Application of Advanced Heavy-Oil-Production Technologies in the Orinoco Heavy-Oil-Belt, Venezuela

Application of Advanced Heavy-Oil-Production Technologies in the Orinoco Heavy-Oil-Belt, Venezuela Jorge Robles Jorge Robles Petrozuata, C.A. Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Paper presented at the SPE International Thermal Operations and Heavy Oil Symposium, Porlamar, Margarita Island, Venezuela, March 2001. Paper Number: SPE-69848-MS https://doi.org/10.2118/69848-MS Published: March 12 2001 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Twitter LinkedIn Get Permissions Search Site Citation Robles, Jorge. "Application of Advanced Heavy-Oil-Production Technologies in the Orinoco Heavy-Oil-Belt, Venezuela." Paper presented at the SPE International Thermal Operations and Heavy Oil Symposium, Porlamar, Margarita Island, Venezuela, March 2001. doi: https://doi.org/10.2118/69848-MS Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentAll ProceedingsSociety of Petroleum Engineers (SPE)SPE International Thermal Operations and Heavy Oil Symposium Search Advanced Search AbstractThe successful application of state of the art drilling technologies such as horizontal and multilateral wells for the development of Zuata field in the Orinoco Belt demands improvements in the areas of artificial lift, fluid gathering and fluid treatment. The economic production of wells with initial potentials beyond 3,000 nbpd challenges both equipment and process.This paper summarizes the latest experiences of Petrozuata C.A. in the Zuata field in the use of electric submersible pumps, and progressive cavity pumps, as well as the application of state of the art instrumentation for monitoring of production parameters.IntroductionPetrozuata C.A. is a strategic association between Conoco Inc. (50.1 %) and Petróleos de Venezuela S.A. (PDVSA, 49.9%). Its main objective is to integrate downstream, upstream, pipeline and marine operations in order to process 120,000 bpd of extra heavy crude to produce about 102,000 bpd of synthetic crude for 35 years. The strategy chosen for this development is cold production through multilateral horizontal wells drilled from clusters, combined with the use of diluent for lift and transport purposes. Petrozuata initially used Mesa-30 oil as diluent. This will be changed to Naphtha when the upgrader starts to operate. In the current scheme the Mesa-30 blend is exported. Once the upgrader operations begin, a distillation tower will recover the Naphtha, which will be sent back to Zuata field through a pipeline. Figure 1 shows field location and pad distribution, including existing and future installations.Petrozuata has approximately 110 producing wells with a total production of 100,000 barrels of extra heavy crude oil per day. Figure 2 illustrates the field production over time. Petrozuata expects to reach 120,000 bpd of extra heavy oil at the end of year 2000. The diluent change over (from Mesa 30 to Naphtha) is planned for the 4th quarter 2000.Reservoir CharacteristicsThe Oficina Formation was deposited during the Miocene, when sedimentation took place from south to north over the southern flank of the Eastern Venezuela Basin, near the Guayana Shield. Zuata is one of the three major prograding/aggrading depositional pulses identified within the Orinoco Belt. This channel depositional system created a complex reservoir architecture, as younger fluvial systems down-cut, erode and re-distribute sediments from earlier-deposited fluvial systems. Table 1 summarizes Reservoir characteristics.Well DescriptionDue to the complexity of the reservoir and as a result of a continuous effort to improve the efficiency to contact the oil in place, well geometry varies from single horizontal wells to very complicated multi-lateral arrangements, including dual gull wings, stacked dual and triple laterals, and combinations of all these with the addition of fishbones, as illustrated in Figure 3.The production-casing diameter is 9 5/8", with tangent sections at 75° to 87° from vertical. Typically the pump tangent section is placed above the upper lateral window.As shown in the previous figures, the final completion typically uses 7 inch slotted liner in the horizontal section.Well Potential Assessment and Lift Selection StrategyPetrozuata uses a correlation derived from core data and based on resistivity logs to estimate permeability of the different zones. Based on the flow capacity (permeability x length) and other geometrical restrictions the lifting method is selected and the system is sized. (See Figure 4)Petrozuata initially targets drawing down wells to 250 psi of Pump Intake Pressure (PIP). In some multilateral wells the initial productivity is so high that even at 3,000 bpd the PIP remains high for several months. Keywords: petrozuata, orinoco heavy oil belt, drilling operation, pip, venezuela jorge roble petrozuata, pump intake pressure, spe 69848, upstream oil & gas, application, completion Subjects: Drilling Operations, Artificial Lift Systems, Directional drilling This content is only available via PDF. 2001. Society of Petroleum Engineers You can access this article if you purchase or spend a download.

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