Proposal
The Gulf of Thailand (GOT) has been producing oil and gas for approximately twenty four years and, at present, water production is becoming a serious dilemma for some operators. Because most of the production from the GOT is from co-mingled monobores, having multiple pay sands of highly variable permeability and natural fractures, the risk of early water production is high. Unwanted water production in Thailand has resulted in many of the classic negative effects such as, water "loading", causing lost production and reserves, bottlenecking surface facilities and increased operating costs, due to water handling. Because tourism and fishing are critical to Thailand, the environmental impact of produced water is also a major concern. Several initiatives have been undertaken to address the issue of how best to reduce water production. Companies have tried tubing patches, water shut off treatments and, most recently, Relative Permeability Modifiers (RPMs), which selectively inhibit water flow while having minimal effect on oil or gas production. Such remedial treatments, combined with top-side efforts like water injection, are being used in an effort to minimize the overall effect of produced water in Thailand.
This paper presents, in a holistic approach, the issue of produced water in the GOT. Discussion of environmental issues, costs, disposal options and various methods that have been applied to deal with water production, are covered.
