Mature fields, often referred to as brownfields, are defined as

fields in a state of declining production or reaching the end of

their productive lives. Recent studies estimate that hydrocarbon
production from mature fields will account for more than one-
half of the global energy mix for the next 20 years, and probably
much longer. It is imperative that industry address important
issues related to development of mature fields and continue to
develop new technologies that will facilitate those developments.
Key issues in revitalization of mature fields include integrated reservoir manage-
ment, identifying bypassed oil, well-intervention management, production sta-
bilization and enhancement (i.e., stimulation), artificial lift, enhanced oil recov-
ery (EOR), water control, gas-well-liquid removal, infill drilling, accessibility of
unconventional reserves from existing facilities and wellbores, sustained casing
pressure and its mitigation, and facilities upgrades and life extensions.
Revitalization of mature fields embraces multiple objectives, especially maxi-
mizing production while minimizing capital expense and reducing the inevi-
table decline rate while minimizing operating expense. The collective approach
to meet these objectives is application of practical and focused engineering and
geology tied with the introduction of new technology.
Although application of new technologies may play a key role in the successful
revitalization of mature fields, there is general reluctance to apply new technol-
ogies because of cost concerns. In fact, many mature fields are being operated
with technology put in place when the field was developed originally, and these
fields may be performing below their real capacity.
Papers selected for this months feature are aligned with some of the afore-
mentioned key issues, such as integrated reservoir management, production
enhancement, and EOR. In addition, papers dealing with project management,
surface facilities, and application of workflow in mature fields are included
under additional reading. I hope that in the coming year there will be papers
addressing other key issues in revitalization of mature fluids.
Syed A. Ali, SPE, is a consultant with Schlumberger. He recently retired from
Chevron Energy Technology Company as a Chevron Fellow after 31 years of ser-
vice. Ali was the recipient of the 2006 SPE Production and Operations Award. An
SPE Distinguished Member, he earned a BS degree from the University of Karachi
in Pakistan, MS degrees from the University of Karachi and Ohio State University,
and a PhD degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. An SPE Distinguished
Lecturer during 200405, Ali served as chairperson for the 2006 SPE Applied
Technology Workshop on Deepwater Completions. He served as the Executive
Editor of SPEPO from 2004 to 2006 and currently serves on the following SPE
committees: TIG Coordinating Committee, Publications Coordinating Committee,
Well Completions Subcommittee, Well Operations Subcommittee, JPT Editorial
Committee, Production and Operations Award Committee, and Production and
Operations Advisory Committee.
OVERVIEW
MATURE FIELD REVITALIZATION
Mature Field Revitalization
additional reading
available at the
SPE eLibrary: www.spe.org
SPE 102123
Russian Mature-Fields
Redevelopment by Miljenko
Cimic, SPE, TNK-BP
Management
SPE 106278
Application of a
Multidisciplinary Workflow
in a Mature Oil Field, Mann
Field, Myanmar by J.L.
Miskimins, Colorado School
of Mines, et al.
SPE 107740
Surface-Facilities
Development for Mature
Fields by Rafael Morales,
Petrobras, et al.
56 JPT JANUARY 2008
JPT
With the increasing demand for hydro-
carbons, many companies are focus-
ing their efforts on maximizing recovery
from mature fields. The full-length paper
describes the implementation and results
of an integrated reservoir-management
strategy that revitalized a field that pre-
viously was considered to be marginal
and currently is one of the main assets
of the company.
Introduction
Yarigui-Cantagallo field is in the Middle
Magdalena River basin in Colombia, 180
miles northwest of Bogota, below the
Magdalena River. The structure is a fault-
ed monocline, with dips varying from
9 to 50. Structural features have been
identified on the basis of pressure, fluid
contacts, and production performance
because seismic information is sparse.
There are five compartments or Blocks,
1 through 5, where Block 5 accounts
for 80% of original oil in place (OOIP).
Oil production is from Tertiary fluvi-
al stacked channel sands, divided into
three reservoirs: B sands, C sands, and
Cantagallo sands. The sands are poorly
sorted, friable, and interbedded with
shales. Oil is 20API, asphaltenic, and
viscous (20 cp at reservoir temperature,
140F). The main reservoir is Cantagallo
sands, with a 600- to 1,000-ft oil column.
Drive mechanism in Blocks 1 through 3
is gas expansion; Block 4 has a strong
waterdrive; Block 5 has a combination of
gravity drainage, partial waterdrive, and
expansion of a secondary gas cap.
The field was discovered in 1942
and reached the production peak of
20,400 BOPD in 1962. Ecopetrol has
operated the field since 1974. The
field had been developed in three drill-
ing programs: 19431949 (12 wells),
19531962 (40 wells), and 19761983
(28 wells). As a consequence of the
poor results obtained in several wells
from the last program, no new wells
have been drilled, and the field was
classified as a marginal asset. In 1999,
production declined to 5,000 BOPD,
with a 35% water cut.
Identifying Opportunities
Several facts indicated a large poten-
tial for additional field development
and optimization.
OOIP in Yarigui-Cantagallo field
had been estimated at approximately
750 million STB before Ecopetrol opera-
tion. In 1999, the cumulative produc-
tion was 155 million STB, equivalent
to a 20.7% recovery factor for the field.
Despite the favorable combination of
drive mechanisms, the recovery factor
was low considering the intensive drill-
ing and exploitation strategy (80 wells).
Most of the wells in the field were
completed only in Cantagallo sands
because the other two reservoirs, more
friable, had a history of sand production.
Gas production from some wells
high on the structure led to the inferance
of a secondary gas cap, and important
portions of the field were not drilled to
avoid undesirable gas production.
The majority of wells in the field
showed a low decline rate, 2 to 3% per
year. Moreover, some wells increased
their production over time with no inter-
ventions.
Cantagallo-sands pressure had
depleted dramatically in Block 5 from
3,200 psi originally to 1,000 to 1,800 psi.
An integrated reservoir study was
conducted to build/update structural,
petrophysical, and dynamic models to
update OOIP estimates and to deter-
This article, written by Assistant Technology
Editor Karen Bybee, contains highlights of
paper SPE 107885, Integrated Reservoir
Management Enhances the Recovery in a
Mature Field, by L.E. Prez, SPE, J.G.
Gonzalez, V. Gmez, M.E. Lozano,
L.E. Sarmiento, SPE, and J.A. Vargas,
SPE, Ecopetrol S.A., prepared for the
2007 SPE Latin American and Caribbean
Petroleum Engineering Conference,
Buenos Aires, 1518 April.
Integrated Reservoir Mangement Enhances
Recovery in a Mature Field
MATURE FIELD REVITALIZATION
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
0
3,000
6,000
9,000
12,000
15,000
0
3,000
6,000
9,000
12,000
15,000
DATE
Water Primary-Prodution Rate, B/D
Axis 2
Gas Primary-Production Rate, Mcf/D
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
0.0
7.5
15.0
22.5
30.0
37.5
0
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
Axis 1
Water Cut Monthly, %
Axis 2
Gas/Oil Ratio Monthly, ft
3
/bbl
Oil Primary-Production Rate, B/D
Axis 1
Fig. 1Field production history.
For a limited time, the full-length paper is available free to SPE members at www.spe.org/jpt. The paper has not been peer reviewed.
JPT JANUARY 2008 57
58 JPT JANUARY 2008
mine strategies to maximize recovery
and asset value.
The study focused on four key aspects.
As in many old fields, information was
abundant but scattered and unorganized.
Much work was done to find, evalu-
ate, and organize the data. This process
allowed much useful information that
previously had been ignored to be iden-
tified, as well as identifying the need
for new information. For example, core
information was identified as a priority
because only two wells in the field had
been cored.
Because of investment limitations, it
was imperative to maximize the use of
available data. Application of new tech-
nologies and tools, such as geostatistic
modeling, was a milestone.
Production and development strategies
for the field came from the experience
of the previous operator. In many cases,
these strategies were not re-evaluated in
terms of current field performance or
new technologies available. A fresh, new
vision about the way to produce the field
was proposed in the study, which con-
tradicted old practices in several aspects.
Early isolation of water production and
avoiding commingled production of the
three reservoirs are examples of the oper-
ating practices that were re-evaluated.
Operational limitations and previous
poor results were a negative heritage for
the field. To restore confidence in the
project, it was necessary to show signifi-
cant results in a short time. On the basis
of that premise, strategies were planned
to be implemented progressively.
Study recommendations involved
the following strategies. A potential of
10 million STB of reserves was identi-
fied to be developed by perforating a
total of 11,400 ft in B, C, and Cantagallo
sands. To control sand production, a
change in perforation density from 4 to
12 shots/ft was proposed.
A change to electrical submersible
pumps (ESPs) was recommended com-
bined with an improvement in water-
production management.
A total of six infill wells was proposed,
with the primary objective in Cantagallo
sands. Two of the six wells were located
in the highest part of the structure.
Besides the pressure decline observed in
Block 5, the low recovery factor obtained
from new OOIP calculations triggered the
need for implementation of a waterflood
pilot to determine the feasibility of a field-
scale project. The pilot was proposed for
the north sector of Block 5.
Results
From 1998 to 2001, four wells were perfo-
rated in B and C sands, and an incremental
production of 200 BOPD and a 1.1-mil-
lion-STB growth in oil reserves resulted.
Those operations were performed as part
of the field expense budget.
The results of these first operations
supported the allocation of an invest-
ment budget, beginning in 2002, for the
remaining operations proposed in the
study. As of December 2006, the follow-
ing are the main results.
Perforating. After a detailed review,
only 2,975 ft were considered feasible
to be perforated in 36 wells. During
20022003, 1,630 ft was perforated in
19 wells. Incremental production was
1,400 BOPD, and 5.7 million STB of
reserves was incorporated.
Hydraulic Fracturing. After perfora-
tion of B and C sands, several wells
showed sand production, despite
the change in perforation density.
Hydraulic fracturing was implemented
as an alternative to minimize sand
production and to increase oil produc-
tion. Six wells have been fractured in
C sands, two in B sands, and one in
Cantagallo sands. Significant produc-
tion increments, ranging from 50 to
200 BOPD, were achieved in seven of
nine wells.
Artificial-Lift Optimization. ESPs have
been installed in 13 wells, mainly in
Blocks 4 and 5, increasing lift capacity by
more than 2,000 BFPD. Wells with ESPs
account for 50% of oil and total-fluids
production. Relocation of pumping units
and tubing pumps also has contributed to
increased production levels.
Infill Drilling. During 2003, the six
infill wells proposed were drilled, and
one well was cored in C and Cantagallo
sands. A total of 7.8 million STB of oil
reserves was developed. Initial pro-
duction from the wells ranged from
200 to 700 BOPD, with water cuts less
than 5%. On the basis of those results,
and subsequent studies, 17 additional
infill wells and one appraisal well have
been drilled. Additional infill wells
have incorporated 21 million STB,
while the appraisal well has incorpo-
rated 0.7 million STB of nonproved
reserves, and these wells have allowed
identification of an additional poten-
tial in Cantagallo sands in Block 1,
where that reservoir was considered
dry. Another significant contribution
of the drilling project is data acquisi-
tion, mainly through logs and cores.
Waterflood Pilot. Several internal dis-
cussions and external consulting led to
relocation of the waterflood pilot in the
central zone of Block 5. Rock and fluid
tests have been conducted to determine
injection-water quality as well as the
treatment required.
Models Updating and Reservoir
Simulation. In 2005, static and
dynamic models were updated with
new well information and production
history. A petrophysical model was
rebuilt with the new core information.
As a result, new infill-drilling oppor-
tunities were identified. A simulation
model was built for Cantagallo sands
in Block 5, to provide an additional
tool for reservoir management and to
assist production forecasting and drill-
ing/waterflood optimization.
Expectations and Challenges
Today, Yarigui-Cantagallo is one of the
five main assets of the company, with an
important investment budget for 2007.
Current production is 11,500 BOPD
after reaching 13,000 BOPD in April
2006 (Fig. 1).
Activities for 2007 include seven
infill wells, two appraisal wells (Blocks
1 and 3), acquisition of 3D seismic,
implementation of a waterflood pilot
in central and south sectors of Block 5
including drilling four injector wells,
hydraulic fracturing, and facilities con-
struction/optimization. Data will be
acquired, studies will be performed,
and dynamic models will be built for
B and C sands. The Cantagallo-sands
model will be updated.
Other technologies currently being
implemented, or to be applied in the
near future, are stimulations to remove
organic deposits and scale and intelli-
gent completions for commingled pro-
duction of B, C, and Cantagallo sands.
Even with the positive results, there
are many challenges for the field. Sand
production continues as one of the main
causes of failure in pumping wells. Early
water production in high-potential wells
also is a problem, and an optimal pro-
duction rate must be determined to
minimize water-coning effects. Integrity
of old wells will be an issue during
waterflood implementation. JPT
059_BJ_jpt.qxd 12/17/07 6:59 Page 21
60 JPT JANUARY 2008
The Betty oil field was discovered in
1968 and has produced since 1978.
With the objective of rejuvenating the
asset, a multidisciplinary optimization
team was built. The standard practices
to evaluate production-enhancement
opportunities include logging, nodal
analysis, and well-engineering tech-
nologies. Usually, the older the field,
the more challenging it is to achieve
additional reserves. The full-length
paper outlines an integrated approach
for achieving these objectives, reduc-
ing the risk associated with the various
enhancement alternatives.
Introduction
Brownfields have been defined as mature
fields with declining production or at the
end of their productive lives. Such fields
contain resources that are needed by the
countries they belong to and by the world
economy. These brownfields generally
are more than 30 years old and account
for 67 to 72% of world production.
The Betty field was discovered in
1968 by the Betty-1 well, 25 miles
offshore from Lutong, Malaysia, in the
Baram Delta. A 24-slot drilling platform
was installed in 1978, from which nine
development wells were drilled. Two
other structures house the separation
facilities and a flare boom.
Three revisit campaigns were con-
ducted on the Betty field. The first, in
1984, drilled five additional wells. The
second campaign, in 1988, drilled 10
additional wells and worked over two
existing wells. The third revisit was in
1994, to sidetrack four wells. There are
eight reservoirs that have been targeted
and produced. All of the wells are dual-
string completions with two or more
perforated intervals.
With the objective of rejuvenating the
field, Petronas Carigali and Schlumberger
joined forces to improve recovery from
this mature field. A multidisciplinary
team was assembled, and the collective
approach to meet this objective focused
on engineering and geology. Production
enhancement involves several tech-
niques to improve well performance,
such as fracturing, acidizing, perforat-
ing, and artificial lift. The way to achieve
the maximum productivity of a well is
determined by the quality and quantity
of data for that well.
Because field-development plans
involve multiple objectives, the full-
length paper details the well-engineering
part, focusing on production-enhance-
ment strategies. Determination of the
estimated ultimate recovery (EUR) and
the location of these reserves used both
numerical simulation and nodal analy-
sis, which are key to this integrated
approach. The integrated approach was
used to reduce uncertainties and risks
associated with proposed activities.
Betty Field Approach
A production-enhancement study was
conducted as part of the field-develop-
ment plan. The objective of this work
was to verify well performance and
identify underperforming wells. A clas-
sical approach of log interpretation,
production-data evaluation, and nodal
analysis was used to evaluate inflow
and outflow performance of each well.
Nodal analysis combines the ability of
the reservoir to deliver fluid and the
vertical-lift performance of the well;
thus, it gives an estimate of well deliver-
ability. Well performances were cross
checked with the reservoir-simulation
model. Reservoir models were gener-
ated by use of numerical-simulation
software. All new technology to be
implemented was checked against this
approach, trying to find the best EUR
possible for each alternative.
In general, it is important to find
opportunities for production enhance-
This article, written by Assistant Technology
Editor Karen Bybee, contains highlights
of paper SPE 101491, An Approach for
Production-Enhancement Opportunities
in a Brownfield Redevelopment Plan, by
Antonio Cuauro, SPE, Schlumberger;
Mohd Izat Ali, SPE, and Maharon
Bin Jadid, SPE, Petronas Carigali Sdn.
Bhd.; and Ekrem Kasap, SPE, (now
with Shell E&P) and Torsten Friedel,
SPE, Schlumberger, prepared for the
2006 SPE Russian Oil and Gas Technical
Conference and Exhibition, Moscow,
36 October.
Production Enhancement in a Brownfield Redevelopment Plan
MATURE FIELD REVITALIZATION
(Y7.0)
Western
(Y7.0)
Infill Well
(Y7.0)
Well B-9
(Y7.0)
Western
Boundary
3D-Seismic Area
Fig. 1Well location in Reservoir B7.
For a limited time, the full-length paper is available free to SPE members at www.spe.org/jpt. The paper has not been peer reviewed.
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61
62 JPT JANUARY 2008
ment without bearing any major capital
expense. As a result, a screening process
was carried out to identify the pos-
sible well candidates for commingled
production. Well B-1 was considered
to be the best candidate for commin-
gled production to revive the B5 sand
through the short string. Well B-1 was
producing approximately 2 MMscf/D of
high-pressure gas and can provide gas
to help revive the B5 sand by means of
natural gas lift.
Results
Increasing the choke size in three wells
resulted in 800 BOPD, with only a
7% water-cut increase. Also, an addi-
tional 3 MMscf/D of gas was delivered
to a neighboring field, representing
an 800-BOPD increment in that field
because more lift gas was available.
Commingled Production. A screen-
ing process was adopted to identify
possible candidates for commingled
production from the Betty producing
reservoirs using existing well stock.
This included screening the existing
completions for well performance
using nodal-analysis models, as well as
evaluating the performance predictions
using numerical simulation models to
validate the scenarios. Four scenarios
were proved viable for commingled
production. However, the scenario for
Well B-1 was the only scenario that
could be validated with the numerical
simulation model.
A commingled-production scenario
was investigated for Well B-1, cur-
rently producing from the B3 reser-
voir through the long string. Nodal
analysis was performed to see the effect
of commingled production with the
B5 reservoir. The objective was to
revive the production from the B5
reservoir through the long string of
Well B-1. For the Well B-1:B3 comple-
tion, the last nodal analysis matched
using the Ansari correlation and a
0.4-bbl/D/psi productivity index (PI)
with a 25,000-scf/STB gas/oil ratio
(GOR) in 2005. The Well B-1:B3
completion was tested in February
2005 at 12 BOPD, 41% water cut, and
70-Mscf/STB GOR. There were consid-
erable fluctuations in the test results
for this well, probably a result of the
relatively low flow rates for 3
1
/2-in.
tubing. New nodal analysis indicated
that Ansari remains the best fitting cor-
relation, even with this GOR.
The Well B-1:B5 completion was
tested on 30 June 2004 at 284 BOPD,
41% water cut, and 760 scf/STB GOR.
A gas lift quantity of 246 Mscf/D was
required to kick off the well. In 2005,
there was another attempt to pro-
duce the B5 reservoir, but the well
was dead, and no lift gas was injected
for kickoff. Nodal analysis with the
Hagedorn and Brown correlation is the
best fit for outflow performance, and a
0.9-STB/D/psi PI matches the inflow
performance for this test. Finally, a
nodal-analysis case was run commin-
gling the B3 and B5 reservoirs, and the
results showed 605-BOPD incremental
production by commingling the B3 and
B5 reservoirs through the Well B-1 long
string. However, the well cannot deliver
this rate in the high-pressure mode. As
a result, the well has to be diverted to
a low-pressure separator, and there is a
significant loss of high-pressure gas.
The numerical simulation model for
B reservoirs (B3/B5/B7) was used to
validate the findings of the reservoir-
engineering model. The currently pro-
ducing long string of Well B-1:B3 was
commingled to revive the B5 reservoir
on 1 June 2005. The tubinghead-pres-
sure (THP) target of 800 psi was used
for the commingled string. Performance
of the new commingled string was pre-
dicted, and the results indicate a 300- to
400-BOPD incremental oil production
by using approximately 0.5-MMscf/D
of gas from the Well B-1:B3 comple-
tion. Therefore, in this case, B5 reser-
voir can be revived using B3 as a source
of natural gas lift.
Additional Perforations. A variety of
options was considered using numeri-
cal simulation to assess the effect of
adding perforations to wellbores in
the C1 reservoir. The prediction runs
were on THP control at a minimum
of 800 psi because this reservoir is the
main lift-gas source for the neighbor-
ing field.
The main problem is the effect of
adding perforations in Well B-3 on the
overall performance of the other wells
in the C1 reservoir (specifically Well
B-9). Well B-9 is the best high-pressure
gas producer in the field and the major
lift-gas supply to the neighboring field.
Well B-9 was producing approximately
14 MMscf/D of high-pressure gas and
370 BOPD, with a 63% water cut, by
2005. In the three cases examined, the
production performance of Well B-9
will be jeopardized and the well pro-
duction will cease in July 2005.
Well B-6. Well B-6 was completed
in B3 reservoir (short string) and A7
reservoir (long string). Well B-6 has
had several tests in the last 5 years, all
of which have shown very high water
cuts and negligible oil rates. The case
discussed here is to shut off A7 reser-
voir and perforate A6.5 sands. From
the operational point of view, it can be
done in the Well B-6:A7 completion,
with access through the long string. The
additional contribution to the ultimate
recovery would be 0.89 million STBO.
The peak oil-production rates for addi-
tional perforations in B6.5 reservoirs
varied from 1,000 to 3,800 BOPD. Three
wells have produced commingled from
the B6.5 and B7.0 sands. A simulation
case was run to determine the effect
of adding perforations to Well B-6 on
production of Well B-8 producing from
the B7 reservoir, which is one of the
best wells in the Betty field. Controlling
the production from B-6 at 500 BOPD
will keep the same EUR for B-8 over the
same period of time. The change in pro-
duction is not sufficiently significant to
indicate that adding perforations in Well
B-6 could jeopardize the performance of
Well B-8. Additionally, the results of this
workover will eliminate the requirement
of an infill well, saving USD 7 million.
Opening Idle Wells. Well B-9 was
drilled to produce the B7 reservoir. As
a result of completion opportunities, a
possibility to produce the A6.5/A7 reser-
voir was found. In the recent field-devel-
opment plan, B7 reservoir remained as a
potential zone for oil production, and
Well B-9 was the best location. Fig. 1
shows the position of Well B-9 in the B7
reservoir in conjunction with the new
infill well. These perforations in Well
B-9 will collect more information for the
new infill well to be drilled later.
Conclusions
After 6 months of implementation
and monitoring, the proposed initia-
tives have achieved an increase in total
oil production of approximately 13%.
USD 14 million has been saved by reduc-
ing the number of infill wells planned
and creating an additional ultimate oil
recovery of 4.98 million STB. In the
future, implementation of all opportuni-
ties will produce sufficient information
for optimizing infill drilling and work-
over campaigns in the Betty field. JPT
The Handil field, discovered in 1974, is
a giant mature oil field in the Mahakam
Delta of Indonesia. Fieldwide produc-
tion declined from 200,000 BOPD in the
late 1970s to 12,500 BOPD in 2003.
An integrated study on the largest gas-
injection reservoir was performed to
assess project performance. An inten-
sive light-workover (LWO) campaign
was launched, and three pilot wells,
each with a different type of comple-
tion, were put on production success-
fully. Infill drilling and optimization of
an enhanced-oil-recovery (EOR) project
also were implemented. Fieldwide pro-
duction increased to 23,000 BOPD.
Introduction
As Fig. 1 shows, the Handil field com-
prises 555 unconnected accumulations
(reservoirs) in structurally stacked and
compartmentalized deltaic sands. The
reservoirs are trapped by the Handil
anticline, which is cut by a major imper-
meable fault dividing the field into two
compartments: north and south.
The reservoirs are between 200 and
3500 m subsea and cover an area 10 km
long by 4 km wide.
Three reservoir characteristics distin-
guish the field.
Shallow zone: This zone is as deep
as 1500 m subsea, with excellent per-
meability ranging from 200 to 2,000 md
and with very strong aquifers that main-
tain the reservoir pressure at initial con-
dition. However, the sands are poorly
consolidated, requiring sand-control
techniques.
Main zone: This zone is between 1500
and 2200 m subsea, with permeability
between 10 and 500 md. Most reservoirs
had initial-gas caps, which have been pre-
served to maintain the reservoir pressure,
especially because the aquifers are not as
strong as those for the shallow reservoirs.
The sands are normally well consoli-
dated; therefore, sand production is not
an issue.
Deep zone: This zone is below
2200 m subsea, contains mostly gas, and
decreases in quality with depth to a per-
meability of several millidarcies.
Production History
To maintain production and reser-
voir pressure, water injection was
started in 1978, which maintained the
160,000 BOPD production until 1985.
Gas lift was introduced in 1979 and was
implemented fieldwide in 1991. Infill
drilling has helped maintain production.
More than 350 wells have been drilled
in the field, with an average spacing of
300 m. In November 1995, a lean-gas-
injection project was initiated in five
reservoirs. The project boosted the pro-
duction of the five large reservoirs and
altered the overall decline rate of the field.
Therefore, the project was extended in
2000 to six other large reservoirs, which
resulted in more than 25% of the field
reserves being under a tertiary-recovery
mechanism. In 2003, field production
had declined to 12,500 BOPD.
Geological Overview
The Handil field is a four-way-dip struc-
ture. Trapping is structural and strati-
graphic. Reservoir quality is good, with
porosity ranging from 5 to 36% and
with permeability values up to several
thousand millidarcies. Because the field
is multilayered, the most continuous and
reliable markers correspond generally to
transgressive shales associated with lig-
nite, organic shale, or limestones.
Geologically, the fluviodeltaic envi-
ronment comprises multilayered sed-
imentary series; therefore, each layer
This article, written by Technology Editor
Dennis Denney, contains highlights of
paper SPE 110882, Reviving the Mature
Handil Field: From Integrated Reservoir
Study to Field Application, by Henricus
Herwin, SPE, Emmanuel Cassou,
SPE, and Hotma Yusuf, SPE, Total
E&P Indonsie, prepared for the 2007
SPE Asia Pacific Oil & Gas Conference
and Exhibition, Jakarta, 30 October1
November.
Reviving the Mature Handil Field:
From Integrated Reservoir Study to Field Application
MATURE FIELD REVITALIZATION
Fig. 1Handil field cross section.
For a limited time, the full-length paper is available free to SPE members at www.spe.org/jpt. The paper has not been peer reviewed.
JPT JANUARY 2008 63
64 JPT JANUARY 2008
can hold different accumulations, often
with different fluid contacts and differ-
ent dynamic behavior. Also, there is the
lack of interpretable seismic data: Only
poor-quality 2D lines are available, and
no 3D data have been acquired because
of numerous coalbeds, which tend to
interfere with and eventually hide any
amplitude effect expected from gas-bear-
ing reservoirs. Therefore, the only usable
data for structures, stratigraphy, and res-
ervoir analysis are the well data.
Dynamic Modeling
Dynamic modeling and material balance
were performed on all reservoirs in the
shallow and main zones. The final prod-
uct was a set of reservoir-monitoring
maps showing production performance
and status of each well, fluid data from
recent logs, and estimated fluid contacts.
The maps also indicated the location
of the remaining oil rim, bypassed oil,
and undrained areas. Log data from
new wells provided valuable information
about the actual fluid status in the wells
and in the region around the wells.
Black-oil reservoir-simulation models
were built for several reservoirs having
high potential and for reservoirs in which
horizontal wells were planned. The mod-
els helped to determine the remaining-oil
area, define the optimum production
strategy, and forecast the production.
Sweet-Spot Mapping
Areas in the Handil oil pool that are
not yet producing and are considered
as potential are called sweet spots.
The work takes into account the stat-
ic data (geological map and log data)
and the dynamic data. The maps from
this work enabled positioning certain
wells that are expected to be good
oil producers.
The sweet-spot maps are used to devel-
op the grid parameter and visualize the
field in 3D by filtering on a numeric code
(0 for likely nonproductive, 1 for pos-
sibly productive, or 2 for likely produc-
tive). Thereby, preliminary trajectories
were proposed to target future wells. The
choice of a final well trajectory requires
meeting three major constraints.
Choose the main geological targets
in the Handil oil pool (this study pro-
vided the best possible solution for a
vertical section through the Handil oil
pool), and each well must have optimum
multitargets.
Select one or more possible well-
heads with appropriate pipelines.
Check drilling feasibility (well depar-
ture of the trajectory and anticollision
constraints).
If more than one trajectory can meet
these three objectives, the final selec-
tion will be made with respect to the
number of the secondary objectives that
could be encountered.
LWOs
The most economical method to recover
additional oil in Handil is by perform-
ing LWOs. These well interventions are
performed without pulling the comple-
tion, to isolate watered-out reservoirs
and perforate prospective reservoirs.
However, LWOs may not be applicable
in poor well conditions, such as tubing
leaks, parted tubing, or some type of
obstruction in the wellbore. An LWO
is not used in high-producing wells.
The main issue of an LWO is defining
the fluid status behind the casing. The
dynamic-model studies reduce these
uncertainties.
In 2005, 26 LWOs were performed, of
which 19 were successful. The project
resulted in 1.7 million STBO of produc-
tion during the year and 4 million STBO
of incremental reserves. The total cost
was approximately USD 2 million.
Infill Well
Although an LWO is the most eco-
nomical way to recover the remain-
ing oil, well conditions may not allow
intervention. Therefore, drilling infill
wells recovers the potential reserves. In
general, there are three cases for which
infill wells are preferred.
Case 1. In the very shallow zone in
which the reservoirs are less developed
and have highly viscous oil, horizon-
tal wells are proposed with sand-screen
completions to prevent excessive sand
production. Gas lift is used to lift fluids,
but completions could be converted to
electrical submersible pump (ESP).
Case 2. In the shallow zone in which the
reservoirs are already well developed and
the reserves of each reservoir do not jus-
tify dedicated wells, multitarget wells are
proposed. The wells are produced with
ESPs, anticipating rapid water break-
through, and gravel-pack completions
are used to prevent sanding problems.
In the first multitarget well, two zones
were completed with gravel packs and
three zones were completed with swell-
ing packers. Two of the three zones com-
pleted with swelling packers later failed,
resulting in excessive sand production.
Thus, only gravel packs are considered
for the next multitarget wells. However,
swelling-packer completions will be con-
sidered in marginal-reserves reservoirs,
exercising high caution during cleanup
and production.
Case 3. In the main zone in which the
reservoirs are mature, multitarget wells
are the best solution. A sand-control
completion is not necessary because the
sand is well consolidated. Gas lift is used
to produce the monobore completions.
ESPs are not suited in this zone because
the reservoirs contain a significant gas-
cap volume that can result in high gas/
liquid ratios.
Fig. 2Production-row distribution.
JPT JANUARY 2008 65
EOR
Lean-gas injection in an oil reservoir is
primarily an immiscible-displacement
process, which, when the reservoir
has already undergone waterflood-
ing, becomes a double-displacement
process also called gravity-assisted
tertiary gas injection. The remaining
oil in these reservoirs is in the oil rim
trapped above the structurally highest
production row, bypassed oil down-
dip in the reservoir, and residual oil
trapped after waterflooding.
Crestal gas injection attempts
to sweep the remaining mobile oil
toward he producing wells (gas-
flooding) and remobilize part of the
capillary-trapped oil. As shown in
Fig. 2, the reservoirs are divided into
several production rows, with Row 1
being the production row closest to
the gas injector. Gradually, gas will
sweep the oil rim above the highest
initial oil producer toward the wells in
the first row. After a certain time, the
gas will break through, and the well
should be shut in when oil produc-
tion decreases below the economical
limit, thereby letting the gas push
the remaining oil to the next produc-
tion rows.
EOR Optimization
In 2003, an integrated study was per-
formed in the largest EOR reservoir.
The study comprised a complete review
of geological correlations on the basis of
facies recognition from the logs and use
of the geometries of the sand bodies, the
3D geomodel, dynamic model, reservoir
model, and chemical-tracer injection.
The study confirmed the effects of the
gas-injection mechanism whereby very-
low residual-oil saturations were found
in the Row-1 region, which had been
swept by the gas. The study was able
to predict the portion of the oil rim in
which oil potential remained.
Tracer injection helped to determine
the gas-injection pattern, and this infor-
mation was used to calibrate the reservoir
model. The tracer also identified poorly
connected areas in the northeast part of
the reservoir and a disconnected area in
the southern area of the reservoir.
An interesting lesson from the study
was the optimum gas-cycling rate, which
is the ratio of produced gas to injected
gas during the gas-injection period. The
average gas cycling throughout the proj-
ect was 60%. This relatively high cycling
is coming from the Row-1 wells, which
produce with significant oil rate but also
have high gas/oil ratios (GORs). The
simulation model indicated that the gas
would be used more efficiently by clos-
ing these high-GOR wells at an earlier
time in the project. This action would
have allowed more gas to reach the
regions around the second- and third-
row producers to sweep the remaining
mobile oil and enable remobilization
and oil production by gravity drainage
from those areas. The small gravity-
drainage oil-production rates remaining
in the Row-1 producers will continue
and in time be displaced toward Row 2.
Optimized cycling improved the reser-
voir production substantially.
Conclusion
An integrated geosciences and reservoir
study helped redefine the remaining
potential in this mature field. With
the large number of reservoirs and
wells and the long production history,
simple dynamic modeling and mate-
rial balance identified the potential,
thus optimizing the production. In the
Handil field, the study led to three
operations: LWOs, infill drilling, and
EOR. These key elements increased the
production from 12,500 BOPD in 2003
to 23,000 BOPD in 2007. JPT
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