Abstract
A multi-lateral oil-producing well A was killed due to excessive water production from Arab-C that is dumping into the Arab-D reservoir. Therefore, the communication between Arab-C and Arab-D where behind the expandable liner is urgently needed to be blocked. Several solutions were investigated in an attempt to stop this flow behind casing. This problem is always a challenging task for field operators. The effect of excess water production on the productive zone, Arab-D reservoir will be substantial in terms of changes in relative permeability of this zone and increased water saturation. This change in the reservoir behavior will result in reduction of well life.
The dead well A is a valuable asset that needs to be effectively utilized throughout the producing life of the field. Therefore, remedial treatments to revive this well are of value in terms of strategic plan to maximize revenues. Although the rigless water conformance method in a multi-lateral oil-producing well is a difficult task to the oil companies because of reservoir heterogeneity, cross-flow, gel placement, and cost.
Several options of water shutoff treatment are proposed to address remedial treatments for water conformance problems. The main objective of this study is to: 1) Identify and characterize the source of produced water, 2) Identify the chemical blocking agents that will flow through the water out zone, and 3) identify an effective technique to optimize the size and the placement of these chemicals. Challenges, design criteria, and field treatment evaluation are addressed in this paper.
