Asset Management of Wells and Facilities Through Integration of Monitoring and Geomechanical Modeling for a Field with Active Subsidence in Sultanate of Oman

Abstract

One of the PDO's largest producing fields in Oman consists of three stacked reservoir formations, two of which are currently producing while deeper reservoirs are being considered for development. The shallowest reservoir (~ 900 m depth) is a highly compacting carbonate gas reservoir under depletion, whereas the intermediate reservoir Shuaiba is an oil-bearing reservoir under water flood. The deeper reservoirs are oil and gas bearing located in the Sudair and Khuff formations. Interpretation of 3D seismic data shows a major NE/SW and NW/SE fault system in all 3 reservoirs. Depletion in the shallow gas reservoir, which exhibits pore collapsing response on depletion, has induced surface subsidence which is active and expected to reach about 2.4 m at the end of field life. Subsurface deformations and induced stress changes have resulted in subset of the faults (NE/SW) to reactivate, causing seismic tremors, occasionally felt at surface. Ongoing surface subsidence has resulted in some damage to surface facilities and subsurface well integrity issues. Furthermore, fault reactivation and/or loss of well integrity may induce leakage pathways for reservoir fluids to cross flow between reservoirs or to shallow aquifers. PDO has implemented an extensive monitoring program supported by parallel 3D geomechanical modeling studies, to manage ongoing field development whist mitigating the risks. Extensive monitoring efforts using a variety of techniques are in place since 1999. Frequent InSAR satellite data measures surface subsidence with such high accuracy and resolution that local zones of higher deformation can be reliably identified and flagged. Continuous GPS data acquisition in a few places throughout the field allows for detailed temporal assessment of subsidence and forms the basis for predictions of total subsidence at end of field life. Periodic in-well compaction monitoring data provides insights in elastic and non-elastic deformation at reservoir layer scale, which is compared against core compressibility data. Continuous microseismic monitoring in a dozen or more observation wells highlights geomechanically active faults in the main reservoir, overburden and underburden, thereby identifying potential risk zones on a near-24/7 basis. All of this data is used both for well and facilities management, and for providing calibration data for geomechanical models. Results provide clarity on future surface subsidence and differential settlement, which helps to identify facilities with potential risk. The project teams are provided with reliable predictions of surface subsidence throughout the field to ensure the current design tolerance is adequate for integrity of the facilities until the end of field life. This paper presents modeling workflow and calibration with monitoring data related to the geomechanical assessment.