back into production. The results show a substantial reduc-
measurements at times when the The DAS system was then reconnected tion in the overall sand production (by
sand slugs reach the surface with to the optical fiber, and the data acquisi- more than 70%) after remediation, in-
the data captured on the surface tion commenced. The complete end-to- dicating a successful treatment. This
acoustic sensors at the production end technology solution incorporating was also confirmed through physi-
flowlines indicates a good match the real-time sand-detection algorithm cal samples taken on the surface. The
between the filtered DAS data and was installed and tested as part of the lower sanding rates have also en-
the surface sensor data. field trial. Sand logs were also computed abled further ramp up of the well, con-
◗ A red carpet of high-intensity in real time to evaluate and compare the sequently leading to a significant in-
acoustics is observed near sanding behavior observed downhole crease in oil production by more than
the surface. This is because of post-remediation. 2,000 B/D. JPT
contamination by surface noise
(caused by mechanical equipment
on the surface) that may be filtered
and removed through further
processing. Visit CARBO at SPE ATCE Booth 1345
Field Trial 2. To check the repeatabil- Proppant pack
ity of the measurement, a second field consolidation
trial was conducted in the candidate technology
well, 6 months after the first field trial.
This time, the well was initially shut in
and then ramped up in steps, holding
the production rates stable for several
hours at each choke setting. As part of
Protect
the field trial, data-processing and real-
time data-handling infrastructure was your
developed to enable real-time stream-
ing of processed acoustic data. Back-end
visualization systems were also built to
integrity
visualize and manipulate the processed
acoustic data in real time.
Sand logs were computed at each of
the production rates (under stable draw-
down conditions), and the computed
logs were then integrated through time
to construct drawdown-lapsed sand
logs. These sand logs allow for a better
representation of the temporal behavior Conventional proppant FUSION technology
Unconsolidated pack Consolidated pack
of sand ingress across the sanding inter-
vals identified downhole.
The first data trace, as seen in Fig. 5
of the complete paper, shows the sand Now you can create a bonded, high integrity
log computed at a relatively low draw- proppant pack without closure stress
down (of nearly 160 psi). When com-
paring these results with those of Field FUSION® proppant pack consolidation technology
prevents proppant washout from the non-compressive
Trial  1, it may be observed that many
annulus and near-wellbore areas to protect critical
of the sand-producing intervals identi- well integrity.
fied in Field Trial 1 remain consistent
in Field Trial 2. As the drawdown is in- The technology forms a high-integrity, high-permeability
creased progressively, more zones are proppant pack so you can inject and produce at the
ultra-high rates required to improve well economics and
seen to produce sand.
increase EUR.
Field Trial 3. The results from Field
Trials 1 and 2 were then used to ex- FUSION technology has been successfully deployed in
ecute a DAS-informed targeted sand- GOM deepwater injection wells, and can be applied for
remediation operation. Selected sand- frac and pack sand control applications.
ingress zones as identified in Field
carboceramics.com/fusion
Trials 1 and 2 were isolated with
mechanical-patch technology, and the

JPT • OCTOBER 2017 101

 Advancement in Openhole Sand-Control
Applications With Shape-Memory Polymer

C onventional openhole sand-

control techniques include
standalone screens, expandable
screens, and openhole gravel
packing (OHGP). In some cases,
the uniformity, size, and level
of compressive strength of the
formation dictate the use of an OHGP
completion. However, OHGP is not
always feasible or practical for some
reservoirs and geographic locations.
Shape-memory-polymer (SMP)
technology can fill the gaps that
exist with current OHGP techniques.
This paper summarizes a technology
using SMP to provide downhole sand
control in openhole environments.
Introduction
The SMP conformable sand-control sys-
tem consists of an engineered polymer
material compacted onto a retainer car-
tridge (outer shroud, plain Dutch-weave
mesh, and inner shroud). The assembly is
then installed onto a perforated base pipe
by mechanical means to provide a sim-
ple modular system for openhole sand-
control applications.
SMP Principle and Engineered Behav-
iors. The SMP typically has two differ-
ent states: the glass state at low tem-
peratures and the rubber state at higher
temperatures. The point of change of
state (the transition from the glass state
to the rubber state), and the associated
temperature, is referred to as the glass
transit temperature (Tg).
The engineered SMP has a defined
Tg—the point where shape recovery
starts. The initial SMP is first heated
This article, written by JPT Technology Editor Chris Carpenter, contains highlights
of paper SPE 181361, “Advancement in Openhole Sand-Control Applications With
Shape-Memory Polymer,” by Xiuli Wang and Gbenga Osunjaye, Baker Hughes, a GE
company, prepared for the 2016 SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition,
Dubai, 26–28 September. The paper has not been peer reviewed.
to the Tg of the polymer. Then, a me-
chanical force is applied to compact it to
a smaller diameter and onto a retainer
cartridge. The condensed SMP is then
cooled below its Tg, and the force is re-
moved. The SMP retains its compacted
size until the surrounding temperature
of the SMP reaches the Tg, at which point
shape recovery begins.
The bottomhole temperature (BHT)
of the candidate reservoirs needs to be
lower than the Tg to ensure that the SMP
is rigid under the downhole conditions
during the production phase. After the
SMP sand-control system is installed in
a wellbore, to expand the SMP under a
BHT that is lower than the Tg, an activa-
tion fluid must be introduced. This acti-
vation fluid serves as a catalyst and tem-
porarily reduces the Tg below the BHT
so the SMP will be recovered to its ini-
tial shape. After the SMP is deployed,
the activation fluid is flushed out. The
SMP retains its recovered shape that con-
forms to the wellbore, and it is ready
for production.
SMP Sand-Retention
and Filtration Capabilities
To evaluate the SMP sand-retention and
filtration capabilities, besides the stan-
dard prepack tests and slurry tests, ad-
ditional tests were conducted to simu-
late the effect of reservoir compaction
on the performance of the SMP. These
tests applied a dynamic load through the
simulated formation sand and the sand-
control media.
Dynamic Filtration Tests and Re-
sults. Many formation sands with dif-
Openings in Cells Cells
Fig. 1—Multiple opened and
connected cells/slits shown on the
surface scan of the SMP sample.
ferent particle-size distributions (PSDs)
have been tested by measuring the pres-
sure drop across a layer of sand and the
SMP specimen as well as measuring the
amount of effluent that passed through
the tested media. Test results show that
the total particles in the effluent of each
test are less than 10% of the total sand
used in the test. More than 90% of the
produced-sand particles are less than
44 µm, regardless of the uniformity co-
efficient, the sorting coefficient, and the
fines percentage.
These sands are very different in
terms of sand-particle sizes, sorting,
uniformity, and fines percentage. How-
ever, with the same size/type of SMP,
the sand-filtration performances from
these tests are satisfactory, with no in-
dication of plugging or undesirable
sand production.
Performance Comparisons
Between the SMP and OHGP
The SMP is made up of irregularly shaped
cells with multiple openings (slits) for
cell-to-cell connectivity and flow path
(Fig. 1). This unique structure enables
the SMP to achieve sand control by al-
lowing particles less than 44 µm in size to
pass through, regardless of the formation

For a limited time, the complete paper is free to SPE members at www.spe.org/jpt.

102 JPT • OCTOBER 2017

 PSD. It is a one-size-fits-all sand-control
medium. To examine the sand-retention
capability of the SMP and OHGP sys-
tems and compare them, three simulated
formation sands with low, medium, and
high uniformity coefficients, respective-
ly, were tested. Results indicated that, for
a given formation sand, it is necessary to
size the OHGP gravel/screen on the basis
of the formation PSD to effectively con-
trol the sand.
The test results indicate a lower sand
production for a smaller-sized gravel sys-
tem (40/60-US-mesh gravels) but higher
pressure drop across the tested media
and, conversely, higher sand produc-
tion for larger gravel sizes (12/20-mesh
gravels) with lower pressure drop. These
analyses also show some variation in per-
formances between wire-wrap screens
and mesh screens when the same gravel
sizes were used.
The SMP, in comparison, has a
pressure-drop profile similar to the
20/40-US-mesh gravel-pack test, but it
maintains a better sand-control efficien-
cy by producing less formation sand and
keeping the particle size of the produced
sands to less than 44 μm.
SMP-Application BHT Range
and Activation-Fluid Design
Deployment of the SMP is primarily
dependent on the variation of the sur-
rounding temperature with respect to
the inherent Tg of the SMP material. Ac-
tivation of the SMP expansion occurs if
the surrounding temperature is higher
than the Tg of the SMP; otherwise, no
activation occurs. The transition of the
SMP varies on the basis of its surround-
ing fluid. It requires higher temperature
to commence activation in a dry environ-
ment (such as in air) than in a wet envi-
ronment (such as in a liquid).
Before wellbore installation of the
SMP, the candidate well should have
a BHT that is below the Tg to ensure
that the SMP remains rigid and will not
change shape. Consequently, to acti-
vate the SMP in bottomhole conditions,
the bottomhole fluid would have to be
an activation fluid. The activation fluid
comprises the wellbore completion fluid
with an addition of a smaller fraction
of solvent, called an activator in this
paper. The activator in the activation
fluid acts as a catalyst. It temporarily re-
104
duces the Tg of the SMP to a level below
the BHT, enabling the BHT to activate
the SMP expansion at reservoir condi-
tions. As a result, a wellbore-completion
design using a SMP conformable sand-
control system requires a review of the
candidate-reservoir BHT and design of
an activation fluid to deploy the SMP
after installation.
The suitable BHT to use the SMP con-
formable sand-control system is between
100 and 200°F. Recent research-and-
development studies also indicated that
SMP field application in reservoirs with
temperatures as low as 40°F is also possi-
ble. Deployment in such low-temperature
reservoirs requires the use of a noncon-
ventional activator.
Activation-Fluid Design. The reservoir
with a higher BHT requires a lower con-
centration of activator in the activation
fluid to achieve SMP expansion to the
reservoir gauge hole and beyond. Con-
versely, the lower the BHT of the reser-
voir, the higher the concentration of ac-
tivator needed in the activation fluid to
bring about the SMP expansion.
An activation fluid comprises the
base completion fluid and the SMP ac-
tivator. The concentration of the ac-
tivator depends on the reservoir BHT
and the type of base fluid (such as com-
pletion brine, conditioned mud, or
filter-cake-breaker fluid).
Typically, the activator concentration
is less than 9% by volume of the activa-
tion fluid, to ensure that the flash point
of the activation fluid is kept in a low-
risk category during field operation. An
analysis of the SMP-expansion rate was
performed with varying activator con-
centrations and water-based mud and
potassium chloride brine as base fluids.
Each test was carried out at 195°F to en-
sure that the observable differences in
activation duration were caused only by
the different fluid environments.
The results of these studies verify that,
in conjunction with the temperature of
the test environment, the type of fluid
also affects the expansion rate.
Activation-Fluid Design With Filter-
Cake-Breaker Fluid. Breaker fluids are
typically pumped downhole to cover the
entire openhole region and break down
the mud filter cake. These fluids consist
of surfactants and other solvents that
disperse filter cakes and remove other
organic depositions such as asphaltene
that can ultimately reduce effective per-
meability. Stated simply, breaker fluids
are used to improve productivity. To save
rig time and to avoid multiple trips, it
is advantageous to combine the break-
er fluid with the activator needed for
SMP deployment. In fact, studies have
shown that some breaker fluids are com-
posed of organic compounds that are
similar to the SMP activator, in which
case the breaker fluid can, on its own,
deploy the SMP.
Openhole Preparation
and Operational Procedures
Similar to conventional sand-control-
screen deployment, wellbore cleanliness
is very important for SMP applications.
To ensure successful application, it is
highly recommended to implement in-
dustry best practices (discussed in the
complete paper) in openhole preparation
before installation.
Operational Procedure. The SMP con-
formable sand-control system can be de-
ployed using conventional installation
techniques for standalone screens cou-
pled with the following criteria:
◗ The completion bottomhole
assembly (BHA) must be
configured to enable a full-bore
flow path to the shoe. This is
critical so that the activation fluid
can be pumped in a manner that
enables displacement to start from
the shoe (at the bottom of the
assembly) to the surface.
◗ The completion-tool BHA must be
equipped with features that prevent
accidental liftoff (swab) of the filter
cake. During tubing movement in
and out of the packer sealbore,
the system must have a uniform
hydrostatic communication at
all times. This is also a critical
requirement because accidental
liftoff of the mud filter cake can
result in loss of the activation
fluid. Techniques for installation
can be deployed by a liner-hanger
configuration or by a sand-control-
packer configuration. These
procedures are outlined in the
complete paper. JPT
JPT • OCTOBER 2017
 CALL FOR
PAPERS
Paper Proposal
Submission Deadline:
29 January 2018

Learn more and

submit your proposal
online at
www.atce.org/CFP2018

Society of Petroleum Engineers

Annual Technical
Conference and
Exhibition
24–26 September 2018 È Dallas, Texas, USA
Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center
 One-Trip Multizone Sand-Control-Completion
System in the Gulf of Mexico Lower Tertiary

T his paper provides perspective

on the current state of multizone
completion technology and issues
yond merely the water depth and the well
depth required to reach the reservoirs.
These exploration plays depend on
with downhole flow control. Accomplish-
ing downhole control requires interval
control valves (ICVs) rated to 15,000 psi.
encountered in the industry with understanding the updip fluvial/deltaic Because of the outside diameter of the
developing a system that offers stratigraphic architecture and the poten- large-bore valves, the two valves are run
increased capabilities to meet the tial for partitioning of reservoir-quality in tandem (with the lower valve shroud-
increasing challenges presented by the sandstones across the depositional shelf ed) and both are placed above the sand-
Lower Tertiary in the Gulf of Mexico into the slope and basin floor environ- face assembly. This ICV configuration
(GOM). The multizone technology ments. The Lower Tertiary is estimated provides interval selectivity for two pro-
has proved to be an enabler for cost- to contain up to 15 billion bbl of oil. ducing intervals. In the Lower Tertia-
efficient completions in the shallow- ry, the tandem ICV configuration allows
well environment and in the high- Current State separation and control of the lower and
cost ultradeepwater environment of Multizone Technology upper Wilcox Formation. Qualified ICVs
requiring high-rate fracture- The Generation IV multizone system has rated to the 15,000-psi working pressure
stimulation treatments. been deployed successfully in the Lower are nearing commercialization.
Tertiary by multiple operators. To the
Lower Tertiary GOM authors’ knowledge, the multistage com- Lower Tertiary Challenges
The Lower Tertiary play is south and pletion system and enhanced single-trip One of the initial challenges of the
west of the Miocene area in the GOM multizone fracturing systems had been Lower Tertiary was to deliver a single-
and is, consequently, in deeper water. installed in 10 wells as of the summer trip 10,000-psi-rated multizone com-
The Lower Tertiary is located approxi- of 2015, with additional well installa- pletion system that met the follow-
mately 175 miles offshore and is estimat- tions planned. These systems are rated to ing requirements:
ed at 80 miles wide and up to 300 miles 10,000 psi, and the enhanced single-trip ◗ Deployed through the long
long. Water depths are from 5,000 to multizone tool system offering an open- perforated interval and at well
10,000  ft. Production targets are at hole variant was installed in one five- depths approaching 30,000 ft
depths of 10,000 to 30,000 ft subsea. zone completion. ◗ Capable of isolating and fracturing
The Tertiary trend is from 66 million One of these systems was qualified up to five individual intervals
to 38 million years old. Within the Lower with a fracturing rating of 45 bbl/min ◗ Able to locate and maintain tool
Tertiary, the Lower Wilcox portion pres- and a proppant volume per inter- positions during treatment stages
ents sheet to amalgamated-sheet sands val of 750,000  lbm or a maximum of ◗ Able to fracture five to six intervals
considered to be part of a regional basin 3,750,000 lbm for five intervals. The ma- without tripping the service tool
floor fan system. jority of intervals pumped, to date, have ◗ Ensures that lower-completion
The Late Paleocene to Early Eocene been placed in the 35-bbl/min range, components (ported closing sleeves,
(Wilcox equivalent) reservoirs are con- while proppant volumes continue to in- modular screen, production sleeves,
sidered to be laterally extensive sheet crease, with more than 2,000,000 lbm fracturing circulation sleeves) can
sands that were deposited in deep water. placed in one three-zone completion. effectively isolate each interval after
These reservoirs are distributed across The initial completion focus was on stimulation
an area largely covered by the allochtho- the immediate challenges of the sand- ◗ Maintains well control during
nous Sigsbee salt canopy. It is this cano- face completion. Operators are now try- deployment of the intermediate-
py that causes additional problems be- ing to maximize hydrocarbon recovery completion string containing the
inner internal string for opening
sleeves and isolating the ported
This article, written by JPT Technology Editor Chris Carpenter, contains highlights of
closing sleeves for commingled
paper OTC 27183, “Current State of the One-Trip Multizone Sand-Control-Completion production
System and the Conundrum Faced in the Gulf of Mexico Lower Tertiary,” by Bruce The initial sandface challenges
Techentien, Tommy Grigsby, and Thomas Frosell, Halliburton, prepared for the were resolved with the first successful
2016 Offshore Technology Conference, Houston, 2–5 May. The paper has not been peer multizone-system deployments. As op-
reviewed. Copyright 2016 Offshore Technology Conference. Reproduced by permission. erators began to explore future develop-

The complete paper is available for purchase at OnePetro: www.onepetro.org.

106 JPT • OCTOBER 2017

 Volunteering looks good on you.
In the new SPE League of Volunteers, giving back suits you well.
As a volunteer for SPE, you provide the energy that makes our Society work. Giving back
gives you the opportunity to enhance your leadership and collaborative skills, and expand your
professional profile as you showcase your knowledge and talents to the industry.

Engage. Support. Volunteer. Learn more and join us at www.spe.org/volunteer.

Share your story: #SPElov


Fig. 1—Multizone completion system.
ment prospects in their lease portfolios,
additional challenges were identified.
The new challenges will require an in-
creasingly robust multizone system.
Lower Tertiary Casing
Design and Challenges
The current predominant Lower Ter-
tiary casing design places 8.5-in.-
inner-diameter (ID) drift heavyweight
casing across the reservoir. Alterna-
tive completion designs include plac-
ing 6.5-in.-ID drift heavyweight cas-
ing across the reservoir or completing
in an 8.5-in. openhole section through
the reservoir. This paper focuses on the
8.5-in.-cased-hole completion.
Optimally, a larger-ID casing would
be installed across the reservoir. This
would allow equipment designers the
latitude necessary to meet higher pres-
sure requirements with the desired burst
and collapse safety factor at temperature
while maintaining the desired fracturing-
rate capability, increased proppant vol-
ume, and increased production and in-
jection rate. Instead, the 8.5-in.-ID drift
casing requires equipment designers to
use a balanced design approach to meet
the Lower Tertiary requirements with a
minimum number of trade-offs.
The following factors, described in de-
tail in the complete paper, should be con-
sidered when designing or evaluating the
next-generation multizone systems for
the requirements of the Lower Tertiary:
◗ Pressure requirements and
metallurgy
◗ Temperature degradation
◗ Safety factors
◗ Zonal control
◗ Well geometry
◗ Fracture stimulation
◗ Running technique
The Lower Tertiary Conundrum
Several criteria drive the requirement for
a 15,000-psi-rated multizone sandface
assembly. The first is experienced during
installation of the fracturing stimulation.
If a hard screenout exceeds the maxi-
mum pressure limit of the gravel-pack
108
assembly (from below), a collapse pres-
sure will be applied on the completion kit
from the gravel-pack ported sleeve to the
top of the screen. This could lead to a col-
lapse of the external components, result-
ing in either a breach in pressure integri-
ty or the item collapsing around the inner
string and causing sticking of the service-
tool assembly.
The second criterion is caused by pres-
sure depletion of the reservoir. In the
current completion scenario (Fig. 1), all
zones are flowed to an inner string in a
commingled flow pattern. The comple-
tion is not designed with the ability to
shut off one interval while producing the
remaining intervals. In this configura-
tion, differential pressure between pro-
ducing intervals is not an issue. The addi-
tion of an intelligent-well kit that enables
flow control of two or more intervals
highlights the issue of pressure depletion
between intervals. In a tandem ICV con-
figuration, the valves are placed above
the top sand-control packer to control
two intervals. The differential forces will
act against the internal string and sting-
er seals, the isolation-packer assembly,
and the ICVs in a two-zone system. When
ICVs are installed adjacent to each pro-
ducing interval, the differential forces act
against the stinger seals, the ICV, and the
inner isolation string.
The third criterion is related to frac-
ture geometry. If the fracture treatment
does not create vertical height growth,
it is possible that the reservoir section
adjacent to the unperforated casing be-
tween zones will remain at original pres-
sure. This will result in future drilling is-
sues when additional in-field wells are
drilled. An openhole multizone comple-
tion could be considered as a viable com-
pletion methodology that would poten-
tially eliminate the virgin-pressure issue.
In the first two scenarios, the screen
does not experience differential pressure
as long as the fracturing circulation sleeve
remains open for annular pressure moni-
toring during the fracturing treatment.
Screen differential pressure will occur if
a squeeze fracturing treatment method is
used or, in well production, if the produc-
tion sleeve and fracturing sleeve are left
closed in an interval and adjacent pro-
ducing intervals are depleted.
The conundrum facing current comple-
tion designers consists of several issues:
◗ Meeting the higher pressure
requirements while maximizing
the multizone system ID to enable
maximum fracturing rates and
maximum production and injection
rates.
◗ Balancing the conflicting
requirements of a 50% increase in
pressure rating, increased flow rates,
and sandface monitoring, all while
installing the system in the same
casing drift ID.
◗ Optimizing modular screen systems
to provide the required pressure
rating, an acceptable production flow
area, and a casing-to-screen annular
area that allows for successful gravel
packing.
Conclusion
Designing the next generation of multi-
zone systems (Generation V) will be chal-
lenging, from not only a drilling perspec-
tive but also a completion perspective. An
operator or a group of operators should
clearly define the requirements of the
next-generation system to the service
providers. This definition should include
mandatory and optional features, with
the understanding that not all features
can be included in a single system.
Generation V multizone systems will
require time to develop. They could be
included in the new high-pressure/high-
temperature annex if the tools are rated
at greater than 15,000 psi, and this will
necessitate additional testing, validation,
and lead time. The requirements estab-
lished at the beginning of the design pro-
cess will have to be acceptable for several
years to accommodate rigorous develop-
ment activities. As requirements for the
Lower Tertiary change and become more
challenging, the industry should revis-
it every aspect of the well, from spud to
landing the tubing hanger.
It is not unreasonable to consider a
3-year development time for these sys-
tems, which would mean that an estab-
lished set of parameters in mid-2016
would result in equipment deliveries in
late 2019 or early 2020. JPT
JPT • OCTOBER 2017
PEOPLE

STEVE GILBERT, SPE, was appointed direc-

tor of asset management and decommis- In Memoriam
sioning at Lloyd’s Register. He will be based
This section lists with regret SPE members who recently
in Aberdeen. Gilbert has more than 25
passed away. If you would like to report the passing of a
years of experience working with major in-
family member who was an SPE member, please write to
ternational operators and contractors. His
service@spe.org.
previous senior management positions in-
clude vice president of operations at LR Senergy, director of Richard B. Banks, Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA
operations at Transocean Solutions, and country manager at Johnny F. Boggs, Meadows Place, Texas, USA
GlobalSantaFe. Gilbert holds a BEng in mining engineering Ralph D. Burks, Dallas, Texas, USA
from Camborne School of Mines in UK. Eugene H. Fletcher, Houston, Texas, USA
Rick George, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
TAMÁS SZAKÁL, SPE, vice president of MOL E&P, and chair- John C. Minter, Austin, Texas, USA
man of the Hungarian Mining Association, was decorated Michael T. Olanson, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
with the Hungarian Silver Cross of Merit based on the deci- Samuel D. Powers, Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA
sion of Hungarian President János Áder. Szakál received his Jack M. Pugh, Highland Village, Texas, USA
award in recognition of outstanding professional work in the Raymond J. Watkins, Houston, Texas, USA
field of hydrocarbon exploration and production for the safe-
ty of Hungary’s energy supply, and for activities undertaken
at MOL Group. Hungary’s Minister of National Development
Miklós Seszták presented the award.

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JPT • OCTOBER 2017 109

 PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

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110 JPT • OCTOBER 2017


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JPT • OCTOBER 2017 111

 SPE EVENTS
WORKSHOPS
18 October ◗ Calgary—SPE The Duvernay
Liquids Rich Shale—What Makes It
Different and How Do We Optimize It?
23–24 October ◗ Kuala Lumpur—SPE
Decommissioning—Innovative Approaches
to Shallow Water Platforms and Wells
24–25 October ◗ St. John’s, Newfoundland
and Labrador—SPE Well Integrity Life
Cycle Management for Subsea Field
Development
30–31 October ◗ Kuala Lumpur—
SPE/NACE Corrosion Management for
Upstream Oil & Gas Production Assets
6–8 November ◗ Dallas—SEG/SPE
Injection Induced Seismicity
7–8 November ◗ Calgary—SPE Unlocking
the Montney, Success Through Change
7–8 November ◗ The Hague—SPE North
Sea & Europe Area Stimulation
9–10 November ◗ The Hague—SPE Gas
Well Deliquification
13–14 November ◗ Bangkok—SPE/EAGE
Integrated Project Management—Building
Resilient Projects in a Volatile Environment
13–14 November ◗ Kuala Lumpur—SPE
Resources Estimation, Definition, and
Production Forecasting
20–21 November ◗ Brisbane—SPE
Unconventional Resources—Tools and
Practices for Optimal Exploration,
Appraisal and Development
20–21 November ◗ Kuala Lumpur—SPE
Floating Production Systems—Enabler and
Solution for Development
29–30 November ◗ Austin—SPE Learning
From Reservoir Response—History
Matching and Data Analytics
4–5 December ◗ Kuala Lumpur—SPE
Process Safety and Technical Risk
Assessment
4–6 December ◗ Austin—SPE Performance
and Design of Water Injectors Requiring
Sand Control
Find complete listings of upcoming SPE workshops, conferences, ­symposiums, and forums at www.spe.org/events.
112
4–6 December ◗ Kuwait City—SPE
Production Optimisation—Smart Strategies
and Innovation
6–7 December ◗ Dubai—SPE Lost
Circulation: Natural and Induced
Fractures—Carbonates and Other
Formations
CONFERENCES
9–11 October ◗ San Antonio—SPE Annual
Technical Conference & Exhibition
15–18 October ◗ Kuwait City—SPE Kuwait
Oil and Gas Show & Conference
16–18 October ◗ Moscow—SPE Russian
Petroleum Technology Conference
17–19 October ◗ Bali—SPE/IATMI Asia
Pacific Oil & Gas Conference and Exhibition
24–26 October ◗ Rio de Janeiro—
OTC Brasil
1–3 November ◗ Baku­—SPE Annual
Caspian Technical Conference and
Exhibition
13–16 November ◗ Abu Dhabi—The Abu
Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition
& Conference (ADIPEC)
23–25 January 2018 ◗ The Woodlands—
SPE Hydraulic Fracturing Technology
Conference
29–31 January 2018 ◗ Abu Dhabi—SPE/
IADC Middle East Drilling Technology
Conference and Exhibition
7–9 February 2018 ◗ Lafayette—SPE
International Conference and Exhibition on
Formation Damage Control
6–8 March 2018 ◗ Fort Worth—IADC/SPE
Drilling Conference and Exhibition
13–14 March 2018 ◗ Calgary—SPE Canada
Heavy Oil Technical Conference
13–14 March 2018 ◗ Calgary—SPE Canada
Unconventional Resources Conference
20–23 March 2018 ◗ Kuala Lumpur—
OTC Asia
26–28 March 2018 ◗ Muscat—SPE EOR
Conference at OGWA
27–28 March 2018 ◗ The Woodlands—SPE/
ICoTA Coiled Tubing and Well Intervention
Conference and Exhibition
SYMPOSIUMS
4–6 October ◗ Lexington—SPE Eastern
Regional Meeting
7–8 November ◗ Kuala Lumpur—SPE
Production Enhancement and Cost
Optimisation
28–30 November ◗ Banff—SPE Thermal
Well Integrity and Design Symposium
27 February 2018 ◗ Aberdeen—SPE
International North Sea
FORUMS
5–9 November ◗ San Antonio—SPE
Waterless Fracturing—Reducing Fresh
Water Use for Reservoir Stimulation in a
Future Water-Constrained World
5–10 November ◗ San Antonio—SPE
Enhanced Oil Recovery in Unconventional
Reservoirs
CALL FOR PAPERS
SPE Europec featured at 80th EAGE
Conference and Exhibition ◗ Copenhagen
Deadline: 11 October
SPE International Oilfield Scale
Conference and Exhibition ◗ Aberdeen
Deadline: 11 October
SPE International Oilfield Corrosion
Conference and Exhibition ◗ Aberdeen
Deadline: 11 October
SPE Artificial Lift Conference and
Exhibition—Americas ◗ The Woodlands
Deadline: 24 October
SPE Trinidad and Tobago Section
Energy Resources Conference ◗
Trinidad and Tobago
Deadline: 30 November
SPE Asia Pacific Oil & Gas Conference
and Exhibition ◗ Brisbane
Deadline: 15 January 2018
JPT • OCTOBER 2017
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