Water Management Experience in

Mature Basin in South Argentina

Case Study of Golfo San Jorge Basin

Eng . Clemente Marcelo Hirschfeldt

OilProduction Oil & Gas Consulting
Patagonia Argentina

BIT`s 3rd Annual World Congress of Well Stimularion and EOR

April 25-27 . 2012 – Xian. China
Overview

o Argentina – Introduction to the regional Context

o Golfo San Jorge Basin (GSJB)
o Water Management in GSJB
o Water treatment and distribution
o Water flooding projects
o Water Management Cost
o Well integrity management
o Conclusions
 Argentina
Introduction to the regional Context

WSEOR World Congress - April 25-27 . 2012 – Xi`an. China

 Argentina and regional context

Venezuela Total South America Oil production

6,923,789 bopd
Guyanas

Colombia

Ecuador

Peru Brazil 592,846 bpd

Peru
Bolivia
8.6 %

Paraguay

Chile Argentina
Uruguay

Source: Journal of Petroleum Engineering (JPT) November 2011

WSEOR World Congress - April 25-27 . 2012 – Xi`an. China

 Argentina - Oil & Gas Statistics

North-West
5 Productive Basins
Oil 592,496 bpd
Cuyana Gas 4.8 Bcfpd
2,320 miles / 3,734 km

Water 5.69 MM bpd

Neuquina
Water % 90 %

Golfo San Jorge

Active Wells: 24,750

Source: Energy Secretary of Argentina . November 2011

Austral

WSEOR World Congress - April 25-27 . 2012 – Xi`an. China

 Argentina – Production evolution

Water: 5,694,945 bpd

Oil: 592,496 bpd

WSEOR World Congress - April 25-27 . 2012 – Xi`an. China

 Golfo San Jorge Basin (GSJB)
105 years of history

WSEOR World Congress - April 25-27 . 2012 – Xi`an. China

 Introduction to Golfo San Jorge Basin

Peru 28 MM acre

 Located in Patagonia Argentina

 First oil well was drilled in Comodoro
Rivadavia city in 1907

WSEOR World Congress - April 25-27 . 2012 – Xi`an. China

 Introduction to Golfo San Jorge Basin

Oil 278,865 bpd

28,000 M acre
Gas 0.51 Bcfpd

Water 2.94 MM bpd

Water % 90 %
Active Wells: 13,163

 Water Injector wells: 2,718

Source: Energy Secretary of Argentina . November 2011

WSEOR World Congress - April 25-27 . 2012 – Xi`an. China

 GSJB – Main Characteristics
 Faults and sand stone lenses
 HWOR (high water-oil ratio)
 Increasing fluid flow rate per well
 Reservoirs from 2,000 to 9000 feet
 up to 35 different reservoirs opened
 Vertical wells (5 ½” casing)
 Semi-desert environment

WSEOR World Congress - April 25-27 . 2012 – Xi`an. China

GSJB - Enviroment and Landscape
 GSJB – Production evolution

3.50 500,000
Water Oil
Water - Millons of bpd

3.00 450,000

2.50 400,000

Oil - bpd
2.00 350,000

1.50 300,000

1.00 250,000

0.50 200,000

0.00 150,000

WSEOR World Congress - April 25-27 . 2012 – Xi`an. China

 Water Management in GSJB
Objetives and Challenges

WSEOR World Congress - April 25-27 . 2012 – Xi`an. China

 Objetives of Water Management in GSJB

Water Environment
handling cost Impact

Increase oil Increase

production Reserves

Increasing Asset Value Improving the Water

Management Process

WSEOR World Congress - April 25-27 . 2012 – Xi`an. China

 Water System Scheme
13,163 wells
(13,023 with ALS)
Treatment and 2,718
GAS OIL Water pipelines
injection plants injectors wells

aquifer

disposal

up to 35 different Selective injection

reservoirs opened (waterflooding
projects)

From 3000 to 9000 ft

Activities related to water management

GAS OIL Water Treatment Power supplay Surface

Distribution

Well Integrity
aquifer
Management
disposal

Production
Optimization
Downhole
Distribution

Reservoir Management
 The Water System and activities related

WSEOR World Congress - April 25-27 . 2012 – Xi`an. China

 Water treatment and distribution

WSEOR World Congress - April 25-27 . 2012 – Xi`an. China

 Water Treatment

 not complex process in GSJB

 75 process and pumping plants

Tipical Treatment
 Suspended Solids and Oil Removal
 Dissolved Oxygen removal
 Scale prevention
 Bacteria Control
 Corrosion Control
WSEOR World Congress - April 25-27 . 2012 – Xi`an. China
 Surface distribution

 2.94 Millons of bpd of water injected

 2,718 injectors wells
 Close to 170 injection manifold
 Individual Electromagnetic Flowmeters
 Scada sistems for surveillance

WSEOR World Congress - April 25-27 . 2012 – Xi`an. China

 Downhole distribution

 Selective Injection
 Up to 15 mandrels
 Wireline operation is requiered for moving
valves and measuring the individual water
flow rate
 Surveillance on injection patterns with tracers
 Waterflooding projects in GSJB
the key for water management

WSEOR World Congress - April 25-27 . 2012 – Xi`an. China

 GSJB - Water Injection vs Oil production

117,006 bopd

 100 % of water produced is injected for Secundary Recovery Projects

 Close to 250 Waterflooding Projects in GSJB
Oil production from Secundary Recovery Projects

December 2011

Recovery Factor Primary: 9 -15 %

Recovery Factor Secundary: 5-10%
 Oil production from Secundary Recovery Projects

WSEOR World Congress - April 25-27 . 2012 – Xi`an. China

 % of water produced

WSEOR World Congress - April 25-27 . 2012 – Xi`an. China

 Water balance
Bottlenecks Analysis

WSEOR World Congress - April 25-27 . 2012 – Xi`an. China

 Water balance & Bottlenecks Analysis
When the limit of water handling is reached, we can
consider at least two options
Oil production & Water sources Water injection

Primary
Production Disposal
Secundary rec. Treatment and
Production transportation
Water
water supply flooding
wells

Reduce water production Increase the water injection

capacity

technical and economic analysis is requiered in both cases

WSEOR World Congress - April 25-27 . 2012 – Xi`an. China

 Water balance & Bottlenecks Analysis
Restrictions that could affect the Water Injection
Oil production & Water sources Water injection

Primary
Production Disposal

Secundary rec. Treatment and

Production transportation
Water
water supply flooding
wells

 Low injectivity at the reservoir

 Treatment and distribution capacity limited
 Enviromental problems
 Economic limit

WSEOR World Congress - April 25-27 . 2012 – Xi`an. China

 Water balance & Bottlenecks Analysis
Possible Actions
Oil production & Water sources Water injection

Production
primary Disposal

Production Treatment and

Secundary Rec transportation
Water
water supply flooding
wells

 Water shut-off (a few porjects in GSJB)  Injector Wells stimulation (increase

 Insolate water zone (some time oil
production is insolated too)
 Downhole Oil And Water Separator (
not used in GSJB)
 Shut-in producers wells (the last
decision)
injectivity)
 Well convertion ( producer to injector)
 Improve the treatment and transportation
 Modification patterns of injection and/ or
EOR projects implementation (improve the
recovery factor and economic benefits)

Review the devolopment plan

 Water management cost
How affect the total cost

WSEOR World Congress - April 25-27 . 2012 – Xi`an. China

 Lifting cost vs % of water produced

Reference: SPE 69559 (2001) Forecast Techniques for Lifting Cost in Gas and Oil Onshore
Fields - Ricardo E. Martínez-Perez Companc
 Lifting Cost Distribution Average in GSJB

Others
Personel 5%
12% Oil Treatment Water
Surface 3% Treatment
Manteinance 3%
17%
Energy - Fluid
Lifting
15%

Energy -
Water
Injection
8%
Sub-Surface Energy - Fluid
Manteinance Transportation
35% 2%

WSEOR World Congress - April 25-27 . 2012 – Xi`an. China

+- 24 %
 Well Integrity Management

WSEOR World Congress - April 25-27 . 2012 – Xi`an. China

 Problem description in GSJB
 Due to the Environmental Security Regulation,
it is necessary to guarantee a perfect
mechanical integrity in injector wells.

 This means to obtain hermeticity in the Casing-

Packer-Tubing system, between the top Packer
and well-head, during the operative life of the
well.

 The injector wells in the Golfo San Jorge Basin

are subjected to extreme variations of
operative conditions (pressure and
temperature), which cause premature failure in
assembly

WSEOR World Congress - April 25-27 . 2012 – Xi`an. China

 Enviromental Requirements

 Protect the fresh water zones

 Control the survellance of the repaired injector
wells
 Ensure the control of annulus pressure (second
barrier)

Circumferential Acoustic Scanning Tool-Visualization (CAST-V)

WSEOR World Congress - April 25-27 . 2012 – Xi`an. China
 Conclusions
 In mature fields, some times the water control is not an optinons,
and it`s necesary to produce water for producing oil. Investment
in treatment facilities, distribution and injection will be required
 A continue water balance a and surveillance is important for
improving the oil production
 Continue lifting cost analysis is requiered in mature fields
 EOR projects implementation could be an option for improving
the recovery factor, but it will depend on the return on investment
(EOR projects can have long-term results)
 Team work between Production, Reservoir and Facilities
Engineering and Production Operations is necesary for developing
and monitoring water flooding projects, and managing the water
distribution
“Improving the Water Management Process we can Increasing the
Asset Value"
WSEOR World Congress - April 25-27 . 2012 – Xi`an. China
 References
• Some Applications of Diagnostics under High WOR Production. SPE Applied Technology
Workshop Management of High WOR/High Gross Production Oilfields. Comodoro
Rivadavia, Argentina. 2006. Francois Groff. Schlumberger
• Options to Solve Casing Leaks - SPE ATW Well Integrity Workshop From Conception To
Abandonment. Buenos Aires, Argentina. 17-18 November, 2011. Fernando Bertomeu –
Daniel Villota (Sinpec Argentina)
• Integrity Wells in Mature Fields - SPE ATW Well Integrity Workshop From Conception To
Abandonment. Buenos Aires, Argentina. 17-18 November, 2011. Lamberghini Lucia -
Teodoulou Marcelo-Melina Carrizo (Pan American Energy – Argentina)
• SPE 69559 (2001) Forecast Techniques for Lifting Cost in Gas and Oil Onshore Fields -
Ricardo E. Martínez-Perez Companc
• Case History: New Developments and Applications of the Circumferential Acoustic
Scanning Log to improve the Identification of Pipe Corrosion for Wells in the San Jorge
Basin, Argentina. SPE Applied Technology Workshop Management of High WOR/High
Gross Production Oilfields. Comodoro Rivadavia, Argentina. 2006. Diego Morelli, Alberto
Utrera, Marcelo Teodoulou and Ernesto Mendonca .Pan American Energy LLC / Emiliano
López, Carlos Frias and Claudio Quintavalla Halliburton Wireline and Perforating Services
• Estadísticas de producción Cuenca del Golfo San Jorge. OilProduction.net
• Slickline y wireline in intervenciones de pozos inyectores de agua en proyectos de
recuperación secundaria. Omar Maturana. Secondary Recovery Operations
 References
• Lifting Cost Analysis in Golfo San Jorge Basin. Alejandro Figueroa. ENAP Sipetrol
Argentina
• Energy Balance in Mature Fields. Mariano Ciapparelli. ENAP Sipetrol . Argentina
• Golfo San Jorge Basin: a case study of mature field development in Argentina. (SPE
Student Contest LACPEC 2012. Ciudad de México) Ing. Barrientos Soledad Vanesa,
Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia San Juan Bosco. Faculty Sponsor: Ing. Marcelo
Hirschfeldt. Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia San Juan Bosco. Argentina
Acknowledgments
The author thanks colleagues from the Golfo San Jorge Basin (Argentina) to share their
valuable experiences for this presentation:
• Alejandro Figueroa, Enap Sipetrol. Argentina
• Daniel Casal, CAPSA. Argentina
• Fernando Bertomeu, Sinopec Argentina
• Hector German Moyano, Pan American Energy. Argentina
• Leoncio del Pozo, CAPSA. Argentina
• Marcelo Teodoulou, Pan American Energy. Argentina
• Mariano Ciaparelli, Enap Sipetrol. Argentina
• Sergio Izquierdo, YPF S.A. Argentina
Clemente Marcelo Hirschfeldt
marcelo@oilproduction.net
www.oilproduction.net