--> Abstract: Movable Oil Identification and Viscosity Estimation in Lower Fars Heavy Oil Reservoir – A Case Study, by Khalid Ahmed, Mansoor A. Rampurwala, and Girija S. Padhy; #90105 (2010)

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AAPG GEO 2010 Middle East
Geoscience Conference & Exhibition
Innovative Geoscience Solutions – Meeting Hydrocarbon Demand in Changing Times
March 7-10, 2010 – Manama, Bahrain

Movable Oil Identification and Viscosity Estimation in Lower Fars Heavy Oil Reservoir – A Case Study

Khalid Ahmed1; Mansoor A. Rampurwala2; Girija S. Padhy3

(1) Field Development Heavy Oil (NK), Kuwait Oil Company, Ahmadi, Kuwait.

(2) Schlumberger Oil Field, Ahmadi, Kuwait

(3) Schlumberger Oil Field, Ahmadi, Kuwait.

Reservoir fluid typing is one of the key parameters in well completion and field development planning. While the resistivity and nuclear logs provide basic information about fluid type, detailed but non-continuous fluid profiling is obtained from downhole PVT sampling. The recent advancement in NMR logging helps immensely for the continuous fluid identification.

The Lower Fars formation in Kuwait is a shallow unconsolidated sandstone heavy oil reservoir. The oil viscosity in the field varies from tens to thousands of centipoises both vertically and laterally. In-situ PVT-quality Fluid sampling with wireline formation testers in this low pressure reservoir is quite challenging and time consuming. Advanced NMR logging technique deployed was successful in identifying movable oil and to provide a continuous oil viscosity profile.

The presence of clay within heavy oil sand affects fluid identification as the clay bound water and heavy oil NMR signals overlay and occur at fast relaxation domain. The standard diffusion method has poor resolution at early T2 domain and interpretation suffers from the effect of restricted diffusion. The advanced NMR logging tool provides measurement at multiple radial depths and the diffusion measurement is found useful in identifying movable oil in such environment. An integrated approach combining advanced NMR log with the nuclear and resistivity logs is used to identify movable oil and fluid type variation and to estimate a continuous oil viscosity profile. NMR Station measurements helped to enhance signal to noise ratio to increase confidence in log interpretation. The viscosity profile estimated using this approach correlate quite well with the PVT sample analysis available in the field.

The next logical step is the optimization of workflow to produce consistent and more quantitative viscosity results, which may require lab NMR measurement of Lower Fars oil samples and core calibration.