Abstract: Integrated Reservoir Study for Long-term Economically Sustainable Production from Arecuna Field, Venezuela

CASTILLO, JOSE J., M. SALEEM AKHTER, and DOUGLAS S. HAMILTON

The purpose of this paper is to report the field development strategies identified for long-term economically sustainable production from the Arecuna field, Hamaca Area within the Orinoco Belt in Eastern Venezuela. The Arecuna Field occupies a 385 km2 area with heavy (8-12 deg. API) oil. Nearly 180 reservoirs with a total Oil-in-place (OOIP) volume of 7 Bbbl (billion barrels) and recoverable reserves of 1 Bbbl (14% of OOIP) at current recovery rate have been estimated. Cumulative production is 27 MMbbl (0.4% of OOIP). Reservoir management strategies developed from an integrated reservoir-characterization study by Corpoven, S.A. and the Bureau of Economic Geology aim at achieving sustainable production at a level above 100 Mbd (thousand barrels per day) from the Arecuna field over the next 20 years. 3-D seismic data interpretation integrated with sequence stratigraphic analysis was used to define the high level of structural heterogeneities and compartmentalization within the reservoirs. The fluid distribution in the field mapped to the structural and depositional controls on reservoir architecture were used to define reserve growth potential. Geologically targeted infill drilling, recompletions, advanced techniques of horizontal and multi-lateral completions, and cluster drilling locations will be the basis of long-term development strategies for optimizing cost-effective oil recovery, reducing facility investment and operating expenses and minimizing environmental impact. Significant increases in well productivities have been realized in the horizontal completions which produce at rates of 1,000-2,000 bpd, compared to the conventional completions producing at 100-400 bpd.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90942©1997 AAPG International Conference and Exhibition, Vienna, Austria