Subsurface

Having defined and gathered data adequate for an initial reserves estimation, the next step is to look at the various options to develop the field. The objective of the feasibility study is to document various technical options, of which at least one should be economically viable. The study will contain the subsurface development options, the process design, equipment sizes, the proposed locations (e.g. offshore platforms), and the crude evacuation and export system. The cases considered will be accompanied by a cost estimate and planning schedule. Such a document gives a complete overview of all the requirements, opportunities, risks and constraints. 

The field development plan s prime purpose is to serve as a conceptual project specification for subsurface and surface facilities, and the operational and maintenance philosophy required to support a proposal for the required investments. It should give management and shareholders confidence that all aspects of the project have been... 

The basics of the method are simple. Reflections occur at all layers in the subsurface where an appreciable change in acoustic impedance is seen by the propagating wave. This acoustic impedance is the product of the sonic velocity and density of the formation. There are actually different wave types that propagate in solid rock, but the first arrival (i.e. fastest ray path) is normally the compressional or P wave. The two attributes that are measured are... 

Migration is both focusing and relocation of the reflection energy. Each zero-offset trace contains reflections that originate at different subsurface points with increasing depth (Fig a) sometimes hundreds of m s away from the surface location. Flowever the reflections are posted at the surface location of the zero-offset trace. Migration compensates for the mislocation due to the bent raypaths. 

We can also visualise the subsurface as being made up of an enormous number of point scatterers or diffractors. (Fig b). Each contributes a diffraction curve (hyperbola) to the reflection section. Migration focuses the energy in these curves to a single point. 

In the future, it is expected to be possible to make more routine use of additional wave types, specifically shear or S waves (polarised to horizontal and vertical components) which have a transverse mode of propagation, and are sensitive to a different set of rock properties than P waves. The potential then exists for increasing the number of independent attributes measured in reflection surveys and increasing the resolution of the subsurface image. 

To optimise the design of a well it is desirable to have an accurate a picture as possible of the subsurface. Therefore, a number of disciplines will have to provide information... 

An important safety feature on every modern rig is the blowout preventer (BOP). As discussed earlier on, one of the purposes of the drilling mud is to provide a hydrostatic head of fluid to counterbalance the pore pressure of fluids in permeable formations. However, for a variety of reasons (see section 3.6 Drilling Problems ) the well may kick , i.e. formation fluids may enter the wellbore, upsetting the balance of the system, pushing mud out of the hole, and exposing the upper part of the hole and equipment to the higher pressures of the deep subsurface. If left uncontrolled, this can lead to a blowout, a situation where formation fluids flow to the surface in an uncontrolled manner. 

Once the objectives of the well are clear, further decisions have to be made. One decision will be where to site the drilling location relative to the subsurface target and which type of rig to use. 

Between the top hole and the reservoir section in most cases an intermediate section will need to be drilled. This section consists of more consolidated rocks than the top hole. The deviation angle is often increased in this interval to reach the subsurface target and eventually a casing is set prior to entering the reservoir sequence. 

For many reasons it may not be possible or desirable to drill a vertical well. There may be constraints because of the surface location. In the subsurface, multiple targets, the shape of the structure, faults, etc. may preclude a vertical well. Figure 3.14 shows some of the deviated we//trajectories freguently used in industry deviated with tangent to target, S-shaped and horizontal. 

It is rare to be able to observe elastic deformations (which occur for instance during earthquakes) since by definition an elastic deformation does not leave any record. However, many subsurface or surface features are related to the other two modes of deformation. The composition of the material, confining pressure, rate of deformation and temperature determine which type of deformation will be initiated. 

As the conditions of pressure and temperature vary, the phases in which hydrocarbons exist, and the composition of the phases may change. It is necessary to understand the initial condition of fluids to be able to calculate surface volumes represented by subsurface hydrocarbons. It is also necessary to be able to predict phase changes as the temperature and pressure vary both in the reservoir and as the fluids pass through the surface facilities, so that the appropriate subsurface and surface development plans can be made. 

The most important use of the real gas law is to calculate the volume which a subsurface quantity of gas will occupy at surface conditions, since when gas sales contracts are negotiated and gas is subsequently sold it is referred to in volumes at standard conditions of temperature (Tsc) and pressure (Psc). 

The previous equation is only valid as long as there is no compositional change of the gas between the subsurface and the surface. The value of E is typically in the order of 200, in other words the gas expands by a factor of around 200 from subsurface to surface conditions. The actual value of course depends upon both the gas composition and the reservoir temperature and pressure. Standard conditions of temperature and pressure are commonly defined as 60°F (298K) and one atmosphere (14.7 psia or 101.3 kPa), but may vary from location to location, and between gas sales contracts. 

This section will firstly consider the properties of oils in the reservoir (compressibility, viscosity and density), and secondly the relationship of subsurface to surface volume of oil during the production process (formation volume factor and gas oil ratio). 

Fluid samples may be collected downhole at near-reservoir conditions, or at surface. Subsurface samples are more expensive to collect, since they require downhole sampling tools, but are more likely to capture a representative sample, since they are targeted at collecting a single phase fluid. A surface sample is inevitably a two phase sample which requires recombining to recreate the reservoir fluid. Both sampling techniques face the same problem of trying to capture a representative sample (i.e. the correct proportion of gas to oil) when the pressure falls below the bubble point. 

Figure 5.25 Subsurface sampling apparatus (after Dake, 1978)...

Sampling saturated reservoirs with this technique requires special care to attempt to obtain a representative sample, and in any case when the flowing bottom hole pressure is lower than the bubble point, the validity of the sample remains doubtful. Multiple subsurface samples are usually taken by running sample bombs in tandem or performing repeat runs. The samples are checked for consistency by measuring their bubble point pressure at surface temperature. Samples whose bubble point lie within 2% of each other may be sent to the laboratory for PVT analysis. 

The timely acquisition of static and dynamic reservoir data is critical for the optimisation of development options and production operations. Reservoir data enables the description and quantification of fluid and rock properties. The amount and accuracy of the data available will determine the range of uncertainty associated with estimates made by the subsurface engineer. 

Having gathered and evaluated relevant reservoir data it is desirable to present this data in a way that allows easy visualisation of the subsurface situation. With a workstation it is easy to create a three dimensional picture of the reservoir, displaying the distribution of a variety of parameters, e.g. reservoir thickness or saturations. All realisations need to be in line with the geological model. 

Structural maps display the top (and sometimes the base) of the reservoir surface below the datum level. The depth values are always true vertical sub sea. One could say that the contours of structure maps provide a picture of the subsurface topography. They display the shape and extent of a hydrocarbon accumulation and indicate the dip and strike of the structure. The dip is defined as the angle of a plane with the horizontal, and Is perpendicular to the strike, which runs along the plane. 

Figure 5.45 Symbols used on subsurface maps and sections...

Because of the nature of subsurface data, maps and sections are only models or approximations of reality, and always contain a degree of uncertainty. Reduction of these uncertainties is one of the tasks of the geoscientists, and will be further discussed in Section 6.2. 

STOIIP" s a term which normalises volumes of oil contained under high pressure and temperature in the subsurface to surface conditions (e.g. 1 bar, 15°C). In the early days of the industry this surface volume was referred to as stock tank oit and since measured prior to any production having taken place it was the volume initially in placd. ... 

Introduction and Commercial Application The reservoir and well behaviour under dynamic conditions are key parameters in determining what fraction of the hydrocarbons initially in place will be produced to surface over the lifetime of the field, at what rates they will be produced, and which unwanted fluids such as water are also produced. This behaviour will therefore dictate the revenue stream which the development will generate through sales of the hydrocarbons. The reservoir and well performance are linked to the surface development plan, and cannot be considered in isolation different subsurface development plans will demand different surface facilities. The prediction of reservoir and well behaviour are therefore crucial components of field development planning, as well as playing a major role in reservoir management during production. 

At the stage of field development planning, reservoir simulation would normally be used to generate production profiles and well requirements for a number of subsurface development options, for each of which different surface development options would be evaluated and costs estimated. 

The figure on the right shows the well with a simple well completion including a production tubing with packer, a series of surface safety valves called a Christmas tree, a subsurface safety valve (SSSV), a circulating sleeve, and a series of perforations through the casing. 

The progressive cavity pump consists of a rotating cork-screw like sub-surface assembly which is driven by a surface mounted motor. Beam pump rods are used to connect the two. The flowrate achieved is mainly a function of the rotational speed of the subsurface assembly. There Is in principle very little that can go wrong with progressive cavity pumps. Progressive cavity pumps excel in low productivity shallow wells with viscous crude oils and can also handle significant quantities of produced solids. 

Some of the approaches and techniques for measuring performance and managing the constraints of the subsurface and surface facilities, and the internal and external factors will be discussed in this section. 

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