1.) Integrated Historical Data Workflow: Maximizing the Value of a Mature Asset

Anne Valentine

Schlumberger

Abstract

Industry studies show that mature fields currently account for over 70% of the world’s oil and gas production. Increasing production rates and ultimate recovery in these fields in order to maintain profitable operations, without increasing costs, is a common challenge.

This lecture addresses techniques to extract maximum value from historical production data using quick workflows based on common sense. Extensive in-depth reservoir studies are obviously very valuable, but not all situations require these, particularly in the case of brown fields where the cost of the study may outweigh the benefits of the resulting recommendations.

This lecture presents workflows based on Continuous Improvement/LEAN methodology which are flexible enough to apply to any mature asset for short and long term planning. A well published, low permeability brown oil field was selected to retroactively demonstrate the workflows, as it had an evident workover campaign in late 2010 with subsequent production increase. Using data as of mid-2010, approximately 40 wells were identified as under-performing due to formation damage or water production problems, based on three days of analyses. The actual performance of the field three years later was then revealed along with the actual interventions performed. The selection of wells is compared to the selection suggested by the workflow, and the results of the interventions are shown. The field's projected recovery factor was increased by 5%, representing a gain of 1.4 million barrels of oil.  

Biography

Anne Valentine is a Principal Instructor for Production Engineering at Schlumberger. She has 35 years of experience in Canada and France in well and reservoir performance analysis, particularly related to waterflooding, unconventional reservoirs and candidate recognition for production enhancement. She built her expertise in performance analysis workflows and software through working on the Cold Lake heavy oil field as a reservoir and field engineer at Esso Resources Canada Limited, then consulting for Halliburton before joining Schlumberger in 2001. A graduate in Chemical Engineering from Queen’s University in Canada, she has co-authored papers on analysis techniques for polymer floods, waterflood optimization and shale gas forecasting. 

2.) Robust Kick Detection; First Step on our Well Control Automation Journey

Brian Tarr

Shell International Exploration and Production Inc.

Abstract

In 2010 Shell began investigating how to automate the initial response to a well control

incident. The first phase of the project was to develop a rig system that could reliably detect an influx across a broad spectrum of floating rig well construction related rig operations. The results of a fault tree style sensitivity analysis pointed to the high value of improving sensor data quality (both accuracy and reliability) and the importance of improving kick detection software for alarming (both in terms of coverage and how the driller is alerted to respond to a confirmed kick condition). Based on the analysis results, a Smart Kick Detection System functional specification was developed and used to upgrade the kick detection system on an offshore rig.

Early in the project it was realized that focusing on adding robust kick detection during

connections was important but especially challenging due to the associated transient flow and pit volume signatures. A separate in-house initiative was therefore kicked-off to develop new software based on pattern recognition technology and machine learning. The resulting IDAPS (Influx Detection at Pumps Stopped) software has now been implemented as a real-time monitoring application for all Shell operated deep water wells. Further developments in smart kick detection are coming, ultimately leading to rigs being equipped with automated kick detection systems that are relied upon to detect a kick and secure the well in case the driller fails to act.

Biography

Brian Tarr is a Senior Well Engineer based in Houston, Texas. His long career has included assignments in both drilling and completion operations and he has managed several significant technology projects related to well construction process safety, including the first surface BOP implementation for a deepwater subsea develop (offshore Brazil) and the design and construction of compact, modular, subsea capping stacks (for deployment in the North Sea and offshore S.E. Asia).

Mr. Tarr has previously served as both a review committee chairman and a technical editor for the SPE Drilling and Completion magazine. He has also been active in both IADC and API well control related committees, including contributing to the 2nd edition of the IADC Deepwater Well Control Guidelines and to API RP 96, Deepwater Well Design and Construction.  He has a Master of Petroleum Engineering degree from Heriot Watt University, Edinburgh Scotland, and is a registered professional engineer in Texas.

3.) Improved Recovery of Mature Water Floods: Can we have a sizeable impact?

 Carlos A. Glandt

Abstract

Mature waterfloods suffer from extended periods of ever increasing high water cuts. Although there are well established conformance technologies to arrest or mitigate these trends they have rarely been adopted across the field as part of a routine surveillance plan.

This presentation discusses two technologies that provide key information to design conformance jobs. They are Capacitance-Resistance Modeling (CRM) and interwell tracer tests. CRM, based on injection-production data only, provides a) interwell connectivities that are key to understand water distribution, and b) the ranking of injectors’ contribution to oil production, that immediately leads to injection optimization.  Interwell tracer tests provide fluid flow paths and swept volumes required to design in-depth conformance treatments.

With the assistance of local laboratories, conformance experts, and Service Companies the surveillance engineer can lead an in-house multidisciplinary team to design and execute low cost conformance jobs, contracting out, if necessary, only field operations (mixing and pumping). In-house learnings will also contribute to lowering total costs.

Low costs result in low economic risks, a lower-level, faster approval process, which facilitates field wide deployment.  Arresting and reversing the WOR trend should be a priority of the Surveillance Plan of mature waterflood operators, with the associated sizeable impact on production and reserves.

Biography

Dr. Glandt has more than 35 years of Reservoir Engineering experience in areas such as Field Development, Heavy Oil, Waterflooding, EOR, Smart Wells, and others. He worked at Shell for 28 years both in the US and internationally, covering a wide range of technical assignments and managerial responsibilities. He was manager of EOR R&D, Smart Wells Global Implementation, Reservoir Engineering Skill Pool for the R&D Organization, and Technical Manager for the Cedar Creek Anticline asset in Montana.

After retiring from Shell Dr. Glandt was Director of Development of YPF, the leading Argentinean oil company, and is now Sr. Consultant for QRI of Houston with assignments in projects around the world.

He holds an Engineering Degree from the University of Buenos Aires and a PhD from Princeton University, both in Chemical Engineering.

5.) Illuminating insights into well and reservoir optimisation using fibre-optic Distributed Acoustic Sensing

         David Hill

          OptaSense Ltd

Abstract

In these times of low oil and gas prices, the drive to provide 'more for less' has never been greater. One key component in achieving this is the ability to accurately monitor the production rates along a wellbore and across a reservoir. Ideally a range of different measurements should be available on-demand from all points in all wells. Clearly conventional sensors such as downhole pressure and temperature gauges, flow meters, geophone arrays and production logging tools can provide part of the solution but the cost of all these different sensors limits their widespread deployment. Fibre-optic Distributed Acoustic Sensing, or DAS for short, is changing that. Using an optical fibre deployed in a cable from surface to the toe of a well DAS, often in combination with fibre-optic Distributed Temperature Sensing (DTS), provides a means of acquiring high resolution seismic, acoustic and temperature data at all points in real-time. Since the first downhole demonstrations of DAS technology in 2009 there has been rapid progress in developing the technology and applications, to the point where today it is being used to monitor the efficiency of hydraulic fracture treatments, provides continuous flow profiling across the entire wellbore and is used as a uniquely capable tool for borehole seismic acquisition. With optical fibre installed in your wells and DAS acquiring data, there is now the ability to cost effectively and continuously monitor wells and reservoirs to manage them in real-time in order to optimise production.   

Biography 

David Hill is the Chief Technology Officer at OptaSense, a QinetiQ company, based in the UK. He has over 30 years of research and development experience in the field of acoustic sensing, 20 years of which have been spent developing fibre-optic based sensors. He holds a PhD in Physics, specializing in fibre-optic sensing, from the University of Kent in the UK and has filed over 30 patents and authored numerous papers. Since jointly founding OptaSense he has led the development and exploitation of fibre-optic Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) in the oil and gas industry. In 2009 he was the first person to use fibre-optic Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) to acquire signals on a downhole fibre. Since then he has continued to develop a range of downhole applications for the technology.

                                              6.) Oil and gas operations - Integrating the Realities of the Social License

Fernando L. Benalcazar

APDProyectos Cía. Ltda.

Abstract 

Oil and gas are essential parts of a sustainable future. Though these are finite energy resources and sources of greenhouse gas emissions, the world continues to require their production. For this reason, it is imperative that we consider improved industry practices.  

To begin, the audience will be presented with the most basic principles of sustainability pertaining to oil and gas operations, including SPE’s position on this matter. When oil is discovered at a location, decisions and guarantees cannot be made without considering the project’s life cycle. Our commitments must be demonstrated consistently along each stage of a project in direct consideration of a sustainable future.

Next, several case studies relating to sustainability, integrating the realities of the social license to operate and operations will be presented to the audience, detailing the required steps for the successful execution of any project facing challenging conditions.

The presentation will conclude by underlining that the inclusion of internal and external stakeholders will only enrich the project and, therefore, pave the road to success. It is our responsibility to create a culture of operational professionalism and reliability through active participation. In order to counterbalance the world’s energy demand, we must produce oil and gas while considering that the more efficiently the energy is produced, the more affordable the energy will be. The oil industry is not only committed to its own sustainability but also to the sustainability of our planet.

Biography

A Senior Adviser with APD Proyectos, Fernando L. Benalcazar has been in the oil industry for 24+ years and has provided project management and support for numerous international projects in Syria, France, Canada, the US, Oman, Venezuela, Colombia, and Ecuador. Benalcazar focuses on operation excellence, sustainable development, and stakeholder engagement. He also specializes in health, safety, and environment (HSE), local content, capacity building, and new ventures. He has authored or coauthored more than 12 technical papers and holds a MS degree in civil engineering from Alberto Luiz Coimbra Institute for Graduate Studies and Research in Engineering (COPPE) at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He holds a Certified Safety Professional (CSP) designation in the US and has served on SPE’s Sustainability Technical Committee since 2012. Benalcazar was the chair of a SPE Applied Technology Workshop and of two Latin American and Caribbean regional conferences. He has acted as a member of SPE Ecuador’s Board since 2011 and is currently President-Elect. Benalcazar has been a chairperson for the environmental focus area of the SPE International HSSE-SR Advisory Committee since 2015.

7.) Wellbore Integrity Restoration; New Life for Old Wells

Greg Galloway

Weatherford

Abstract 

As wellbores age, the potential for loss of wellbore integrity due to challenges such as,

corrosion, stress, fatigue and other factors increase. Stimulation and tertiary recovery methods such as CO2 floods, as well as the introduction of disposal into depleted zones can negatively affect the wellbore by introducing conditions outside of the initial well design criteria. In a given field, many if not all wells will experience similar issues because the well design and life-of-well conditions are similar. Restoring wellbore integrity is a viable alternative to plugging and abandoning these compromised wellbores.

Both current and potential issues in production casing and tubing strings can be identified through a number of methods ranging from abnormal annular pressures to cased-hole logging techniques designed to measure the in situ casing dimension, cement presence and bond quality. 

Once the wellbore condition has been identified, decisions can be made on the best method to restore that wellbore’s integrity. These solutions range from cement squeezes to seal the leak, to patches of various configurations to repair leaking connections, or long sections of the affected casing, to cementing a new string of casing or tubing into the wellbore.

This presentation will focus on identification of wellbore conditions and methods you can employ to restore wellbore integrity, thereby restoring production, maximizing recoverable reserves and preventing potential damage to people or the environment. 

Biography 

Greg Galloway is Product Line Manager for Weatherford’s Solid Expandable Systems. His career has focused on drilling optimization and increased efficiency and has been involved in the early development of several oilfield technologies. He is Vice-Chairman of the AADE Deepwater and Emerging Technologies committee where he also served as Chairman. Greg held roles with SPE as a board member, has served on many industry programs, workshop steering committees, and session chair.

Greg has a Petroleum Technology Degree, has authored over 30 technical papers and is named inventor on over 25 patents related to drilling optimization, drilling with casing, expandable tubulars and particle-impact drilling.

8.) Isotropy: A Perilous Assumption in Shale Geomechanics

Hamed Soroush

Dong Energy

Abstract

By definition, anisotropy is variation of material properties with direction. Preferred orientations of minerals, layering, cleavage, schistosity, foliation, and micro-fractures are the main sources of rock anisotropy. Although anisotropy can be seen in many rock types, shales always exhibit strong anisotropic properties at any scales as they are composed of thinly layered sequences of aligned microscopic clay platelets. Anisotropy has a pronounced effect on the physical and mechanical properties of shale, including acoustic wave propagation, deformation, strength, failure mode, fracturing etc. These changes in the mode of deformation and failure, in turn, influence the outcomes of the routine geomechanical analyses such as wellbore stability, well design, hydraulic fracturing, porosity-permeability evolution, and reservoir performance. Dependent on the inclination of the anisotropy with respect to the principal stress direction, and of course, wellbore trajectory, the importance of anisotropy on rock behavior can vary significantly. Ignoring anisotropy may impose significant additional cost to the oil and gas industry, both conventional and unconventional, and sometimes can even lead to the failure of drilling and production operations. This presentation aims in explaining shale anisotropy, characterization methods and its importance using some interesting field case.

Biography

Hamed is an internationally recognized expert in the field of petroleum geomechanics. He holds BSc in Mining Engineering, MSc in Rock Mechanics and PhD in Petroleum Engineering with around 20 years of industry experience in geomechanics working for different consulting, service and operating companies. Hamed is currently working for Dong Energy as Principal Geomechanics Specialist and Team Lead based in Copenhagen, providing project coordination, support and training for geomechanics and petroleum engineering applications.

He is a well-known geomechanics instructor giving short courses for SPE, EAGE, AAPG and PETROLERN and has served as steering committee on several conferences and workshops. Hamed’s interest in the last 5 years has been around shale gas geomechanics and shale anisotropy effect. He served as SPE Distinguished Lecturer in the 2012–2013 program.

9.) The Future Role of Oil

Iskander Diyashev

Petroskills

Abstract

One idea: Our industry is in the new era of greater competition and must become more efficient to continue to prosper.

Only about 15 years ago "peak oil" theories were quite popular and accepted by the general public.  Another school of thought, based on the concept of resource triangle, stated that as technology develops and as prices increase, vast amounts of hydrocarbon resources will become commercial. Oil and gas prices did increase and this led to the unconventional oil and gas revolution. Recent analysis of resource potential based on technical data collected for North American basins (S.A.Holditch et al) showed that we may think of hydrocarbon resources as being essentially infinite for practical purposes.

However  the cost of the resource development, as expressed by the production activation index (the CapEx required to create production stream of 1 stb/day) increased over the decade  from about  1000-10,000 USD/bopd range for conventional oil, up to 15,000 USD /bopd, and more in some cases. Maintaining production levels with unconventional resources requires continous drilling. The rapid rate of decline of unconventional wells translates to roughly a three-fold increase in the cost of generating a unit of energy compared to conventional wells. At this order of magnitude of energy cost, other sources of energy and combinations of technologies become competitive with conventional fossil fuel based energy and transportation.

3/4 of all the oil that we produce is used for 3 purposes: ground transportation, heating and electricity generation, and jet fuel. In this lecture we will discuss competitive technologies, their technical limitations, their progress in application and market penetration trends. These competitive technologies are solar power, electric automobiles, and magnetic levitation trains. The  high energy density of gasoline made conventional internal combustion engine cars prevalent at the turn of the  20th  century. But today, the higher energy efficiency of electric cars and improvements in battery technology are making electric vehicles competitive. We review how the future may look like and how our industry may adapt and change.  As the transition starts there will probably be long term demand destruction trend in OECD countries.

It is likely that the industry will experience significant downward oil price pressure as alternative technologies become more competitive. We need to train young engineers in energy engineering rather than just petroleum engineering.

Biography

Iskander Diyashev is an instructor for Petroskills since 2008. The PetroSkills Alliance is a training organization for the 30 member companies representing more than 40% of the world’s oil production.

Iskander Diyashev had taught numerous classes in fundamentals of petroleum, reservoir, and production engineering. The advanced level classes that Dr. Diyashev has instructed include oil and gas reserves evaluation, well test design and analysis and gas reservoir management.

Prior to his current job with Petroskills, Dr. Diyashev worked in various engineering and leadership roles for S.A. Holditch and Associates, Schlumberger, Sibneft, Geo-Alliance and NRK-Technology. 

Iskander served on the SPE International board of directors in 2006-2008, and participated in various SPE technical and organizing committees for SPE conferences. 

Iskander holds Ph.D degree in Petroleum Engineering from Texas A&M University (1998) and BS and MS degrees in Physics (Molecular and Chemical Physics) from Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology.  

10.) Measuring Land Drilling Performance       

John B. Willis 

Occidental Oil & Gas Corporation 

Abstract 

"Drilling" often refers to all aspects of well construction, including drilling, completions, facilities, construction, the asset team, and other groups. Good performance measures drive performance and reduce conflict between these groups, while bad performance measures mislead and confuse. The first key to success is how to communicate drilling performance in terms that answer the questions of executives and managers, which requires a business-focused cross-functional process. The second key to success is to drive operational performance improvement, which requires a different set of measures with sufficient granularity to define actions. Over the past 10 years, a very workable system has evolved through various approaches used in drilling more than 16,000 wells in the US, South America, and the Middle East. The system has delivered best-in-class performance. It has proven that an effective performance measurement system which addresses both executive requirements and operational requirements can both deliver outstanding results, and also communicate those results, with remarkable value to the organization. The basic principles are widely applicable to areas other than drilling. 

Biography 

John Willis is Drilling & Completions Manager for Occidental Oil & Gas Corporation Permian Resources Delaware Business Unit. His responsibilities include drilling, fracturing, completions, and well servicing in the Delaware Basin. Prior to this role, he served as Chief of Drilling for Oxy for 6 years, responsible for standards, operational support, global systems, the drilling data system, and tools for drilling performance measurement. He also served as Drilling Manager in Oman and Drilling Manager in Libya. His experience prior to Oxy includes other drilling roles, service company roles related to project management and software development, and he operated a consulting and software business. He has Chaired two SPE Forums, served on Forum Steering Committees, and Chaired the 2003 SPE/IADC Drilling Conference.

11.) Developments in Heavy-Oil EOR for the Era of Low Oil Pricing       

Jose Gonzalo Flores

Abstract

In low oil-price environments, it is customary to cut expenses, reduce staff and postpone most, if not all, capital investments. While this strategy may be financially sound in the short term, it completely disregards the essence of the oil business, that is the timely replacement of reserves. The problem further complicates in the case of heavy oil projects, where costs are higher and the product price is even lower.

This presentation confronts the audience with the dilemma of reducing cost and at the same time sustaining production and increasing recoveries. The balance resides in the quality of decisions, such as when and where to invest, and that results meet budgets, a common issue in our industry. In the most complex and financially challenging case of Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) projects, decision quality in combination with “fit-for-purpose” technology implementations offer the most promising middle-point, this is the central idea in this presentation. By providing 8 examples of innovative technologies to help reduce uncertainty, cost and time for commercial EOR oil, and 3 successful case studies, the audience will gain confidence in the proposition that is perfectly viable to double recoveries in the next 15 years. Finally, EOR is a business, as such, it needs to compete favorably in cost and time with other alternatives present in a company’s E&P portfolio, particularly in low-price environments. A strategy, illustrated by an example, on how to divert from the traditional engineering approach in favor of a managerial decision approach will help engineers justifying viable recovery projects

Biography

Jose Gonzalo Flores is an independent consultant and instructor in the areas of production and reservoir engineering of heavy oils.  Previously, he worked for Schlumberger and Occidental Petroleum Corp. covering a 30-year period, in roles involving the structuring, leading, advising and field implementation of production optimization and improved recovery projects, and as instructor for NExT, globally.  Flores holds a B.S. degree from the Universidad Nacional de Ingeniería, Lima, Peru, and M.E. and Ph.D. degrees from The University of Tulsa, Tulsa, Oklahoma, all in Petroleum Engineering.  He is considered an expert in the areas of reservoir and production enhancement and strategies to increase the recovery factor in heavy oil and mature fields, and has over 45 publications in the literature.  Flores is a member of the SPE, and regularly serves in steering and technical roles in conferences, forums and workshops.  Currently, he serves in the SPE Editorial Review Committee and as co-chair of the 2016 SPE Latin America Heavy Oil Conference.

12.) Surfactant chemistry and its impact on oil and gas recovery in shale plays        

Liang Xu 

Halliburton

Abstract

In current low oil price environment, it has become critical to enhance production and add reserves, considering that only a limited number of wells are being completed via hydraulic fracturing in shale plays. Surfactant is a fracturing additive that can potentially enhance initial production and sustain long term production, without making significant changes to fracture design and pumping schedule on location. However, surfactant must be carefully selected in order to make wells flow better. A typical assumption for the use of surfactants is that traditional surfactants will work appropriately across a large gamut of fields, but our experiences show that inappropriate application leads to lower efficiency of the oil recovery and thereby a diminished return on production. Operators should strive to understand how surfactants extract the oil in the first place and then select surfactants cautiously in order to maximize recovery and minimize risk.

This presentation presents a concise overview on surfactant chemistry and its most relevant parameters to hydraulic fracturing. In particular, the key characteristics of surfactant additives  was discussed in terms of conventional wisdom and newer chemistry. Insights were also provided into potential syngeries between surfactant and other additives such as friction reducer, scale inhibitor, biocides and proppant, thereby leading to a better fracturing fluids design. When properly selected,  surfactant containing fracturing fluids tend to lead to better well cleanup and higher ultimate oil recovery.

Biography

Liang Xu is technical manager for frac fluid additives at Multi-Chem, a Halliburton Service. He has been working in the oil patch about ten years. He's responsible for developing fracturing additives including surfactant, friction reducer and proppant transport, etc. He was the recipient of the MVP award for surfactant technologies from Halliburton Academy and his RockOn surfactant technology was voted the best production chemical in 2013 by World Oil. He has authored or co-authored over fifteen SPE papers and several issued patents. He holds a PhD in chemical engineering from the University of Houston.

13.) Operational decision making: What makes a decision 'good'?       

 Margaret Crichton 

People Factor Consultants Ltd

Abstract

So often, decisions are assessed as 'good' or 'bad'. These assessments are typically made in retrospect, based on the outcome of the decision and made by people other than the actual decision maker. Most operational decisions are made in time-pressured, dynamic, chaotic, uncertain environments, therefore it is essential that decision makers appreciate the range and effects of variables that can influence their decision making. But what affects whether a decision is considered to be good or bad? This presentation describes the decision making process, the influences on that process, as well as the biases that affect decision making, supported by a case study. By gaining a greater understanding of the decision making processes of both individuals and teams, decision makers can avoid the traps that might befall them, and focus on the effectiveness of a decision at the time it was made. A key take-away from this presentation is the recognition of the importance of situation awareness as the first stage in the decision making process, as well as the impact of stress, in order to increase the confidence and competence of decision makers. 

Biography 

Margaret Crichton (MA(Hons), MSc, PhD, CPsychol, AFBPsS, MCIEHF) is a Chartered Psychogist, a Visiting Professor at The Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, and is on the Committee of the SPE Human Factors Technical Section. Her primary interest is human factors, especially non-technical skills (NTS) such as decision making (especially under stress), situation awareness, and communication, and she undertakes projects to research NTS problems and recommend solutions. She works predominantly with organisations that have a high priority on safety and reliability, such as oil and gas (drilling and production), nuclear power production, power distribution,  emergency services, and Governments. She regularly speaks at conferences and has published extensively in academic and practitioner journals, and books.

14.) Moving Beyond Stereotypes and Bias: Multiculturalism Starts Within 

Maria Angela Capello 

Kuwait Oil Company (KOC

Abstract 

In today’s global oil and gas industry, operators and service companies need to develop and utilize local talent in overseas projects, as well as mobilize experienced employees to foreign worksites, ensuring that the best skills are in the right place. Organizations and individual employees increasingly face tough decisions when potential contracts or jobs are in countries with different cultural settings.

When we move to new locations outside our comfort zone, we may experience a culture change, and our proven strategies to achieve success do not seem to work anymore. We realize that our technical skills are not sufficient to flourish in the new setting. There are fundamental changes even in basic concepts, like time, accountability, teamwork, commitment, and transparency, to name just a few.

Three main abilities are critical to master work and life in a different cultural setting: curiosity, flexibility, and the capacity to re-learn. Internal reflection is the key, as no recipe will provide the correct answers in every situation. Shifting our own perspectives about other cultures, stepping aside from bias and stereotyping to embrace multiculturalism within – that is the winning strategy. As a result of adopting this multicultural approach, you can enjoy a more progressive career path, acquire a competitive edge in international industry relations, and help your company – and SPE – expand business worldwide.

Biography

Maria A. Capello is a senior advisor in field development and organizational enhancement strategies for the energy sector, and was instrumental in launching innovative implementations in Latin America, USA, and the Middle East. She is currently coordinating the standardization of reservoir management best practices across KOC and the Professional Women Network for the eight companies in the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation holding. Previously, she worked at Halliburton and PDVSA. Maria is Italian-Venezuelan, studied in the USA, and has lived in Kuwait for the past 10 years, developing her career on three continents. She is a geophysicist with a BS from the Universidad Simon Bolivar in Venezuela, an MS from the Colorado School of Mines (USA), and is certified in Business and Training. Maria is an SPE Distinguished Member and received a Regional Service Award. She is a Lifetime Member of SEG and served as Vice-President in 2005-06.

15.) Minimizing Environmental and Safety Risks to Sustain Resource Recovery – A Case Study

Marina Voskanian

California State Lands Commission

Abstract

Management of environmental and personnel hazard risks is one of the most critical components of a corporate business plan worldwide, and can significantly impact the ability to achieve the maximum potential from a resource. These risks can be effectively managed only through tested, proven, and state-of-the-art prevention methods. This principle is central to a resource development strategy. Well planned risk mitigation practices described in this presentation can help assure uninterrupted resource development and recovery, and avoid premature termination of production, loss of revenue and significant human and environmental cost. In California, risk mitigation efforts on state offshore oil fields have been practiced for decades. Its oil spill and safety hazard prevention programs have played a significant role in sustaining the States resource development and production. This lecture will highlight the elements of California’s effective risk mitigation practices and its benefits.  State-of-the-art pipeline and facility inspection and testing procedures, blowout preventer inspection and certification, utilization of advanced well drilling technologies, and structural assessment of offshore platforms, are significant components of this program.  The success which these risk prevention programs have had can be a template which domestic and international developers and regulators can follow. By way of contrast, this lecture also presents a case study highlighting the consequences of a poorly planned and executed risk mitigation plan involving an oil spill into the ocean from an onshore pipeline by a major pipeline company.  The environmental impact from this event has had widespread financial consequences, but the lessons learned from it can be universally beneficial if applied correctly.  

Biography

Ms. Voskanian is the Division Chief of the California State Lands Commission and directs the leasing and management of State lands for the efficient extraction of oil, gas, geothermal, and other minerals. Marina has been employed with the State since 1987, and prior to that, worked 11 years for Exxon, Southern California Gas, and Phillips Petroleum.  Marina received several Certificate of Excellence Awards from the State. An active SPE member, she served as the SPE Western Regional Director from 1992-96.  She received several other SPE awards: 1991 Regional Service Award, 2000 Distinguished Member and Distinguished Service Award, 2013 Western North American Region HSE Award.  She is a three time SPE Distinguished Lecturer, and selected again as Distinguished Lecturer for 2017.  She was honored at SPE’s 2016 Annual Meeting in Dubai, where she was awarded SPE’s Health, Safety, Security, Environment, and Social Responsibility Award.   In 2013, she was nominated by the US Secretary of Interior to the US EITI Advisory Board for six years and also serves as the 2016 Chairperson of the Baldwin Hills Conservancy Board. Marina is a Registered Petroleum Engineer and received her graduate degrees in petroleum engineering from USC where later she served as a part-time lecturer for 15 years.

16.) Automated Interpretation of Wireline and LWD Formation Testing Dynamic Data 

Mark Proett

Aramco Services Company

Abstract

Wireline (WL) and Logging-While-Drilling (LWD) formation tester measurements provide a link between the static petrophysical measurements and dynamic rock-fluid properties for enhanced formation evaluation. However, despite the significant advancements in these services, there are still barriers. The analysis of Wireline (WL) and Logging-While-Drilling (LWD) formation testing has traditionally been performed by a skilled testing analyst using specialized software and theoretical models to generate results and assess the data vitality. This can be a time-consuming process involving analyzing over 100 pressure transients. In practice, the petrophysicists and geoscientists rarely have access to a detailed analysis in the time frame required and typically revert to other methods. Some of the methods are ad hoc, but there is a growing consensus that several convenient, simple, and effective real-time measurements can be used for an objective evaluation of the dynamic data. This talk demonstrates a straightforward automated process that has been developed by which real-time measurements, which are routinely recorded, are used to automatically generate the results. Basic principles are used to develop quality parameters and a test rating system that can guide the analyst in the objective determination of the vitality of the results for each test. In this way, the highest quality testing results are used for fluid gradients and log correlations to improve the integration of the dynamic data into the petrophysical analysis. This also enables standards to be established for real-time data acquisition that can save testing time while improving data and quality. This automated method is being applied routinely and several field examples are used to illustrate the utility and time savings of this new workflow.

Biography

Mark Proett is a Sr. Petroleum Engineering Consultant for Aramco Services Company, Upstream Group in Houston. Mark is best known for his publications advocating the viability of the formation testing-while-drilling (FTWD) introduced in 2002. He has been awarded 61 US patents and authored over 60 technical papers, most of which deal with sampling and testing analysis methods. He has been an SPWLA Distinguished Speaker and SPE Distinguished Lecturer. In 2008 Mark received the SPWLA Distinguished Technical Achievement Award and in 2013 the SPE Gulf Coast Regional Formation Evaluation Award. Mark has a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Maryland and his Master of Science from Johns Hopkins University.

17.) Petrophysical Rock Typing – A Solution for Modeling Heterogeneous Reservoirs 

Mark Skalinski 

Chevron

Abstract

 ock typing provides a vehicle to propagate petrophysical properties through association with geological attributes and therefore is critical for distributing reservoir properties such as permeability and water saturation in the reservoir model. The conventional approach to rock typing have significant gaps in:  incorporating diagenetic processes, transferring rock types from the core domain to log domain, accounting for  multiple pore systems and  using appropriate methodology  to distribute Petrophysical Rock Types (PRTs) in the static reservoir model. Presented PRT Workflow addresses these issues in a comprehensive and consistent manner.

The objective of  this approach is the  determination of   PRTs, which control static properties and  dynamic behavior of the reservoir while optimally linking to geological attributes (depositional and diagenetic) and their spatial interrelationships trends. The ultimate goal is to determine and predict rock types in the log domain, which enables the linkage between available core information and the 3D reservoir model.

This PRT approach is novel for the fact that it: 1) integrates geological processes (depositional, diagenetic and mechanical), petrophysics and earth modeling aspects of rock typing in one comprehensive workflow. 2) integrates core and log scales and therefore provides consistent input to reservoir models in log domain 3) uses a novel pore typing method addressing multimodal pore systems and 4) provides a flexible “road map from core to 3D model for variable data scenarios This presentation introduces the rationale behind this integrated workflow and demonstrates its workings and agility through application examples to several carbonate fields. The workflow can be applied to any heterogenous reservoir.

Biography

Mark T. Skalinski is currently a Senior Research Consultant in Petrophysics at Chevron Energy Technology Company (ETC). He holds M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in Geophysics from the University of Mining and Metallurgy (AGH) in Kraków, Poland. His previous assignments include: Tengizchevroil in Kazakhstan, Chevron Canada Resources, CABGOC in Angola, Husky Oil in Calgary, ONAREP in Morocco, and AGH University in Kraków. Mark’s interests includes: rock typing methodology, multi-mineral modeling, carbonate workflows, application of statistical methods in Petrophysics and integrated field studies.

Mark served as the guest editor for Petrophysics Journal and Distinguished SPWLA Speaker and is a reviewer of several technical journals. He is author or co-author of more than 50 papers and conference presentations He is a member of SPE, SPWLA, and AAPG.

18.) Optimizing liquid recoveries from shales through geologic, geomechanical, fluid and operating considerations       

Milind D. Deo 

University of Utah

Abstract

Production of oil in the United States nearly doubled to about 10 million barrels a day over a five year span primarily due to increased production of liquids from shale plays.  The technological advances that led to this increase were impressive, but there were also some system failures. Improving production of liquids from low-permeability, shale plays requires an integrated understanding of the interaction of fluid thermodynamic and formation geologic and geomechanical properties.  Reservoir simulation and response surface methods helped establish the important factors that control liquid recoveries.  Matrix permeability and hydraulic fracture spacing are at the top of the list, and six out of the eight factors were geologic. A transient material balance method was used successfully in the Permian Basin for the calculation of reservoir permeability early in production.  Liquid rates and recoveries improved when the wells were operated at higher bottom-hole pressures, which is now being recognized and implemented by some producers. A dicrete-element geomechanical model to determine the morphology of hydraulic fractures is used to guide the fracturing process.  A method to accurately simulate large multi-fracture, multi-well areas to optimize fracture and well spacing is described. Recovery of liquids from shales could be improved by operating the wells at higher pressures, and by optimizing fracture and well spacing.

Biography

Milind Deo is the Peter D. and Catherine R. Professor and Chair of Chemical Engineering at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City.  He is also an affiliate senior scientist at the Energy and Geoscience Institute, a large consortium of upstream companies at the University of Utah. He has a B.S. from IIT Madras in India and Ph.D. from University of Houston in Chemical Engineering.  He was a post-doctoral fellow at Stanford University before joining the University of Utah faculty in1989.  His research interests are in reservoir engineering, enhanced oil recovery, carbon dioxide injection for EOR and sequestration, flow assurance and geothermal energy production. He was the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in the College of Engineering, before taking over as the Department Chair.  He has supervised the Ph.D. dissertations of 29 students and the Masters work of about a dozen students.  He is the Fellow of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers and has been recognized for Reservoir Description and Dynamics by the Rocky Mountain North America Region.  

19.) Adopting New Technologies to Enhance Stimulation Efficiency: Temporary Diverters       

Mojtaba Pordel Shahri 

Weatherford

Abstract

Fluids introduced into a wellbore for stimulation applications typically take the path of least resistance and therefore frequently go into areas where there are open flow paths. In many cases, these are neither areas you want to stimulate to enhance production by using a refracturing operation in unconventional reservoirs, nor areas from which formation damage needs to be removed by using an acidizing operation in carbonate reservoirs. Recently developed solid particulate degradable diverters promote efficient plugging, which helps to create nearly impermeable seals and aids fluid diversion. These solid particulate materials are capable of degrading over time from a solid polymer state to a clear, nondamaging, liquid monomer solution, eliminating the need for mechanical removal after intervention. This presentation describes how different advanced modeling (analytical and numerical), experimental, and field data mining approaches can be used to design and optimize different stages of fluid diversion. Application of lessons learned and engineered design key practices are shown by means of case studies.

Biography 

Mojtaba P. Shahri is a Senior Geoscientist in the Weatherford RD&E department in Houston, Texas. His current research interests include completion and stimulation design and optimization. He has authored more than 45 technical papers and holds 7 pending US patent applications. Shahri received SPE Star, SPE Henry DeWitt Smith, SPE Nico van Wingen, SPE-GCS Exemplary Volunteer, and SPE Regional Young Member Outstanding Service Awards. He holds a Ph.D. degree in petroleum engineering from the University of Tulsa and is a registered Professional Engineer.

20.) Essential Pre-Requisites for Maximizing Success from Big Data         

Muhammad Khakwani 

Saudi Aramco

Abstract 

Big Data is an emerging technology in Information Management that holds promising returns on investment, as it can provide advanced analytics capabilities. It is well suited for large enterprises, and when used properly, it can lead to breakthroughs in analytics, deriving information from data that was previously not possible. However, a Big Data project cannot be approached using traditional IT system design and methods. Its success relies on teamwork and collaboration among petroleum engineering subject matter experts, senior IT professionals, and data scientists. To ensure that Big Data initiatives do not deliver poor results or disappoint, Big Data projects require significant preparation, which dramatically increases the chances of success. This presentation provides practical information about how to get started and what to consider in your plan, and it gives useful tips and examples for planning and executing a Big Data project. At the end of the presentation, attendees will know what Big Data is, what it offers, how to plan such projects, what the roles and responsibilities are for the key project members, and how these projects should be implemented to benefit their organization. Big Data analytics offers enterprises a chance to move beyond simply gathering data to analyzing, mining, and correlating results for insights that translate into business solutions.  

Biography

Muhammad S. Khakwani is a Senior Information Systems Consultant and the leading Data Architect for Upstream data at Saudi Aramco. He has more than 25 years of experience in the IT industry working for large enterprises in Canada and the United States, and for the last 17 years in the Oil & Gas industry in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. He has in-depth expertise in database design as well as data management, standardization, and governance. He has designed and implemented data warehouse solutions, formulated Real-Time data strategies, and devised controls for Data Security for Saudi Aramco. His current responsibilities include designing and managing the Upstream enterprise data model, as well as strategizing and managing policies related to the corporate Upstream database necessary to meet changing business needs at Saudi Aramco. He has a BS from University of Western Ontario, and an MIS from Webster University.

22.) Breaking Down Conventional Barriers with Managed Pressure Drilling        

Patrick Brand 

Blade Energy Partners

Abstract

Managed Pressure Drilling (MPD) was introduced in 2000 as an adative drilling technology for pricely controlling the pressure profile in the wellbore.  Utilizing applied surface pressure, MPD provides an addition degree of freedom in the design and drilling of wells.  MPD has been utilized successfully in drilling projects to mitigate or eliminate problems associated with conventional drilling operations.  MPD has been used for early kick detection, driling through narrow pore pressure/fracture pressure windows, reduction of the probability of lost returns, identifying and eliminating issues of wellbore breathing (ballooning), and pore pressure/fracture gradient mapping.  An area that has great potential, but has gainned little attention, is the ability to utilize MPD for dynamic influx control.  MPD changes the primary barrier envelope to well control, allowing small influxes to be managed through the MPD system.    This lecture describes the current state of dynamic influx control and its limitations. It shows how conventional well control practices actually increase the probability of secondary well control problems, and thus risk.  The basis for and practical applications of dynamic influx control are presented. Conditions under which dynamic influx control is practicable, and when conventional well control should be invoked, are discussed.  Adoption of Dynamic Influx Control eliminates many problems associated with the current conventional methods of well control, allowing the control of the well to be regained safer, quicker and with less risk of secondary problems, including underground blowouts, stuck pipe, lost returns and secondary kicks. 

Biography

Patrick Brand is a founding partner of Blade Energy Partners and former Drilling Technology Advisor for Mobil.  In his 36 years in upstream oil and gas, Patrick has made numerous innovative and fundamental contributions to MPD, including the development of Dynamic influx control, dynamic pore pressure and fracture pressure determination.  Patrick is a former Chairman of the IADC UBO and MPD Committee and the SPE Re-Write committee for UBD.  Patrick has over 20 archival publications on various technical subjects. Patrick is a registered professional engineer for the State of Texas. Education credits include a BS degree in Civil Engineering from Texas A&M University.