1. Pushing the Limit: High-Rate-Artificial-Lift Evaluation for a Sour, Heavy-Oil, Thermal EOR Project in Oman.
- Author
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Lanier, G. H. and Mahoney, M.
- Subjects
OIL well artificial lift ,ENHANCED oil recovery ,OIL fields ,CARBONATE reservoirs - Abstract
Petroleum Development Oman LLC (PDO) currently operates a sour, heavy-oil (14°API) field, which has produced since 1976 from a naturally fractured carbonate reservoir located in the northern region of the Sultanate of Oman. Further field-development options have been evaluated recently, and the preferred concept will be based on thermal-assisted gas/oil gravity drainage (TAGOGD). To achieve this enhanced-oil-recovery (EOR) mechanism, steam will be injected into the reservoir and will eventually increase produced-fluid temperatures higher than 200°C during the projected life of the project. A key objective for the project will involve significantly increasing the field's ultimate recovery using high-rate oil producers capable of initially delivering a gross rate per well greater than 1000 m³/d. To achieve these well offtake rates and field ultimate-recovery objectives, highly deviated and near-horizontal well trajectories will be implemented for the planned oil producers. This paper will provide a brief background of the TAGOGD recovery mechanism, anticipated reservoir conditions, and particular challenges, including a summary of the evaluation of various artificial-lift technologies and the preferred method to help enable this thermal EOR project achieve the desired objectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2009
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