Expensive conventional techniques create risks when logging and accessing well
An operator in southern Mexico needed to access a horizontal well to
determine how to reduce water production and increase oil output. The well had
been historically inaccessible using wireline or wired coiled tubing during
production logging operations. Logging was required along an interval located
between 7,218–8,917 ft-MD [2,200–2,718 m-MD] with a TD of 9,642
ft-MD [2,939 m-MD] and a 7-in cased hole with a 5-in perforated liner.
Although the use of wireline is possible with a tractor, this technique
is not only expensive and risky, but it can also be more prone to multiple
issues during operations. Wired coiled tubing is also not a practical option for
those operations, as the weight added by the wires inside the coiled tubing
may prevent the pipe from being run to the toe of the well.
Cost-effective service allows operational flexibility
Schlumberger proposed using the ACTive PS service, which allows an
operator to run the coiled tubing to the toe of the well while providing
real-time telemetry and the ability to pump. These two benefits enable
flexibility during operations and significantly reduce the surface equipment
footprint. When compared with the tractor or wired coiled tubing methods, the
ACTive iFC fiber-optic carrier is much lighter and eliminates the issue of
conveyance or pumping limitation.
Reservoir saturation tool locates additional hydrocarbons and restores
production
The RSTPro tool was used to locate bypassed hydrocarbons, depleted
reservoirs, and gas zones. The results prompted the operator to perform a
cementing job to plug the water-producing bottom portion of the well and
perforate the hydrocarbon-bearing upper portion. Using the acquired data from
the RSTPro tool, well intervention operations were determined to restore
production to the well.
As a result, the oil production increased from 126 bbl/d before logging
to 500 bbl/d after the shutoff and perforating interventions. Water production
decreased from 742 bbl/d (85.5% water cut) to 18 bbl/d (0.5% water
cut).
