Abstract
Improving recovery in tight gas reservoirs typically mandates infill drilling programs. Characterization of reservoir pressure depletion and sand body continuity are fundamental to determining the economic viability of these projects. An elusive challenge has been to gather fit for purpose pressure data in these tight formations due to the nature of the rock and the granularity of the data necessary. This case study summarizes results for a wireline pressure data collection campaign on twenty wells where more than 120 pressure measurements were taken in the Wamsutter Field, Wyoming.
The observations presented in this case study serve as a model for what can be achieved in similar fields using these techniques. The conditions and limits of pressure data applicability in this environment are set forth.
In tight gas reservoirs new generation wireline tools which employ extremely precise pretest mechanisms can achieve the required data acquisition objectives more efficiently than long-established methods. However, wellbore conditions and data acquisition procedures can greatly influence the quality and limits of data application. A field description, operational lessons learned, data quality observations and conclusions are presented.
This case study represents a statistically significant collection of detailed pressure data in a partially developed, complex, tight formation gas field collected with new generation wireline technology. Operational, interpretation and application recommendations for wireline pressure measurements in the tight gas environment are included.
