Application of Time Lapse Gravity Measurements for Oil and Gas Field Development Monitoring

Time lapse gravity (TLG) technology for producing oil and gas field control involves periodic high precision gravimetric and geodetic measurements at the area of a developed field. The technology targets the following geological and technological challenges: improvement of field development control by adding independent information from gravimetric variations and finding its relationships with fluid saturation variations in the reservoir;prediction GOC or GWC shifting according to gravity data;precise surface elevation control in time (geodynamics). TLG is considered as a significant part of the integrated field development control workflow and provides important independent information to be means added to time lapse well log measurements, production data and time lapse seismic where applicable. The paper describes the methodological basics, provides some results of TLG implementation at a large gas field and estimates of gravity variations during production from a real oil field with a gas cap, which shows the feasibility of TLG application.