Search

illus

The deepwater industry must abandon the net present value (NPV) economic model in favor of more sophisticated real option methodology. It is suggested that, in deepwater operations the integration of additional technologies and wide systems are required.

To insure economic development in the ultradeepwater water regions, conversion to lean energy management is required. The reasons for the conversion are that, costs and cycle times are too large to make development economical, and the required capex is not sustainable.

A four-dimensional seismic reservoir simulation was carried out to characterize a turbidite reservoir in the Gulf of mexico. Seismic inversion of 1988 and 1994 seismic surveys and spatial statistical analysis of collocated well and seismic impedance data were used to support the simulation. Time-lapse information was also utilized in the simulation process to determine dynamic changes and forecast future performance., Time-lapse seismic, well logs, static and dynamic production data measured with reservoir characterization and fluid flow simulation are combined in a 4-B simulation to better understand drainage patterns and identify [...]

4-D reservoir monitoring technology enables oil and gas production risks not only to be substantially anticipated and reduced but, in some cases, to be completely avoided. Seismic reservoir simulation is a 4-D tool that has been specifically developed for the future planning of oil and gas manufacturing and tracking programs. This particular method will be useful in addressing the increasingly risky and exceedingly challenging engineering issues that oil companies face in attempting to efficiently drain difficult reserves particularly in the world's very deep waters., Part 6 - 4-D seismic reservoir simulation Oil companies face many production risks. The engineering technologies that are currently used (primarily 2-D map and graph based) allow discovery of production [...]

Seismic analysis using 4-D and inversion techniques have detected bypassed hydrocarbons in supposedly exhausted wells. This finding, which can be independently confirmed utilizing low-cost reservoir simulation methods, recreates the drainage patterns of reservoir fluids during production. Reservoir simulation techniques can also be used to assess the financial requirements of future production., Part 5 - Reservoir simulation as a tool to validate and constrain 4-D seismic analysis The ultimate way to validate the interpretation of 4-D seismic analysis and inversion described previously [...]

The combination of reservoir characterization with new 4-D inversion technologies can be applied to get higher economic recovery rates. This is attributed to reservoir petrophysical properties, such as lithology, porosity, pore pressure and permeability, which control hydrocarbon production. Integration of 4-D seismic data with well logs, pressures and production histories can provide quantitative estimate of remaining reserves., 4-D differences between seismic amplitudes derived from multiple vintages of 3-D seismic reflection surveys can be used to identify hydrocarbon migration and drainage pathways in oil and gas fields. As [...]

4-D reservoir monitoring can increase earnings during the development of oil and gas reservoirs by tracking and monitoring oil, gas and water drainage patterns over a period of time. Recovery of oil-in-place is predicted to be at 70% at the start of the 21st century. 4-D monitoring results in the better understanding of the true drainage patterns of oil and gas into wells. Previously, in 3-D monitoring, the drainage patterns were thought to be downward liquid flow governed by gravity and upward gas flow towards well perforations., Part 3 - 4-D reservoir monitoring, the business driver 4-D reservoir monitoring is a cost-effective way to expand revenues throughout the development history of reservoirs through tracking and monitoring of [...]

The oil and gas industry is expected to apply 4-D seismic technology to monitor reservoirs in the near future. This trend is attributed to developments in information technology that will change the daily operations of companies. 4-D seismic involves the use of multiple seismic datasets to image changes in reservoirs. It will also allow collaborations among reservoir engineers, geologists and geophysicists in interpreting data., Part 2 - Why 4-D now? The Information Technology revolution has changed the way we do business The concept of using multiple seismic datasets to image changes over time in [...]

4-D seismic monitoring refers to the processing of multiple 3-D seismic surveys taken repeatedly in the same oil or gas field to examine seismic differences caused by the movement of oil, gas and water in reservoirs over time. 4-D seismic monitoring is expected to improve recovery efficiency to 65-75%. 4-D interpretation involved a combination of newly developed 3-D technologies such as reservoir characterization, reservoir simulation and seismic modeling., This first part of a six-part series explains how 4-D was developed, and how any company can take advantage of this new technology. Actual seismic response at various times in [...]

Time-dependent seismic reservoir monitoring is expected to be used more often as an oil production management system. Monitoring of hydrocarbon drainage with 4D time-dependent seismic techniques integrates production and exploration technology. 4D technologies provide total quality control of reservoir development and management while also providing a better understanding of reservoir drainage hydrodynamic processes., Even though more and more of Earth's limited number of petroleum basins have been explored, the increase of newly discovered world oil reserves is barely keeping pace with burgeoning demand [...]

The Global Basins Research Network used time-lapse three-dimensional seismic imaging techniques (4D) during production in an oil field in the Gulf of Mexico. 4D-imaging enabled the researchers to detect small shear faults, which affect reservoir permeability. These faults cannot be detected using three-dimensional surveys. Techniques for analyzing 4D-images are discussed., This is the second part of an article about the use of time-lapse 3D seismic data (4D) to analyze changes in reservoir status during production of giant Eugene Island Block [...]

The use of 4D seismic monitoring in petroleum field development operations can help identify pressure compartmentalization and drainage dynamics, and it can help improve the management of a particular field. The technology involves analyzing high amplitude regions resulting from successive three-dimensional seismic surveys. An example of the technology in use is given., 3D seismic technologies have progressed to the point that new reservoir production and engineering applications are being discovered yearly. In particular, 4D, or time-lapse, seismic monitoring offers the possibility that [...]

The Global Basins Research Network conducted tests which successfully showed that oil and gas could be produced from fault zones which are secondary migration pathways. Pennzoil Exploration and Production Co's 'Pathfinder' well was extended into a growth fault believed to be connected to the Eugene Island South Addition reservoirs off the shore of Louisiana. Oil and gas identical to that in the producing reservoirs was found, but they did not flow at economically viable rates. Geological stresses, however, could provide enough pressure to aid in the extraction of the oil and gas through different techniques., To test the hypothesis that oil and gas can be produced from a fault zone actively involved in secondary migration, we extended the 'Pathfinder' well, drilled by Pennzoil Exploration & [...]

High temperatures occur on top of salt diapirs, and low temperatures in the sediment below. This effect is caused by thermal transfer anomalies in the salt structures. These temperature changes affect the maturation of organic matter. The levels of maturation can be modeled using a diffusion equation to estimate vitrinite reflectance. Also, a hypothetical basin in the Santos region of Brazil was used to include time factors in the model of geochemical changes., The thermal positive anomaly associated with the top of salt diapirs has attracted significant attention in modifying the temperature structure and history of a sedimentary basin. Here we will explore [...]

A new play concept, that of the production well that taps into oil migration pathways instead of pools, promises to book 20 billion bbl of new reserves in the Gulf of Mexico. This new concept is the focus of the Global Basins Research Network's dynamic enhanced recovery technologies project. The Internet organization uses merged 4-D datasets of seismic, geophysical and geochemical databases to model migration streams. This technique has been successfully demonstrated in the Gulf's Eugene Island 330 field., It is the mission of the world's oil industry to provide sufficient supplies to keep the engine of international commerce operating far into the next century. To date the technologies [...]

The search for hydrocarbons has been one of the costliest enterprises of the 20th Century, yet there is still no sure-fire method for accurately predicting the specific location of oil [...]

Deepwater well and seismic data from the Gulf of Mexico indicate the area has good petroleum potential, according to papers presented at the annual convention of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists. Information presented at the conference include descriptions of the salt and sand structures and the widespread hydrocarbon source rocks., Extraordinary, multi-company data on the geology, geophysics, biology, and hydrocarbon habitat of the deepwater Gulf of Mexico were disclosed last month at the American Association of Petroleum Geologists annual convention [...]