Maximizing Production Recovery Through Autonomous Inflow Device AICD Configuration in Challenging Long Horizontal Open-Hole Oil Producer with High Gas-Oil-Ratio and Un-Even Fluid Contacts
Authors: Sapian Nik Fazril Ain , Tusimin Fuziana , Chuah Mei Mei Stefanie , Goh Jin Wang Arthur , Wahid Ali Nurul Athirah , A/L Naupa Nagarajan , Madzidah Asba , Ghonim Elsayed Ouda , Awid Abdurrezagh , Hasbullah Nurathirah , Md Nazim Nik Omar 
Published: August 2022

Wells 1A, 2A, 3A & 4A are designed as four (4) horizontal oil producers to maximize the oil recovery from the XXYY heterogenous sandstone reservoir in Offshore Malaysia. The reservoir has been producing since 1975 on natural depletion before gas injection (1994) and water injection (2019-2022) were introduced. XXYY reservoir is expected to have wide permeabilities ranges from as low as 1-mD to 4-D and high uncertainty of gas-oil contacts from recent saturation logging acquisition. Coupled with the complex reservoir nature of massive gas cap and thinning oil rim observed between 30-50ft-TVD, historical production of oil with optimum GOR in XXYY reservoir remained the main challenge towards late field life.

For such challenging condition, pre-planning with multiple Autonomous Inflow Control Device (AICD) valve placement scenarios across the horizontal sections were analyzed using integration of reservoir and well models for valves optimization process to achieve well's target production and reserves by the end of PSC. Specific drawdown and production targets were set as critical design limits in managing sanding and erosional risks while still achieving production target. Ultimately, these models provided both instantaneous and long-term forecasts of AICD impact on the wells’ performance – key factors in the final design. The workflow presented in this project synergized scope of multi-domain from subsurface, completion and drilling.

This case study demonstrates the value of detailed design steps on AICD placement across horizontal segments and optimizations based on actual open-hole logging interpretation, mainly – permeability, saturation and vertical stand-offs from gas-oil and oil-water contacts. The horizontal wells drilled are susceptible to "heel-toe" effect, resulting in dominant production in the heel section while the toe section contributes less, subsequently inducing gas coning at the heel. XXYY reservoir is also sand prone and requires sand control. For these reasons, all 4 wells are designed to be completed with Open Hole Stand Alone Screen (OHSAS) with the use of AICD to balance production withdrawal across the horizontal segments and provide GOR control. The four (4) wells penetrated 30-60ft-TVD of oil column with 10-15ft-TVD vertical stand-offs from gas-oil contact (GOC) to maintain a 2/3 column ratio from oil-water contact. Given these marginal stand-offs to GOC, integration of AICD sensitivities workflow were performed on-the-fly to analyze instantaneous and time-stepped oil and GOR rates allowing the team to achieve required production sustenance. The installations of optimized AICD have resulted in successful GOR control below 6 Mscf/stb targeted, resulting in delivering higher instantaneous production rates against planned of 4,600bopd.

The success of AICD optimizations integrated with OHSAS completion, reservoir mapping and petrophysical evaluation have been proven as ultimate solution to deliver the wells oil production for a brown field rejuvenation project. The pre-drill and post-drill results calibrated to actual well tests are compared for further sensitivity analysis, to be used in the continuous improvement of production management strategies in the field.