Tracers enable zonal flow monitoring in inaccessible toe section of extended-reach well

地点

Middle East, 阿拉伯联合酋长国, 海上

总结

Resman™ production tracers enabled zonal flow profiling in the toe section of an extended-reach well, which could not be accessed by conventional logging tools. The operator was able to verify flow conformance and stimulation effectiveness for optimal production and recovery.

目标

An extended-reach well offshore UAE has a 45,000-ft MD and 27,500-ft reservoir section. The lower completion includes a 29,000-ft liner, with swell packers segmenting the reservoir into 37 compartments. The last 5,000 ft at the toe of the well are located in a tight section and inaccessible by conventional logging tools on wireline or CT. A solution was required to verify cleanup of each zone in that interval and measure its production contribution, with the ultimate goal of optimizing production and validating reservoir contact strategies.

SLB was tasked with designing a production tracer placement strategy that delivered actionable insights, ensuring accurate placement across 21 locations, and maintaining data integrity over the full interval.

结果

Three tracer carriers were installed with the completion in each of the final seven toe compartments. The carriers contained oil- and water-specific tracers that attach to their respective fluids and travel to surface, enabling clear identification of zonal contributions. Deployment was completed with zero operational impact.

This interventionless approach leveraged natural reservoir energy, eliminating the need for downhole power or communication systems. Tracer placement in previously inaccessible sections enabled flow profiling across the reservoir. The results confirmed effective cleanup and the productivity of the tight toe section, indicating minimal formation damage. Uniform inflow contributions validated reservoir homogeneity, while consistent pressure drawdown was indicated across all zones.

The data also confirmed the effectiveness of the mudcake breaker fluid displacement technique, supporting both completion and stimulation performance.

Bar graph shows relative flow contributions from the 21 zones in the bottom section of the well.

A quantitative interpretation of tracer data showed uniform relative inflow contributions—ranging from 4% to 6% per zone—along the bottom 5,000 ft of the well during cleanup.