--> Abstract: Abandoned but not Forgotten – Dumbarton, a Brownfield Re-Development, by Emily Ferguson, Simon Rooksby, and Richard Todd; #90072 (2007)

Datapages, Inc.Print this page

Abandoned but not Forgotten – Dumbarton, a Brownfield Re-Development

Emily Ferguson, Simon Rooksby, and Richard Todd
Maersk Oil North Sea U.K. Limited, Aberdeen, United Kingdom

In 1997 the Donan field was abandoned at 70% watercut having produced 15.3 million barrel of oil. In 2006 Maersk Oil, along with partner Noble Energy, received consent to redevelop the field utilising the FPSO “Global Producer III”.
This paper describes one of the first fields to be redeveloped in the UK North Sea and describes the technical evaluation and development scenario. The use of modern 3D seismic coupled with seismic attribute analysis, evolving geological modelling, reservoir simulation and geosteering has enabled commercial development of this Palaeocene oilfield.
The Phase I Dumbarton Development consists of five horizontal producers and one produced water injection well. The uncertainties in the reservoir description are highlighted and the strategy for maximising standoff and areal sweep efficiency to achieve maximum recoverable reserves are described.
The field is 27km south west of Tiffany, and 11km to the northeast of MacCulloch. The five years of previous production history demonstrated the existence of good pressure support from a very large aquifer. The redevelopment of the field employs gas lift to overcome the high water-cuts anticipated.
The oils are good quality, 40deg API and undersaturated with a gas oil ratio of ~400 scf/stb. The original oil water contact was 6460 ft tvdss.
The reservoir sits in the upper portion of the thick (~500ft) Lower Balmoral sands. The sands are 30% porosity and have Darcy permeabilities. The trap is a simple low relief structural dome. Thin but laterally extensive shales exist within the sand package, and are more common towards the top of this unit.
First oil at Dumbarton was on 23rd January 2007.

 

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90072 © 2007 AAPG and AAPG European Region Conference, Athens, Greece