EXPLORATION AND EXPLOITATION OF A MATURE BASIN SUCCESSFUL APPLICATION OF A PROCESS-DRIVEN MULTI-DISCIPLINARYTEAM APPROACH

Abstract

From the early 1940s until the mid-1980s, hydrocarbon exploration within Austria was focussed upon Tertiary clastic reservoirs within the Vienna Basin. From 1980 to the early 1990s, an increasing number of exploration wells were drilled for carbonate reservoirs within deep thrust anticlines in the Alpine overthrust belt. These were typically high pressure-high temperature wells, and as a result, technically challenging and expensive.

In the early 1990s, after little success within the Alpine overthrust belt, the focus of Austrian exploration was switched back to the 'maturely' explored Vienna Basin. During this period, the integration of historical well data, reprocessed 2D seismic and newly acquired 3D seismic data, evaluated within a sequence stratigraphic framework, has facilitated the accurate placement of multi-target wells. Together with the application of new drilling technology, the result has been a dramatic increase in new field discoveries. The reserves size of exploration and appraisal targets, in accordance with the maturity of the basin, have been relatively small, but, as a result of well-developed infrastructure and low drilling costs, highly profitable.

The drive for increased drilling success and cost reduction and the application of 'new' technology has demanded an even closer integration of disciplines including exploration, reservoir engineering, drilling and production engineering. This integration in turn has necessitated process driven management. Multi- disciplinary teams, working with key contractors in an incentivised environment, achieved risk reduction, increased exploration success and budget reductions. As a result successful exploration has revived the mature Vienna Basin.