The role of geosteering in developing the Pyrenees Field
Mark Woodall A , Grant Skinner B , Mauro Viandante B , Laura Pontarelli B , Konstantinos Kostas A and Elizabeth Haynes AA BHP Billiton Petroleum.
B Schlumberger.
The APPEA Journal 54(2) 494-494 https://doi.org/10.1071/AJ13067
Published: 2014
Abstract
The Pyrenees Field comprises a series of biodegraded 19° API oil accumulations reservoired in Early Cretaceous sandstones of the Pyrenees Member in the Exmouth Sub-Basin, offshore WA. The reservoir comprises excellent quality, poorly consolidated shallow marine to deltaic sands. Variable thickness oil columns (some with associated gas caps), strong bottom water drive and relatively viscous oil has necessitated the drilling of long (up to 2,000 m) horizontal wells to maximise reservoir exposure while geosteering well to within a few meters of the roof of the reservoir to maximise standoff from the OWCs. The field is covered by excellent quality 3D seismic data; however, pre-drill mapping for well path planning is complicated by the unconformable nature of the top reservoir boundary formed by the sub-cropping Pyrenees Member. Faulting within and localised velocity variations above the reservoir are also a challenge to pre-drill well planning. Cutting-edge geosteering tools have been used to achieve the desired wellpaths. The tools use azimuthal deep induction resistivity measurements to model and predict reservoir and fluid boundaries, taking advantage of the large resistivity contrasts between the overlying sealing mudstones of the Muderong Formation and the oil (and occasionally gas) bearing Pyrenees reservoir sands. This extended abstract discusses the application of the tools both in pre-drill well path planning and the real-time geosteering operation. Operations are managed between the rig and a sub-surface team located in a dedicated geosteering room onshore. Here real-time data is compared with planned wellpaths in 3D seismic and geocellular reservoir models and well path adjustments made to optimise final well placement.
Mark Woodall graduated from Melbourne University in 1986 with a BSc (Hons) in Geology. He joined BHP Billiton in early 1987 and began his extensive career with them working as a wellsite geologist for almost three years. Since then he has worked primarily as a development geologist in both Australia and the USA. Projects within Australia include those within the Bonaparte, Browse, Carnarvon, Exmouth, Gippsland, Northwest Shelf and Otway Basins. Projects outside Australia include those within the Gulf of Mexico, Trinidad, Iran and Pakistan. Most recently his focus has centred on the planning and execution of the geosteering operations for the Pyrenees Field Development, offshore Western Australia. |
Grant Skinner graduated from University of Saskatchewan in 1999 with a BSc in Geology. He has extensive experience in the oil industry including work in Europe, North Africa, North America, India, West Africa and Trinidad. Grant is now a senior geologist working as well placement domain champion for Schlumberger Australasia coordinating geosteering development and operations. Member: FesAUS, SPE and SPWLA. |
Mauro Viandante graduated from the University of Chieti-Pescara in 2005 with an MSc in Geology. He completed a PhD in Geology at University of Chieti-Pescara in collaboration with Geotrack Ltd of Melbourne. Mauro is now senior geologist working as a well placement team leader for Schlumberger Australasia, coordinating geosteering operations. He has been associated with a number of research papers both with academia and oil and gas industry. |
Laura Pontarelli graduated with honours from University of Chieti-Pescara (Italy) in 2007 with an MSc in Structural Geology. She has extensive experience in the oil industry including work in Middle East as a general field engineer for drilling and measurement department and Europe as an LWD interpretation engineer at Schlumberger Ribaud formation evaluation (Paris, France). She is now working as well placement geologist for the data and consulting service at Schlumberger Australasia. |
Kon Kostas graduated from Curtin University in 1993 with a BSc in Physics and Geophysics. Internationally experienced in exploration and development in the oil and gas industry, he has a cross-disciplinary skillset and has been exposed to a variety of basins from land to deep water throughout Australia and Asia. He is working in BHP Billiton as a development geophysicist for the Pyrenees Field development, offshore Western Australia, and actively involved in geosteering as part of a multi-disciplinary team. |
Elizabeth Haynes graduated from the University of Kentucky in 2000 with an MSc in Geology. For the last 14 years, Elizabeth has worked extensively as a geoscientist in both Petroleum and Mining roles; the last 6½ years working for BHP Billiton Petroleum. Most recently, Elizabeth has worked as BHPB production geoscientist for the Pyrenees development, Australia, and Deepwater Gulf of Mexico Shenzi Field, USA. Elizabeth has been an active volunteer for the geologic community, participating on a variety of advisory boards over the years, most recently as Chair of the University of Kentucky Geological Advisory Board. |
References
Hill, R., Hill, R., O’Halloran, G., Napalowski, R., Wanigaratne, B., Elliot, A., and Jackson, M., 2008—Development of the Stybarrow Oil Field, Western Australia. SPE Paper 115373, APOGCE Asia Pacific Oil and Gas Conference and Exhibition, Perth Western Australia.Scibiorski, J.P., Micenko, M., and Lockhart, D. (2005). Recent discoveries in the Pyrenees Member, Exmouth Sub-basin: A new oil play fairway. The APPEA Journal 45, 233–52.
Woodall, M., and Stark, C., 2013—The Stratigraphy of the Pyrenees Member of the Ravensworth, Crosby and Stickle Fields, Exmouth Sub-basin, Northwest Australia: A wave- and storm-dominated shelf-margin delta, in Keep, M., and Moss, S.J. (Eds), 2013, The Sedimentary Basins of Western Australia IV: Proceedings PESA Symposium, Perth, WA, 2013.
