Advanced Surveillance Technique for Multi-Phase Sweep Efficiency Monitoring

Abstract

With maturing oil fields there is an increasing focus on improving the oil recovery factor and pushing the envelope toward a 70% target. This target is indeed very challenging and depends on a number of factors including enhanced oil recovery (EOR) methods, reservoir heterogeneities, displacement efficiency, and reservoir sweep. Other factors also play a role including vertical sweep due to flow behind the casing, well integrity issues, presence of conductive faults, or fractures. Proper surveillance performed to evaluate the injectant plume front, reservoir conformance, well connectivity, assessment of the integrity of wells, and other factors can be crucial for the success of the project and its future development. The paper discusses special downhole logging techniques including a set of conventional multiphase sensors alongside high precision temperature (HPT) and high-definition spectral noise logging (SNL-HD). It was run to provide complete assessment of the injection – production distribution and any associated well integrity issues that might impair the lateral sweep of injectants into the target layer. This will be done for an injector and producer pair near the wellbore area. The operation was carried out with a tool string that contained no mechanical parts and was not affected by downhole fluid properties. It was conducted under flowing and shut-in conditions to identify flow zones and check fracture signatures. It also provided multiphase fluid velocity profiles. The results of the survey allowed for in-depth assessment of borehole and behind casing flow, confirming lateral continuity, and provided an assessment of production-injection outside the pay zone. Results will allow for better well planning and anticipation of possible loss of well integrity that might impair production in the future. Combining the behind casing flow assessment with borehole multiphase flow distribution can be used for production optimization by sealing unwanted water contributing zones.