SPE-192058-MS

Maximizing Oil Recovery through Gas-Cap Perforation in Strong Water-Drive

Reservoir

Muhammad Abdulhadi, Mohd Najmi Mansor, Nurul Azrin Amiruddin, Toan Van Tran, and Steve Jacobs, Halliburton
Bayan Petroleum; Muhammad Izad Abd Wahid, Mohammad Zulfiqar Usop, Mohd Dzulfahmi Zamzuri, Khairul
Arifin Dolah, Hasim Munandai, and Zainuddin Yusop, PETRONAS Carigali Sdn. Bhd.

Copyright 2018, Society of Petroleum Engineers

This paper was prepared for presentation at the SPE Asia Pacific Oil & Gas Conference and Exhibition held in Brisbane, Australia, 23–25 October 2018.

This paper was selected for presentation by an SPE program committee following review of information contained in an abstract submitted by the author(s). Contents
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Abstract
Reservoir X-7, a watered-out reservoir in Field B, was successfully revived by perforating the original gas-
cap zone to maximize oil recovery, which increased the recovery factor (RF) from 40% to 46%, resulting
in approximately 2,300 BOPD through multiple perforations.
Maintaining the oil column sandwiched between gas and water is the standard practice to maximize oil
recovery in a strong water-drive reservoir. Despite having a strong aquifer and a thick gas cap, Reservoir
X-7 has produced continuously for 30 years without any gas reinjection. The reservoir was producing at
99% watercut, indicating the original oil column was already swept. Subsequent material balance study and
saturation log results confirm that oil migrated into the original gas cap. Given the reservoir condition, an
unconventional approach was proposed to produce the oil column through the original gas-cap zone.
The first gas-cap perforation for Well B-07 successfully produced 500 BOPD, so it was decided to
perform three additional perforations (additional perforations) for Wells A-01, B-12, and B-16, which were
successful with a total 2,000 BOPD oil gain from the three wells. Subsequent additional perforations was
performed in Well B-07 after the original additional perforations watered out. However, the new additional
perforations and subsequent ones in Well B-11 resulted in gas rather than oil. Both wells were shut in.
Once the new perforations are watered out, the remaining oil potential in Reservoir X-7 will be confirmed
by reopening well B-07 and B-11 until either oil or water is produced. The approach has so far provided
approximately 2,300 BOPD of incremental oil production, extending well life by more than 24 months and
allowing the RF to increase from 40% to 46%. It delivered encouraging results and opened up opportunities
for other reservoirs.
This paper provides valuable insight into the case study and lessons learned in terms of maximizing
oil recovery using original gas-cap perforation. This approach is highly recommended as the production
enhancement method for maximizing oil recovery, particularly in mature fields with similar reservoir
conditions.
2 SPE-192058-MS

Field Background
Field B, located in the Balingian geological province approximately 80 km northwest of Bintulu, has a
water depth of 90 ft and is highly compartmentalized and faulted with the presence of almost 100 faults.
The field has three subfields further divided into nine fault compartments (Fig. 1). There are eight primary
reservoirs with more than 20 sub-reservoirs stacked atop one another with multiple drive mechanisms,
including water drive, gas-cap drive, and solution gas drive. Several of these sub-reservoirs are thick sands
where communication exists between them through juxtapositions, sharing gas cap, or aquifer. Other sub-
reservoirs are isolated by thin layers of shale apparent in certain wells but absent in others. The high
complexity of Field B requires any opportunity identified to be thoroughly evaluated and examined before
execution.

Figure 1—Overview of Field B.

The facilities in Field B consisted of four drilling platforms, a processing platform, and a compressor
platform. A total of 48 wells were drilled in the field, with most wells completed as dual-string completions.
The processing platform separates the liquid from gas, which is then transferred to the nearest crude oil
terminal. The gas is compressed, and most of it is exported to the nearest liquefied natural gas plant while
a small amount is used for gas lift purposes. The facilities are designed to be unmanned—there are no
living quarters available. This reduces the effective working hours to only during the day, hence limiting the
window of executing well intervention activities. A dedicated work barge usually serves as accommodations
and allows for 24-hr operation at the drilling platform.
Field B is a moderately sized field discovered in 1976 that began production in 1984. During the 30 years
of oil production, the field peaked at 30,000 BOPD in 1990 and dipped to 3,000 BOPD in late 1999 when
the field was handed to a new operator. The average RF of the reservoirs in Field B is 23%, with the best
SPE-192058-MS 3

reservoir having a RF of more than 50%. Despite consisting of reservoirs with multiple drive mechanisms,
the major contributors in Field B are the water-drive reservoirs with the best quality sand in the field. After
30 years of production, the total field watercut is currently at 80% while oil production is approximately
5,000 BOPD, signifying the diminishing economic life of the field.
In 2012, an agreement was made between the operating companies and the service company to jointly
pursue opportunities pertaining to the redevelopment of Field B and increase field production.

Introduction to Reservoir X-7: Strong Water-Drive Reservoir

Reservoir X-7 was deposited in a lower coastal plain, comprising a shallow wetland of bays and lakes as
evidenced from core data in multiple exploration and appraisal wells. Sandstone facies were predominantly
deposited in upper and lower distributary channels, with lower distributary channels influenced by tide
activities and distributary mouth bars, and they formed a single to stack or multiple story units. The mouth
bars and stacked channels formed multiple sub-reservoirs units, such as Reservoir X-7.0, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, and
7.4. The reservoir exhibits good sand quality with average porosity of 21% and sand thickness of 45 ft. The
core sample supported the porosity value and displayed permeability ranging from 500 to 1,000 md.
Based on seismic data, the reservoir is bound by two large faults on the north and southeastern sides. In
the middle of the reservoir is another smaller fault that separates the northern and southern sides of Reservoir
X-7. These three faults draw closer to each other as they go northeast and toward the crest (Fig. 2). The
geological setting enables the aquifer from the bottom and southwestern side to push the oil toward the
crest, which is almost bound by the fault.

Figure 2—Reservoir X-7 top structure map.

Both the gas/oil contact (GOC) and oil/water contact (OWC) of Reservoir X-7 can be observed from
the wells’ Open Hole logs (Fig. 3), and the quality sand enables the Open Hole log to present a distinct
signature of the GOC. Based on fluid contact, there is a 100 ft oil column in the reservoir sandwiched by a
thick layer of aquifer and large gas cap with "m ratio" of approximately 1.2.
4 SPE-192058-MS

Figure 3—Reservoir X-7 well correlation.

Reservoir X-7's first production was June 1984 from Well A-05 with an initial oil rate of 480 BOPD.
The reservoir then managed to sustain its oil production at approximately 1,250 BOPD from 1984 to 1985.
After three years of production, the gas/oil ratio (GOR) began to increase, hence the well was bean-down
to control gas production, resulting in production decline until the reservoir produced only 200 BOPD by
the end of 1990. At the beginning of 1991, three infill wells (A-02, A-04, and B-12) were drilled in the
reservoir, which increased production until it reached a peak oil rate of 2,000 BOPD during 1992.
The three infill wells were completed to a similar depth as Well A-05. A few months later, water
breakthrough occurred in all the wells completed, and the watercut gradually increased until it reached
75% during mid 1996; however, the reservoir still managed to produce approximately 1,300 BOPD until
mid-1999. The field was then transferred to a new operator at the end of 1999.
When the wells began producing again in early 2000, they produced approximately 300 BOPD, and
watercut increased to approximately 90%. Production gradually declined until 2003, whereby infill Well
B-16 was completed in Reservoir X-7, increasing production temporarily to approximately 500 BOPD.
However, the production increase lasted less than a year before it again declined because of increased
watercut. Between 2005 and 2011, Reservoir X-7 produced an average of 100 BOPD with more than 90%
watercut. There were multiple attempts from 2010 to 2011 to increase production from Reservoir X-7 by
means of additional perforations; however, all attempts failed, and the additional perforations produced at an
extremely high watercut (Fig. 4). By the end of 2011, the total cumulative oil production from the reservoir
was 7.67 MMSTB with a RF of 40%.
SPE-192058-MS 5

Figure 4—Reservoir X-7 oil rate and watercut.

Based on the geological understanding and the reservoir production history, it is clear that Reservoir X-7
is a strong water-drive reservoir. There was minimal pressure drop throughout the 34 years of production,
and the increasing watercut indicates that water is gradually sweeping the oil toward the crest. Despite
the wells beginning to produce the gas cap after three years of production, as evidenced by higher
producing GOR than the solution GOR (Rsi), there is minimal impact on reservoir pressure. There was
no indication of pressure drop in the reservoir even during its late life (2002 to 2017) when the producing
GOR was exceptionally high, which normally reduces the pressure of water drive reservoirs (Fig. 5). This
behavior supports the understanding that Reservoir X-7 is a strong water-drive reservoir. The reservoir drive
mechanism and gas-cap production become conclusive when the contact/saturation log indicates that oil
has migrated into the original gas cap and displaced the gas cap.

Figure 5—Reservoir X-7 GOR and pressure.

6 SPE-192058-MS

Reservoir Depletion Strategy

The best reservoir depletion strategy is the one that is capable of maximizing oil recovery from the reservoir.
For a strong water-drive reservoir, one of the best depletion strategies is to maintain the gas cap either using
gas reinjection or producing the oil below the critical gas-coning rate (Razak et al. 2011). Doing so helps
reduce pressure decline and, more importantly, helps prevent oil re-saturation in the gas cap. Gas reinjection,
for example, is commonly deployed in West Malaysia oilfields where the reservoir drive mechanism is a
strong water drive with the presence of a small or moderate gas cap (Trice Jr. et al. 1992). Gas reinjection can
impede the aquifer advancement, thereby creating a sandwich effect that helps improve sweep efficiency and
maximize oil recovery. Without the aid of gas reinjection, the only other option is to control gas production
to maintain the original gas cap.
Based on the original field development plan in 1986, the reservoir depletion strategy was to produce the
oil column by controlling gas production. This strategy was selected because an increase in both GOR and
watercut are deemed as unavoidable in terms of the reservoir conditions of a thin oil column, large gas cap
(m size of 1.2), strong aquifer, and erratic sand development. Additionally, the original reservoir simulation
predicted no re-saturation of the gas cap would occur while the producing GOR is maintained below 1,200
scf/bbl, which was selected as the original reservoir GOR limit.
The reservoir simulation revealed that any possible increase in the reservoir's ultimate recovery is
predominantly a function of the number of drainage points in favorable positions and production rates that
are adjusted to help prevent excessive coning/cusping from the gas cap. Because Reservoir X-7 has a strong
water drive, the energy supply from the aquifer is sufficient to achieve the expected recovery. Gas reinjection
to help prevent oil re-saturation losses in the gas cap is not considered feasible because of the erratic and
unpredictable sand distribution. Consequently, GOR control is the main factor helping prevent re-saturation
losses.
There were two attempts during 2010 and 2011 to increase production from Reservoir X-7 by additional
perforations in the oil column. Wells A-04 and A-01 were perforated only 5 to 10 ft below the original GOC
(OGOC) of Reservoir X-7; but, unfortunately, the additional perforations were unsuccessful. Both wells
produced 99% watercut from the first day of production. The RF of Reservoir X-7 was 40%, and it was
producing less than 50 BOPD with 99% watercut.
Observing the RF of Reservoir X-7, it was decided to run a contact/saturation log for Well B-07 to
evaluate remaining oil potential. Logging results were incorporated into a material balance model revealing
that oil had migrated into the original gas column. The oil re-saturation, which was originally thought could
be avoided, occurred.
Because the current location of the oil column was confirmed by both well log and material balance, the
most obvious course of action was to add perforations to the wells at similar depth. Once these wells were
watered out, additional perforations were employed on top of the watered-out perforations. The depletion
strategy was to capture and produce the oil column while water drove it upward until it reached the crest.

First Additional Perforation: Well B-07

Before the additional perforations in Well B-07, a contact/saturation log was run to evaluate the remaining
oil column and optimize the perforation interval. The well was logged for both carbon/oxygen and sigma
modes under shut-in conditions. The location of Reservoir X-7, which was below the end-of-tubing, allowed
the log to acquire a better measurement of the fluid behind the casing. The logging result showed possible
oil over the target reservoir, indicating sweep was observed in the originally perforated interval (Fig. 6).
The location where the oil column was identified by the contact/saturation log was originally a gas bearing
sand. The interpretation that it was a gas bearing sand was supported by the butterfly effect from the density-
neutron log that was starkly different compared to an oil bearing sand from the same reservoir. This finding
indicated that oil had migrated into the original gas column in Reservoir X-7.
SPE-192058-MS 7

Figure 6—B-07 contact/saturation logging result.

Having located the oil column, a decision was made to perform a water shut-off (WSO) on the original
perforation and add perforations in the target reservoir. Although oil production was the goal from the
additional perforations, it was expected that the well would produce at high GOR because of the zone
originally being a gas bearing sand. Execution of the WSO was later performed with cement squeeze using
coiled tubing while the additional perforations were performed using slickline with a 1-9/16-in. gun.
Results of the additional perforations were encouraging. The well delivered 500 BOPD oil gain with
GOR of 5,000 scf/bbl, even though it was produced at a small bean size of 24/64 in. (Fig. 7). The watercut
was reduced from 99% to 30% after the WSO and additional perforations operation. However, the oil
rate was not sustained, and production gradually declined because of increasing watercut. After two years
of production, the well delivered 0.19 MMSTB cumulative oil production before it was shut-in because
of excessive watercut development. However, the success of the additional B-07 perforations opens up
potential opportunities for other wells with similar depths and proves that the concept of perforating the
original gas cap for oil production can be effective.

Figure 7—B-07 additional perforations production performance.

8 SPE-192058-MS

Subsequent Additional perforations

The successful oil production in Well B-07 confirms the interpretation from the contact/saturation log that
was integrated into the material balance model. Since there was hardly any pressure drop in the reservoir,
a good history match was achieved by comparing the fluid contact movement of the model with water
breakthrough timing of the wells completed in Reservoir X-7. The contact movement indicated that despite
the OGOC being at 4,550 ft TVD, the current predicted OWC (CPOWC) has already reached 4,557 ft TVD
while the current predicted GOC (CPGOC) had already moved to 4,515 ft TVD. The proximity of OGOC
and CPOWC explained why the two perforations of Reservoir X-7 below the OGOC in 2010 and 2011 were
unsuccessful. Other findings from the material balance model were the presence of three other potential
additional perforations opportunities—Wells B-16, A-01, and B-12—which penetrated Reservoir X-7 at a
similar depth to Well B-07 (Fig. 8).

Figure 8—Reservoir X-7 material balance contact monitoring.

Well B-16
Well B-16 is a dual-string completion originally completed in Reservoir X-7 during 2003. Reservoir X-7
GOC was observed from the well's Open Hole log with only an extremely thin shale layer with less than 1 ft
separating the gas and oil column. It was decided to perforate the entire oil column with the top perforation
slightly below the thin shale barrier separating the gas column. The well initially produced 500 BOPD with
0% watercut; however, because of the proximity of the GOC, the well produced at a high GOR, with initial
production exceeding the GOR limit. Additionally, watercut rapidly increased from 0% to 80% after one
year of production. Early gas and water breakthrough was suspected because of the bad cement bond, as
SPE-192058-MS 9

indicated from the cement bond log. The well was then shut-in during November 2006 to help prevent
further gas-cap production.
To maximize oil recovery and delay water breakthrough as long as possible, it was decided to perforate
Well B-16 at the top of the sand in Reservoir X-7. The target depth was originally a gas bearing sand that
was distinct from the butterfly effect of the neutron-density log (Fig. 9). Based on the quality of the sand,
high porosity, and high permeability, the well is expected to produce a potential risked oil rate of 150 BOPD
with incremental reserves of 0.11 MMSTB.

Figure 9—B-16 Open Hole log.

The operation began by cutting off the tail pipe to make space for the perforating gun later and remove
the minimum restriction at the end of tubing. A hydraulic tubing cutter was used to successfully cut the
tail pipe, and blind box and impact hammer was run to help ensure the cut tubing was below the planned
perforation. A combination of chemicals was then pumped with coiled tubing into the formation for WSO.
Three pressure tests were performed afterward to confirm the effectiveness of the WSO, which established
the wellhead pressure and sustained pressure for more than 10 min. The target depth was then perforated
using a 1-9/16-in. gun with tubing conveyed perforation.
Again, the additional perforations produced an encouraging result with 400 BOPD incremental oil
production while the watercut was reduced from 90% to 60% (Fig. 10). However, the producing well GOR
ranged from 5,000 to 9,000 scf/bbl, which was slightly higher compared to the perforation in Well B-07.
The additional perforations managed to produce for three years before watering out with a cumulative oil
production of 0.22 MMSTB, twice the amount of the estimated incremental reserves.
10 SPE-192058-MS

Figure 10—B-16 additional perforations production performance.

Well A-01
Well A-01 is a dual-string completion that had additional perforations in Reservoir X-7's original oil column
during 2010; however, the additional perforations were unsuccessful and produced at 99% watercut. Despite
adding perforations as close as possible to the OGOC, the top of the perforations were more than 5 ft below
the CPOWC from the material balance model. The well's last watercut from Reservoir X-7 was 100% during
February 2012.
The OGOC for Reservoir X-7 was observed in Well A-01. Similar to Well B-16, it was decided to
perforate Well A-01 at the top of the sand in Reservoir X-7 to maximize oil recovery. Additionally, the target
depth was originally a gas-bearing sand with an evident distinction compared to the oil bearing sand below
it (Fig. 11). In terms of sand quality, Reservoir X-7 in Well A-01 has an average porosity and permeability
of 21% and 400 md, respectively. The well is expected to produce a risked oil rate of 200 BOPD with
incremental reserves of 0.12 MMSTB.

Figure 11—A-01 Open Hole log.

SPE-192058-MS 11

Execution of Well A-01 WSO and the additional perforations operation was different compared to the
WSO in Wells B-07 and B-16. For Well A-01, WSO was performed with slickline using through tubing
bridge plug technique, which was the first of its kind in this region. The tecnique allows the bridge plug
to go through the 2.313-in. internal diameter and later expand into the 9 5/8-in. casing. The plug's anchor
was set across the perforation interval to provide contact with rough casing surface. However, the center
of the plug was higher than the perforation interval, which then expand and became the base for cement.
Cement was then continuously dumped on top of the plug using a slickline dump bailer in a static condition
until the designed cement height was reached. This technique allows significant reduction of WSO cost
with total cost of only USD100,000. The target depth was then perforated with a 2-in. slickline conveyed
perforating gun.
To control the watercut, the well was produced at a small bean-size of 16/64 in. Despite this, the well
successfully produced 350 BOPD incremental oil with GOR less than 2,500 scf/bbl (Fig. 12). However, the
WSO was a complete success, with watercut reduced from 100% to 0% and maintained at 0% for almost a
year. Once water breakthrough occurred, well production gradually declined until it reached 99% watercut.
After two years of production, Well A-01 delivered cumulative oil production of 0.14 MMSTB.

Figure 12—A-01 additional perforations production performance.

Well B-12
Well B-12 is a dual-string completion that was completed in Reservoir X-7 during September 1989. The
well was worked-over in 1990 because of communication between the long string and the annulus and then
recompleted in the same zone. After almost two years of production, the watercut suddenly increased from
0% to 50%, indicating a possible water channeling issue. The original Reservoir X-7 was subsequently
squeezed off with chemicals in late 2006 for zonal isolation. An additional perforations were made in the
same reservoir but 10 ft higher than the original perforation; however, the additional perforations were
unsuccessful and produced at 100% watercut.
12 SPE-192058-MS

The latest Reservoir X-7 material balance model revealed that the OWC was already at the additional
perforations depth in late 2006, which explained the high watercut production. In a similar way to the other
two wells, B-16 and A-01, it was decided to perform WSO on the 2006 additional perforations and perform
new perforations in the original gas bearing sand of Reservoir X-7 (Fig. 13). Based on the good sand quality
and thick oil column, the well is expected to deliver 400 BOPD oil gain with estimated reserves of 0.46
MMSTB.

Figure 13—B-12 Open Hole log.

WSO was performed by cement squeeze using coiled tubing and then tested against a pressure test. The
wellhead pressure maintained at 200 psi for more than 10 minutes indicating successful isolation. The target
depth was then perforated using a 1 9/16-in. gun with tubing conveyed perforation.
In a similar way to Wells B-16 and A-01, the well was produced with a small bean-size of 24/64 in. to
control the watercut. Well B-12 delivered the highest production rate of the three wells with approximately
1,000 BOPD incremental oil production. Additionally, the watercut was successfully reduced from 100%
to 0% (Fig. 14). Despite the small bean-size, water breakthrough occurred after six months of production,
which gradually declined. After three years of production, the well has delivered 0.21 MMSTB cumulative
oil production and, as of 01 January 2018, is still producing at 320 BOPD.
SPE-192058-MS 13

Figure 14—B-12 additional perforations production performance.

Well B-07
Two years after the additional perforations in 2012, Well B-07 was shut in because of excessive watercut.
The last production from the well was approximately 900 BLPD gross at 98% watercut and a gas rate of
0.60 MMscf/D. The last gas rate is much lower when compared to the initial gas rate after the additional
perforations in 2012, which was approximately 2.0 MMscf/D. The lower gas rate appears to indicate that
the gas cap is further away and there is still potential remaining oil in the reservoir.
Based on an updated material balance model, there is still 50 ft of oil column left in the reservoir, and the
CPGOC is in the middle of the upper lobe of Reservoir X-7. The unperforated sand lobe is approximately 25
ft TVD higher compared to current watered-out perforations (Fig. 15). It was decided to perform a similar
operation for Well B-07 as before by isolating the current perforation and adding perforations in the higher
sand lobe. Additionally, the target depth is also originally a gas bearing sand, as per the currently watered-
out perforations.

Figure 15—B-07 Open Hole log.

14 SPE-192058-MS

Well B-07 WSO was performed using TTBP technology similar to Well A-01. Likewise, a bridge plug
was set at the current perforation, and cement was later dumped on top of the plug. However, the operation
was only partially successful because the cement dump was not completed as a result of the unexpected
appearance of a hold-up depth created by leftover cement accumulated at the end of tubing. Despite the
incomplete WSO, a decision was made to continue with the additional perforations at the target depth. The
reservoir was perforated using a 2-in. slickline conveyed perforating gun.
Despite the setbacks in WSO, water production was successfully reduced from 900 to 200 BWPD (Fig.
16). However, there was no increase in oil production, and the watercut remained at 98%. Meanwhile, gas
production increased significantly to approximately 5.0 MMscf/D, indicating that the formation is still a gas
bearing sand. Going forward, it was decided to continue producing the well until an increase in either oil
or water production is observed. Nevertheless, the well was shut in indefinitely because of surface facility
issues and field gas venting exceeding the venting limit.

Figure 16—B-07 2016 additional perforations production performance.

Well B-11
Well B-11 is single-string completion drilled in 1990. Before the additional perforations in Reservoir X-7,
the well was producing from a small reservoir at a gross rate less than 200 BLPD, 60% watercut, and gas
rate of 1.5 MMscf/D. A multi-caliper imaging tool and leak-point tool run during 2013 revealed that the
well had severe tubing integrity issues. Instead of performing an expensive work-over job, 2,000ft of tubing
straddle was installed across the severely leaking tubing to restore the tubing integrity. The result was the
restoration of the tubing integrity at a minimal cost when compared to a work-over operation.
By the time it was proposed to add perforations in Reservoir X-7 in Well B-11, the previously added
perforations in Wells A-01 and B-16, (which were in the vicinity of Well B-11) were producing 60% and
80% watercut, respectively. The bottom sand of Reservoir X-7 in Well B-11 is at 4,523 ft TVD, which is 4
ft deeper than the top sand of Reservoir X-7 in Well A-01 at 4,519 ft TVD (Fig. 3). The depth of Reservoir
X-7 sand in Well B-11 and the fact that Well A-01 is producing at 60% watercut makes it obvious that
Well B-11 is another additional perforations opportunity. Similar to the previous wells, the target depth is
originally a gas bearing sand in Reservoir X-7 (Fig. 17).
SPE-192058-MS 15

Figure 17—B-11 Open Hole log.

Well B-11 additional perforations design was slightly different compared to the previous additional
perforations, whereby Reservoir X-7 will be produced commingled with the earlier perforation. This
decision was made because of the low gross rate of the earlier zone that will not impede the production from
Reservoir X-7. However, the execution of the additional perforations in Well B-11 was tedious because of
the long straddle installed in the tubing - the 2,000 ft of tubing straddle was retrieved with multiple issues.
The slip locking mechanism for one of the tubing stops completely dropped off while another was retrieved
with a parted slip. These fishes were recovered using a wire scratcher and magnetic tool after multiple
attempts. Retrieval of the straddle took significantly longer than expected. Afterward, the reservoir was
perforated using a 2-in. slickline conveyed perforating gun, and the 2,000 ft of tubing was reset across the
severely leaking tubing. Despite the tedious operations, the activity was inexpensive with total cost of only
USD200,000.
The additional perforations in Well B-11 was unsuccessful. The well initially produced a higher amount
of gas at 4.0 MMscf/D and gross rate of 200 BLPD. After four months of production, the gas rate declined
to 3.0 MMscf/D, but the gross rate increased to 800 BLPD (Fig. 18). However, the watercut was sustained at
more than 90% the entire time. The initial behavior of Well B-11 after the additional perforations indicated
that the formation is still a gas bearing sand. Later behavior indicated that after a few months of production,
the water contact moved up, and the well began to produce gas and water from Reservoir X-7. Well B-11
behavior also indicated that there are no more oil columns in Reservoir X-7 in the vicinity of Wells B-11,
A-01, and B-16. To conclude the findings, a memory production logging tool will be run for Well B-11 later
to confirm that water is being produced from the newly perforated interval.
16 SPE-192058-MS

Figure 18—B-11 additional perforations production performance.

Conclusions
Based on the multiple additional perforations activities, findings can be summarized as follows:

• Producing the oil column through the gas cap successfully increased Reservoir X-7's production
by 2,300 BOPD and increased the RF from 40% to 46%.
• In a strong water-drive reservoir, oil will ultimately migrate and displace the original gas column
while the OWC moves up due to continuous production of the reservoir.
• For a mature, strong water-drive reservoir without a gas reinjection project, producing the oil
column through the original gas cap is a viable production enhancement opportunity that can
maximize oil recovery.
• There are limitations to producing an oil column through the original gas cap, possibly because of
the reduction of oil saturation and mobile oil toward the crest.

Acknowledgements
The authors thank the management of Petroliam National Berhad (PETRONAS) and PETRONAS Carigali
Sdn. Bhd. (PCSB) for permission to publish this paper and to all those who have contributed to the success
of this project.

Nomenclature
BLPD = barrel liquid per day
BOPD = barrel oil per day
BWPD = barrel water per day
CPGOC = current predicted GOC
CPOWC = current predicted OWC
GOC = gas/oil contact
SPE-192058-MS 17

GOR = gas/oil ratio

MMSTB = million stock tank barrels
MMscf/D = million standard cubic feet per day
OGOC = original GOC
OWC = oil/water contact
RF = recovery factor
scf/bbl = standard cubic feet per barrel
TVD = true vertical depth
TTBP = through tubing bridge plug
WSO = water shutoff

References
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Enhanced Oil Recovery by Gas and Water Injection. Presented at the SPE Enhanced Oil Recovery Conference, Kuala
Lumpur, Malaysia, 19-21 July. SPE-143736-MS. https://doi.org/10.2118/143736-MS.
Trice Jr., M. L. and Dawe, B. A. 1992. Reservoir Management Practices. J Pet Technol, 44 (12). SPE-22236-PA. https://
doi.org/10.2118/22236-PA.