IPA11-E-043
PROCEEDINGS, INDONESIAN PETROLEUM ASSOCIATION
Thirty-Fifth Annual Convention & Exhibition, May 2011
EXTENDED THERMAL STIMULATION IN DOWN DIPPING: PART OF FIELD MATURATION
STRATEGY IN DURI STEAM FLOOD
Rosyadi*
Nugroho Jati*
Mezy Maroni*
ABSTRACT
An effort to stimulate with extended thermal
stimulation in new development wells at down
dipping in Duri field, especially in Eastern part of
Area 8 which is mainly not supported by injectors
applied by utilizing cyclic or mobile steaming unit.
The aims are to improve performance new
development wells at down dip area by improving
its wellbore performance and boosting production
performances by connecting the steam from injector
to producer well and improve thermal stimulation
success on the area with typically lower potential
and enhance oil recovery from down dip reservoir.
 
INTRODUCTION
Reservoir in Duri Field is unconsolidated Sand
reservoir and majority completed with open hole
gravel pack. Fluids properties are heavy oil with 18
– 22 API degrees and steam flood enhance oil
recovery methods had been applied since more than
25 years ago. Majority of the fields are already
mature, however new development wells aiming at
down dip area are still cold and had challenge to
improve inflow performances on these wells. In
inverted 9-spot pattern, new wells that
stratigraphically lower than other wells are less
affected by the steam injection from injector well,
since steam already found pathways to existing
producers.
This paper describes an effort to stimulate with
extended thermal stimulation utilizing cyclic or
mobile steaming unit in new development well at
down dipping in Duri field which is mainly not
supported by injectors. The objectives as follows:
1. Improve performance new development wells
at down dip area by improving its wellbore
performance and boosting production
performances by connecting the steam from
injector to producer well.
* PT. Chevron Pacific Indonesia
2. Improve thermal stimulation success on the
area with typically lower potential and enhance
oil recovery from down dip reservoir.
METHODS
Area 8 Eastern part sediment was developed as
mouth bar which has lower reservoir quality
compared within this Area (transgressive channel),
coarsening upward with higher both Permeability
and resistivity on upper section of the formation.
This part of Area 8 had highest dipping angle which
is 5 degree with no bottom water detected. At this
area also only found single formation, Duri Sand.
Practically there are no dedicated observation wells
at flank Area 8 and no peripheral injector to support
flank down dip producer. Therefore the flank area
in eastern part of Area 8 is remained unsupported
by thermal flooding as described in Figure 1.
Border wells at this section are also still cold shown
by Figure 2. These wells are located at lower
structure compared to injector and it makes steam
relatively reluctant to reach these wells since the
steam already had its flow to structurally up dip
wells. Some wells also experienced decreasing
temperature since 2008 which might be impacted by
reducing amount of steam injection at this section.
Based on this condition we proposed to have
thermal stimulation on the border wells which has
low possibility to be reached by steam, the
stimulation itself need to be diverse from the
ordinary huff and puff job since this section has
lower structure and had different reservoir character
than most Area 8, therefore we proposed extended
thermal stimulation for these wells.
Extended thermal stimulation was basically putting
greater amount of steam to down dipping producer
and closely monitors its steam character, especially
injection rate and steam quality. Proposed total heat
injection between 4 – 8 BBTU/job. The plan
forward is conducting study and analysis to
correlate amount of steam injected at down dipping
producer wells to inflow performance and
temperature trend after steam stimulation.
RESULTS
During 2009-2010, this study had executed 15 wells
in down dipping Eastern part of Area 8 in Duri
Field. The amount of heat injected was varying
between 4 – 8 BBTU/job. With approximately 200
until 300 Barrel steam per day injected through
casing annulus so that these wells need to be put on
injection almost 2 until 4 month periods. To gain
accurate injection data, injection pressure, steam
rate, and steam quality should be closely measured
and monitored during job execution. Based on
Steam quality measurement the result is ~60%
Steam quality, this condition might be caused by
longer injection line between steam generators to
Eastern part of Area 8.
From overall extended Thermal stimulation Job,
this method had successfully increased average
112% oil gain per job. The other positive impact on
this stimulation method had successfully heating
further reservoir at Eastern part of Area 8, this is
concluded from wells which had stable temperature
more than 170 o F for more than 1 year period. This
condition showed that some wells had successfully
connected the steam from injector to producer well
(Figure 3).
Study resulted that in down dipping reservoir has
31% relationship for steam injection and relative oil
gain. It means that the steam injected mostly impact
on the stimulation result. From R square data have
25% and 31 % of good correlation between total
amount of steam injected and incremental Fluid and
Oil rates. The correlation of steam injection and oil
gain per job are represented in Figure 4.
Figure 5 described that each of extended thermal
stimulation job impacted to production
enhancement with estimated life time more than
360 days per Job. This effort had successfully
increase total additional reserve of 113 MMBO
within 1 year stimulation. In the end, extended
thermal stimulation has succeeded to maintain wells
temperature performance and success to arrest
decline on the stimulated area.
CONCLUSIONS
Summary from this extended thermal stimulation
are:
1. Previously these Cold-Side border wells was
hardly can be matured with conventional
flooding methods.
2. Extended H&P in this down dipping Area has
successfully increase its removable reserve and
develop steam connection from injector to
producer. This method also improves wells
optimization by increasing flow capacity and
maintains stable temperature which affect to
production performance and lifetime of its
artificial lift.
Lessons learned:
1. Long extended periods may better stimulation
for unvisited flank wells.
2. Thermal stimulation proven to be effective to
accelerate inflow production for cold wells at
down dipping areas.
Best practices adopted and to share:
1. Utilize portable steam generator to accurately
control steam pressure, injection rate, and steam
quality.
2. Rapidly measure and recalculate stimulation
design during injecting periods.
Challenges on the project:
1. Significant difference structure of dip producers
and injector.
2. Execution during rainy season had impact on
some schedule changes and creates obstacle
during stimulation.
3. Steam quality measurement are moderately high
cost
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
We would like to Thank you BP MIGAS and PT.
Chevron Pacific Indonesia for allowing us to
present this study at IPA Convention and exhibition
in May 2011. Also we would like to Rizal Haroen,
Gregg Molesworth, Anang Sofyan and Supriono
Hariyadi for supervising and supporting us on this
project.
Figure 1 - Eastern Part of Area 8 Duri Field with approximately 5 degree dipping from west to east
direction.

Figure 2 - Eastern Area 8 with border wells are still cool especially on the side wells.
Figure 3 -Extended stimulation result, temperature shown increase and impacted on increasing
oil volume. These methods considered successful from temperature trend which is
stable after 1 year lifetime.

Figure 4 -BBTU steam injected vs Barrel fluid-oil Gain correlation: From R square data had
shown at 25% and 31 % of good correlation between total amount of steam injected
and incremental fluids and oil Rates.
Figure 5 - Normalized Oil Production. Increasing average 112% oil gain/job with expected life
time of 360 days.