Horizontal Wells To Minimise High Water Production in Zeltenoil Field

Horizontal Wells to Minimize High Water
Production In Zelten oil Field
Prepared By: Mr. Ashraff Elbadri

Petroleum Engineer Specialist
Sirte Oil Company, Sep. 2019
Outlines
ØIntroduction
ØHigh Water Cut In Horizontal Wells
ØEvaluating Horizontal Wells
ØOpportunity to Revive Dead Horizontal Wells
ØICD Completion in Horizontal Wells
ØConclusion
Introduction
q Zelten oilfield, one of the major oilfields, is located in Sirte basin in Libya.
It's a limestone reservoir with pressure support from the underlying
water aquifer.
q The peak oil production from this field was around 1 million bopd in year
1968 which has gradually declined significantly in the last 50 years due to
a strong water influx.
q The field has some 272 wells completed mostly open hole; all the wells in
the main pay zone except 17 horizontal wells are vertical.
q For the wells currently on production, the water-oil ratio ranges from
0.58 to 7.74 with an average water cut of 76%.
q The strong water influx in the wells has been responsible in reducing the
oil production.
q The current maximum water-oil ratio (WOR) in the field is 7.74; that
means for every bbls of oil produced, 7.74 bbls of the water is being
produced.
Zelten Oil Field in Libya
High Water Cut In Horizontal Wells
q Seventeen (17) horizontal wells have been drilled in the main pay in
year 1994 to 2001 in Zelten field.
q The horizontal well started with the average oil rate of 663 bopd
(256-1413 bopd range) with the average water cut of 31% (0-83%
range) and water-oil ratio of 0.9 (0-5.2 range).
q In the average of 11.2 years of production history, the oil rate

declined to the average of 88 bopd (0-530 range) with the water cut
increased to the average of 77% (14-98%) and WOR increased to 9.5
(0.2-49.0 range).
q The average oil recovery per year per well of the horizontal wells
has been 113 MSTB with the range of 65-208 MSTB.
q Currently, ten (10) or 59% of the horizontal wells are shut-in due to
the high water cut.
q The 17 horizontal wells drilled in the main pay zone have not been
successful in reducing the water reduction.
q However, the geosteering and LWD systems were not available at

that time so the trajectories of the horizontal sections could not be
controlled to stay in the hydrocarbon zones.
q The plan is to drill in the existing horizontal wells, the new

horizontal legs utilizing the geosteering and LWD systems.
q Moreover, ICD completions will be run in the horizontal wells in order
to selectively shut off the watered out zones in the horizontal
sections.
q The ICD completions provide a mechanism to control/shut off the

water production when the sections of the horizontal leg are watered
out with time.
q In a pilot project in one of Zelten horizontal wells, ICD completion will

be run to divide the horizontal leg into five segments by using 4 open
hole packers and 15 ICDs . Each of the five segment will have the
completion equipment to shut off the zone if and when it becomes
watered out in the future.
The following is a graphical representation of the of the poorest performer horizontal well in the field
Evaluating Horizontal Wells
q Judging by the increase in the water cut and WOR, the
horizontal wells drilled have not been successful in reducing
the water production.
q One of the main benefits of the horizontal wells is

considered to be the lower pressure drawdown and hence
lower water production and longer producing life.
q But in the case of the horizontal wells in the main pay in

Zelten field, neither of the benefits materialized.
Wells
q All the horizontal wells except C-318H were drilled without
MWD/LWD due to the non-availability of these technologies in
Libya at the time of drilling.
q Without the MWD/LWD, it was not possible to keep the trajectories
confined in the hydrocarbon zones and, consequently, some
sections of the horizontal legs ended up presumably in the watered
out zones contributing to the high water production.
q The MWD/LWD technologies are currently available in Libya.
Therefore, the new horizontal legs could be drilled in the existing
wellbore of the shut-in horizontal wells.
q By keeping the trajectories in the hydrocarbon zones by utilizing the
MWD/LWD technologies, it is expected to reduce the water cut and
thus bring the shut-in wells back to production.
The following is a graphical representation of the of the C318H performer horizontal well in the field
ICD Completion in Horizontal Wells
Schlumberger ICD, Inflow Control Device, completions will be used to selectively shut
of the watered out zones in the horizontal leg. The following explains the challenges
faced when during the course of the production life of horizontal well, the sections
become watered out and what are the objectives of remedying the problem.
The ICD completions provide a mechanism to control/shut off the water production when the
sections of the horizontal leg are watered out with time.
With the help of the geosteering/LWD, the horizontal leg will have the trajectories confined
to the hydrocarbon zones, and the ICD completions will provide the capability of selectively
shutting off the watered out sections. The utilization of these techniques will help improve
the production performance of the current and future horizontal wells in Zelten field.
Conclusion
q The major reason for the poor production performance of the
horizontal well is attributed to the fact that the geosteering
and LWD systems were not available at that time so the
trajectories of the horizontal sections could not be controlled
to stay in the hydrocarbon zones.
q In future, in the existing horizontal wells, the new horizontal
legs will be drilled utilizing the geosteering and LWD systems in
order to ensure that the horizontal sections stay in the
hydrocarbon zone.
q However, a mechanism (ICD) will also be required to selectively
isolate the sections of the horizontal leg which could water out
with time.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR
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Horizontal Wells To Minimise High Water Production in Zeltenoil Field

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Horizontal Wells to Minimize High Water

Production In Zelten oil Field

Prepared By: Mr. Ashraff Elbadri

q In the average of 11.2 years of production history, the oil rate

q However, the geosteering and LWD systems were not available at

q The plan is to drill in the existing horizontal wells, the new

q The ICD completions provide a mechanism to control/shut off the

q In a pilot project in one of Zelten horizontal wells, ICD completion will

q One of the main benefits of the horizontal wells is

q But in the case of the horizontal wells in the main pay in

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