| Popis: |
As the offshore Saudi Arabia fields mature, more wells are becoming wet and consequently more wells are dying due to water encroachment. These dead wells and associated facilities are valuable assets that need to be effectively utilized throughout the producing life of the fields. Therefore, remedial actions to revive dead wells are vital strategies to maximize revenues. Rigless water shut-off techniques in conventional wells have been successful due to relatively simple wireline interventions. However, water shut-off jobs in horizontal wells are more complicated and are more challenging tasks for oil companies, including Saudi Aramco, due to their associated high cost and cement placement uncertainties. This paper is a study of six years of rigless water shut-off efforts to revive dead wells in Saudi Aramco's Northern Area offshore fields to extend the producing life of the wells and enhance oil recovery. During the study period, 46 rigless water shut-off jobs were executed with a 91% success rate. Of the 46 water shut-off jobs, three jobs were successfully implemented on dead horizontal cased hole wells using coiled tubing (CT). The job success is attributed to proper problem diagnosis, job design and execution, resulting in a significant production gain and workover cost avoidance. |
