Challenge
Unlock Stubborn Oil Field Reserves
Oil production at an offshore well pad in the shallow waters of the Caspian Sea dipped well below 500 bpd. Gas injection soared to stem the production decline. These two realities meant a producer was looking for new thinking on options to stimulate a field that had been in operation since the 1950s.
The pad was connected to a local separation and takeaway battery located onshore six miles from the project field. Natural pressure had declined and gas lift was employed to facilitate flow of the 34° API oil. Continual fluid volumes were above 98.4% gas volume fraction (GVF) with intermittent 100% gas slugs. Was a meaningful increase in production still possible under these conditions?