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Southeast Asia Petroleum Exploration Society (SEAPEX)
Abstract
Abstract: Reservoir Recovery Factor 40–50% ?! Time Lapse Seismic (4D) will pay back 10–20 times its cost even at $30 a barrel
Abstract
In the early days of 3D seismic (in the late 70's through to the early 90's) it was always difficult to justify using this "new technology" -- the industry tends to be conservative, and commercial case history successes attributed to 3D seismic technology were slow in being published. By the early 2000's, however, if proposing a 2D seismic survey, then during the approvals process one would expect to have to justify not acquiring 3D seismic data.
4D seismic has had a slightly faster take-up. We should ask ourselves why approximately 80% of all seismic work in the North Sea is shot and processed for time-lapse (4D) purposes — in fact for the major oil companies in the North Sea, 4D represents over 90% of their work program in that area.
We should also ask ourselves why this situation came to pass in the late 90's, even when the oil price was below $25 per barrel.
The answers should be no surprise — most of the reservoirs in the North Sea were in decline by the late 90's, and those people who were charged with maximizing the flow rates and/or the reservoir recovery factors began to use technologies such as 4D which was beginning to make a significant impact.
At about the same time, it gradually became apparent that 4D could probably make a greater contribution if applied early in the life of a field -- even extended well-tests produced useful 4D results over periods of just a few months, and these could show up some of the important architecture of the reservoir.
Commercial case histories for 4D appeared relatively quickly compared to 3D and assisted the take-up of the method. Several of these will be presented in detail, together with a review of the current state of the science including "life of field" systems which are producing several "pictures" of the reservoir in a 12 month period, almost allowing a "movie" of the changes in the reservoir. The technology is evolving but its directions are clear and will be described in this paper.
Presented at: 2007 South East Asia Petroleum Exploration Society (SEAPEX) Conference, Singapore, 2007
Acknowledgments and Associated Footnotes
1 Ian Jack: Consultant; BP, retired
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