Integrated approach towards the application of horizontal wells to improve waterflooding performance. Annual report, January 1--December 31, 1997

This annual report describes the progress during the fifth year of the project which is targeted towards improving the reservoir performance of mature oil fields located in fluvially dominated deltaic geological environments. The project involves using an integrated approach to characterize the reservoir followed by proposing an appropriate reservoir management strategy to improve the field performance. In the first stage of the project, the type data the authors integrated include cross borehole seismic surveys, geological interpretation based on the logs and the cores, and the engineering information. In contrast, during the second stage of the project, they intend to use only conventional data to construct the reservoir description. This report covers the results of the implementation from the first stage of the project. It also discusses the work accomplished so far for the second stage of the project. The production from the Self Unit (location of Stage I) has sustained an increase of 30 bbls/day over more than two years. The authors have collected available core, log and production data from Section 16 in the Berryhill Glenn Unit and have finished the geological description. Based on the geological description and the associated petrophysical properties, they have identified the areas for the most potential. These areas include Tracts 7 and 9. By conducting a detailed flow simulation on both these tracts, and evaluating the economic performance of various alternatives, they have made recommendations for both these tracts. At present, they are in the process of implementing the proposed reservoir management strategy in Tract 9