Browsing by Subject "revitalization"

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Revitalizing a Mature Oil Play: Strategies for Finding and Producing Unrecovered Oil in Frio Fluvial-Deltaic Reservoirs of South Texas
(1994) McRae, Lee E.; Holtz, Mark H.; Knox, Paul R.
Advanced reservoir characterization techniques are being applied to selected reservoirs in the Frio Fluvial-Deltaic Sandstone (Vicksburg Fault zone) oil play of South Texas to maximize the productivity of resources in this mature oil play. This mature play has already produced nearly 1 billion barrels (Bbbl) of oil, yet still contains about 1.6 Bbbl of unrecovered mobile oil and nearly the same amount of residual oil resources. More than half of the reservoirs in this depositionally complex play have already been abandoned, and large volumes of oil may remain unproduced unless advanced characterization techniques are applied to define untapped, incompletely drained, and new pool reservoirs as suitable targets for near-term recovery methods. Primary technical objectives of this project are to develop interwell-scale geological facies models of Frio fluvial-deltaic reservoirs and combine them with engineering assessments and geophysical evaluations in order to characterize the Frio fluvial-deltaic reservoir architecture and flow unit boundaries and to determine the controls that these characteristics exert on the location and volume of unrecovered mobile and residual oil. These results will lead directly to the identification of specific opportunities to exploit these heterogeneous reservoirs for incremental recovery by recompletion and strategic infill drilling.
Revitalizing a Mature Oil Play: Strategies for Finding and Producing Unrecovered Oil in Frio Fluvial-Deltaic Sandstone Reservoirs of South Texas
(1996) Knox, Paul R.; Holtz, Mark H.; McRae, Lee E.
Domestic fluvial-dominated deltaic (FDD) reservoirs contain more than 30 Billion barrels (Bb) of remaining oil, more than any other type of reservoir, approximately one-third of which is in danger of permanent loss through premature field abandonments. The U.S. Department of Energy has placed its highest priority on increasing near-term recovery from FDD reservoirs in order to prevent abandonment of this important strategic resource. To aid in this effort, the Bureau of Economic Geology at The University of Texas at Austin began a 46-month project in October 1992 to develop and demonstrate advanced methods of reservoir characterization that would more accurately locate remaining volumes of mobile oil that could then be recovered by recompleting existing wells or drilling geologically targeted infill wells. Reservoirs in two fields within the Frio Fluvial-Deltaic Sandstone (Vicksburg Fault Zone) oil play of South Texas, a mature play which still contains 1.6 Bbbl of mobile oil after producing 1 Bbbl over four decades, were selected as laboratories for developing and testing reservoir characterization techniques. Advanced methods in geology, geophysics, petrophysics, and engineering were integrated to (1) identify probable reservoir architecture and heterogeneity, (2) determine past fluid-flow history, (3) integrate fluid-flow history with reservoir architecture to identify untapped, incompletely drained, and new pool compartments, and (4) identify specific opportunities for near-term reserve growth. To facilitate the success of operators in applying these methods in the Frio play, geologic and reservoir engineering characteristics of all major reservoirs in the play were documented and statistically analyzed. Finally, to assist operators in identifying the reservoirs most prospective for reserve growth, and therefore most worthy of detailed characterization efforts, a quantitative quick-look methodology was developed to prioritize reservoirs in terms of reserve-growth potential.
Revitalizing a Mature Oil Play: Strategies for Finding and Producing Unrecovered Oil in Frio Fluvial-Deltaic Sandstone Reservoirs of South Texas
(1996) Holtz, Mark H.; Knox, Paul R.; McRae, Lee E.
The Frio Fluvial-Deltaic Sandstone (Vicksburg Fault Zone) oil play of South Texas has produced nearly 1 billion barrels (Bbbl) of oil, yet it still contains about 1.6 Bbbl of unrecovered mobile oil and nearly the same amount of residual oil resources. More than half of the reservoirs in this depositionally complex play have been abandoned, and large volumes of oil may remain unproduced unless advanced characterization techniques are applied to define untapped, incompletely drained, and new pool reservoirs as suitable targets for near-term recovery. Interwell-scale geological facies models of Frio fluvial-deltaic reservoirs are being combined with engineering assessments and geophysical evaluations in order to characterize reservoir architecture and flow-unit boundaries and to determine the controls that these characteristics exert on the location and volume of unrecovered mobile and residual oil. These results will help identify specific opportunities to exploit these heterogeneous reservoirs for incremental recovery by recompletion and strategic infill drilling. Progress during the third project year centered on technology transfer activities. The reserve-growth potential of reservoirs in two fields within the play, Rincon field in Starr County and Tijerina-Canales-Blucher field in Jim Wells County, was documented in a Topical Report published by DOE and in this report. Specific opportunities to exploit untapped and incompletely drained compartments were identified. Results of this effort were also presented at both local and national technical meetings and in two courses hosted by related programs. Preparations have begun for two workshops centered around the activities of this project, as well as the construction of a microcomputer-based Geologic Reservoir Characterization Advisor (GRCA). The short courses, scheduled for April and June 1996, along with the GRCA, will demonstrate for operators of this mature play the potential that remains in reservoirs threatened by premature abandonment and will document methods for locating and efficiently recovering the tremendous remaining resource. The integrated multidisciplinary characterization methodology demonstrated in this project is applicable to reservoirs throughout the Frio Fluvial-Deltaic Sandstone play, to other fluvial-deltaic plays within the Gulf Coast, and more broadly to any mature fluvial-deltaic play in the United States.