The Concealed Treasure in Ultra-Mature Fields - Re Accessing the Bypassed Hydrocarbons

Abstract This paper includes two success stories in drilling new oil wells in an ultra-mature fields by re-accessing the oil reserves in two fields Field#1 and Field#2 that located in the Gulf of Suez (GOS) one of them based on the theory of oil segregation and healing of the water coning after long shut in for the reservoir and the second well was targeting multi-reservoir to produce the bypassed oil from an old P&A well after the damage of the offshore platform. Extensive work conducted from all the team members includes different disciplines Engineering and Geoscience in both fields that concluded the presence of oil reserves in different reservoirs Nubia-M1 in Field#1 and two main reservoirs in Field#2 which are Nubia-C and Matulla. The team studied the movement of the oil water contact for the Nubia and the interpretation confirmed the presence of the bypassed oil in the isolated intervals that requires re-access by drilling new wells to get these reserves. For the first well (Field#1_ a trial done for the well to work over in order to re-access these reserves in addition to oil potential in the top of Nubia but it wasn't successful so sidetrack is the only option, the sidetrack successfully drilled to the bottom of Nubia-M1 and the open hole logs confirmed oil saturation in the top Nubia (TZ) also confirmed the presence of the bypassed oil that located in the bottom Nubia (M1). The well perforated in the bottom bypassed oil in Nubia-M1 and started production with 1600 BOPD. The other well in field#2 drilled to produce the oil in Nubia and Matulla reserves that left behind from the old P&A well because of the damage of the platform, the well drilled successfully to the bottom of Nubia, found a good oil potential in both Nubia and Matulla, started production with ~ 4500 BOPD before choking back for reservoir management to 3000 BOPD. Both wells are currently on production with remarkable on production rate with stable performance and very gentle water increase.