Reservoir Monitoring Activities for Co2 Wag Pilots
Authors: Hasan Saeeda , Kumar Manjit , Abdelrahman Moza , Igogo Arit , Bhushan Yatindra , AlSeiari Reem , Al Tenaiji Aamna 
Published: December 2021

Two CO2 WAG Pilots are in progress in an Abu Dhabi Oil Reservoir. Each pilot has one horizontal producer and two horizontal injectors along with 2 vertical pilot observers to monitor the movement of flood front away from the injectors. The pilots are being monitored based on a detailed reservoir-monitoring plan. The paper discusses in detail various activities and the results related to the pilot monitoring.

Methods, Procedures, Process

The wells are being tested for oil rate, water cut, GOR on a daily basis using MPFM. For calibration purposes portable test separators are used every quarter to validate the rate, water cut and GOR measurements. Separator PVT samples from pilot wells are collected every quarter for PVT analysis. In addition PVT samples are also collected from the pilot wells and nearby wells every month from the sampling point near MPFM to monitor the CO2 content in the produced gas. Online CO2 analyzer is fitted on the surface flow line connecting pilot wells to the RDS to provide continuous measurement of CO2 in the produced fluid. Produced water is also sampled for detailed compositional analysis.

Different gas and water tracers have been injected through the pilot injectors to trace the movement and breakthrough of injected fluids into the pilot producers. Sampling and analysis for tracer is carried out on a regular basis. Carbon and oxygen Isotope analysis for produced and injected CO2 gas is also carried out in order to monitor the breakthrough of injected CO2 into the pilot producers. There is a good difference in the carbon and oxygen isotopes of injected CO2 and the CO2 present in the reservoir.

To monitor the changes in water and gas saturation with time across different layers a set of Pulsed neutron (RAS) logs are run in the observers on regular basis. PLT logs are run in the injectors and producers to check the distribution and conformance of the produced and injected fluids along the horizontal wellbore. Walk away VSP surveys are being carried out on regular intervals for one pilot to monitor the injected fluids distribution in the pilot area. The paper describes all these reservoir monitoring activities in detail.

Results, Observations, Conclusions

Analysis of Carbon oxygen RST logs are helpful for tracking fluid saturation changes and CO2 movement across the logged intervals. The RST logs in the observers demonstrate good sweep across different layers of the reservoir. Analysis of CO2 in produced gas has resulted into correctly pointing out the timing of CO2 breakthrough in the producers. It is well supported by the CO2 isotopes analysis for the injected and produced CO2 through pilot producer and nearly producers. The tracer analysis results show clearly the injector from where the injected CO2 has reached the producers. The PLT logs demonstrate good conformance for CO2 and water injection across the horizontal section in the injectors. All these monitoring activities provide a good source of data for further analysis and improved understanding of the pilots.

Novel/Additive Information

The paper discusses the usefulness of different reservoir monitoring tools for improved understanding of the pilots, which will be used as a basis for implementing CO2 WAG for the full area development.