March 2000 Vol. 221 No. 3  Production

Perry A. Fischer,  Engineering Editor

Testing downhole without producing

A new project will examine the feasibility of well testing without producing to surface. Schlumberger Oilfield Services will be the principal researcher for an industry consortium that includes BP Amoco, Conoco and Norsk Hydro. A development program is likely depending on the study results.

The study will try to determine the hardware required to circulate well fluids through a downhole testing system. If successful, the technology would enhance safety, eliminate flaring, transportation and disposal of collected fluids. Overall, there would be less impact on the environment.

Such a system would have to acquire pressure and flowrate data downhole rather than at the surface. Together with PVT-quality samples, this approach would acquire the necessary information to measure performance of both the well and the reservoir – thus improving reservoir characterization.

Better sand control. BP Amoco, together with its partners, has created a new sand-control technique, according to a report by the London Press Service. The technique, called alternate path technology (APT), is being tested on Well A-13 in the Chirag reservoir offshore Azerbaijan. BP Amoco says that results have been "wonderful" and have led to a Caspian Sea drilling record.

BP Amoco completions engineer Geoff Kernick explained that sand production has always been a problem, but especially so in Chirag. "Its structure is relatively weak and results in two major issues: higher sand production in the crude and lower borehole stability. Starting from Well A-2, the drilling specialist had been trying to minimize or even to eliminate the sand and fines inflow.

"We tried using the same sand-control technology as used in different parts of the world, but it did not work here exactly as expected because of the different type of formation. Although the wells that we had completed using conventional sand-control technology are good oil producers with low sand content, we knew we could do better." Unfortunately, details of the technique have not yet been released.

The new Caspian record was set drilling Chirag’s A-14 directional well. This is a production well with a total depth of 17,682 ft and a record departure distance of 12,769 ft from the offshore platform.

Ceramic scale inhibitor. A new downhole chemical-delivery system has been developed by England-based AEA Technology. Called Chemflow, the system comprises ceramic beads impregnated with scale-inhibiting chemicals that are released very slowly.

The new technology prevents buildup of many common, expensive and problematic deposits such as sulfate and carbonate scales in oil wells and pipelines. The company offers a range of scale-inhibiting chemistries that can be delivered by the new system.

Coalbed activity soars. With 46.1 MMcfd in production, and 468 gross wells drilled and operated by the company in 1999, Pennaco is one of the most active operators in the Powder River coalbed methane play. As of early February, 273 wells had been put online, with about 40 of these in various stages of dewatering. This year, another 221 previously drilled wells will be hooked up. Since beginning operations in November 1998, the company has drilled 642 gross wells in the area.

Other major players in this developing play are Western Gas Resources and Barrett Resources. The Wyoming State Oil and Gas Compact Commission reports that about 6,200 coalbed well permits have been applied for since Jan. 1, 1999.

Cerro Negro first oil. ExxonMobil’s Venezuelan subsidiary has begun production from Cerro Negro field in Venezuela’s Orinoco Belt. Initial rate is 60,000 bpd of extra-heavy crude. The crude is being blended with condensate to allow it to flow through the 180-mi pipeline to the Jose Industrial Complex on the country’s NE coast.

On completion of a new coker unit at Jose in 2001, production will increase to 120,000 bpd. Ultimate yield is expected to be 1.5 billion bbl over 35 years. ExxonMobil’s Cerro Negro partners are state firm PDVSA and Veba Oel AG of Germany.

Two other Orinoco heavy-crude projects are the Petrozuata JV with Conoco and PDVSA, and the Hamaca, which involves Texaco, Phillips and PDVSA. Petrozuata is currently producing about 90,000 bpd of 8–10°API crude.

Another GTL entry. Conoco has joined with Howe-Baker Engineers of Texas for design of a pilot plant that will use Conoco’s proprietary Gas-to-Liquids (GTL) process. Conoco believes that it will eventually be able to economically convert natural gas reserves – currently stranded in remote regions – into liquid products that are easily transported to the marketplace. Jim Rockwell, Conoco’s GTL manager, said, "The next step is to further demonstrate this technology in a larger pilot plant, and we are confident that Howe-Baker has the experience to help us design and construct the scaled-up facilities."

Browne gets Prince Philip. Chief Executive of BP Amoco, Sir John Browne, has been awarded the Prince Philip Medal of Britain’s Royal Academy of Engineering. The award honors the greatest engineering advances and is open to all nationalities. Only six people have ever received it.

The solid gold medal is awarded by the London-based academy and not on an annual basis. The award recognized Sir John’s early technological achievements and his outstanding management skills in creating BP Amoco, now the UK’s largest quoted company.

More specifically, the academy mentions Browne’s contribution to reservoir-assessment methods made in his early days in Alaska. It further describes his technical contributions to oilfield developments in the Gulf of Mexico and the North Sea. Creative solutions to engineering problems relating to oil, water and gas flow through reservoirs, and the creation of large-scale reservoir simulations are also mentioned.

The only other winner in the oil and gas industry was Sir Denis Rooke in 1992. He managed the UK’s shift to natural gas and was responsible for LNG development in the 1960s.

Comments? Write: fischerp@gulfpub.com

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