IPTC-19824-MS

Should We Waterflood Low Permeable Reservoirs?

Mikhail Naugolnov, LLC Gazpromneft STC; Alexey Sednev, Salym Petroleum Development N.V.

Copyright 2020, International Petroleum Technology Conference

This paper was prepared for presentation at the International Petroleum Technology Conference held in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, 13 – 15 January 2020.

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Abstract
The aim of work is to ensure that it is possible to realize effective water injection system for low permeable
reservoir with hard-to-recover deposits and an average permeability less than 1 mD. The results of oil field
pilot works and computer modelling are shown and compared.
The novelty of the work are rare enough field experiments in water injection system organization in
low permeability reservoirs and injection system full comprehensive studding. Some empirical correlations
between the values of permeability, heterogeneity, sweep efficiency and injection effectiveness for different
well completion types will help reservoir engineers to select the best well pattern and to decide do we need
any injection or not without labor intensive actions.

Theoretical studies
Traditionally, when system for developing oil fields with reserves concentrated in reservoirs with low
permeability is designing, engineers often refuse to maintain reservoir pressure by water injection. The need
for this technological solution is because in such reservoirs a significant part of oil production relates with
the unsteady mode of operation of the well. Therefore, it is customary to operate project injection wells for a
long time in production mode, which increases the economic performance of the development project. The
tasks of determining the optimal period of operation of injection wells in production mode is often solved
using analytical or numerical-analytical models, which involve multivariate hydrodynamic modeling.
As a rule, the solution to this problem is finding a relationship between the permeability of the reservoir
and the operating time of the injection well in production. Authors write that in the range 0.1–0.9 mD a
dramatic increase in the optimal working time occurs. For example, for the permeability values of 0.1 mD
this optimal time is 90 months. Obviously, the development of a field with such long periods of operation of
injection wells in production is a de facto operation with depletion of the field (Sitnikov, 2015; Belonogov,
2018).
It is assumed that this solution should be unified for all fields with low permeability formations and
should differ only in the value of the boundary value depending on economic conditions. However, the
established dependence is too general and does not take into account many factors, in particular:
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• the value of the lateral heterogeneity of the collector, its discontinuity;

• type of well completion (vertical / directional / horizontal);

• hydraulic fracturing / multi hydraulic fracturing at the well.

Experiments in numerical and analytical modeling, as well as field experience in organizing a water
flooding system in a reservoir with high stratification and extremely low permeability, which will be
discussed later in this paper, have led to conclusions about the need to take these indicators into account
when designing a development system.
To clarify the dependencies, a series of calculations was carried out using 3D simulators Petrel
and tNavigator. Multivariate modeling is based on a matrix of geological scenarios (Figure 1), which
demonstrates various possible scenarios of reservoir distribution in the reservoir, taking into account varying
areal and vertical heterogeneities. This heterogeneity was created using Petrel software by changing the
number of geological bodies (lenses) and their geometric parameters (diameter, thickness). 900 geological
models were created (100 models for each of the nine squares of the matrix in Figure 1). Calculations
were performed for the conditions of the deep-sea deposits (Achimov stratum) of the Salym group of fields
(permeability < 1 mD, PVT, economic model).

Figure 1—Matrix of geological development options according to the criteria of vertical and lateral heterogeneity

For each geological model, a series of calculations was performed on a hydrodynamic model using
directional wells (with hydraulic fracturing), horizontal wells with a length of 500, 1000, 1500 m with
hydraulic fracturing. For all horizontal wells, multistage fracturing was laid out at the rate of one stage
per 100 m of length. For some of the most characteristic scenarios, the optimal time for injection well
development in the production mode was selected: 0 months (depletion), 3 months, 6 months, 12 months,
and 24 months.
For benchmarking various 3D models according to the criterion of their heterogeneity, two parameters
were chosen:

• areal sweep efficiency (Ea) based on dependences from the results of geostatistical modeling of
vertical and lateral heterogeneity according to log data (Roshchektaev, 2010); calculated according
to the following formula:
IPTC-19824-MS 3

(1)

Where Pr(L, re) – probability of opening the lens at least one production and injection well at the same
time, estimated by the Monte Carlo method;
 h(re) – the dependence of the thickness of the lens on the effective radius;
 f(re) – probability density on the horizontal dimensions of sand lenses;
 L – distance between production and injection wells;
 re – effective radius of the lens.

• value of accumulated fluid flow through a unit of pore volume, calculated using a hydrodynamic
simulator (keywords FLOWO and FLOWW) (Naugolnov, 2019).
A correlation was established between the pumped pore volume (the ratio of the accumulated fluid flow to
the product of porosity and the effective thickness of the formation) and the areal sweep efficiency calculated
by the method of Roshchektaev, 2010. A linear relationship was observed: with an increase in the pumped
pore volume, the sweep efficiency increases.
Based on the results of technical and economic modeling of more than 3600 geology and development
options, it was found that the optimal development system, as well as the completion system for low-
permeability reservoirs, strongly depends on the complex factor of geological heterogeneity of the reservoir,
expressed through the parameter Ea.
So, for example, at low values of Ea (less than 0.5), corresponding to high areal heterogeneity, the most
effective method of development will be drilling directional wells and exploiting them on depletion.
In cases with Ea value from 0.5 to 0.8, the development efficiency increases with the length of
the horizontal section, while multi-stage hydraulic fracturing and the organization of waterflooding are
prerequisites for efficiency. This is explained by the fact that with the increase in the length of the horizontal
section of the producing and injection wells, the possibility that this pair of wells will open the same
geological body and involve these reserves into development with reservoir pressure maintaining increases.
The geometrical parameters of the geological body, in particular, the diameter of the body (lens), also
influence the increase in the probability of opening one geological body at the same time by a producing and
injection well. The efficiency of the reservoir pressure increases if the radius of the body exceeds two inter-
spacing distances of the development system, or if the length of the horizontal well exceeds the average
distance between individual geological bodies.
It is curious that under the same geological conditions, for scenarios with development at depletion, an
inverse relationship will be observed: operation by vertical wells is most effective at depletion, then by
horizontal wells with hydraulic fracturing at depletion.

Field studies
Along with theoretical studies, the authors of the work initiated a project to develop a section of the reservoir
with low permeability (less than 1 mD).
For one of the West Siberian oil fields a layer with low permeable deep-marine deposits (turbidities)
was chosen. Since 2016, there were drilled eight wells with different completion types and purposes: 2
horizontal production wells, two vertical production wells, and four vertical injection wells. All wells form
the development cell with an average well spacing 25 Ha/well. For 2.5 years, operation modes for injection
wells were changed a lot, so it helps to provide different analysis: well testing, well interference testing,
tracers studding, 2d and 3d modelling experiments.
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In order to analyze the results of Pilot and the sufficiency of information for making decisions on the
further development of deep-sea deposits, a sectoral hydrodynamic model was created and adapted based
on a full-scale digital 3D geological model. An assessment was also made of the effectiveness of the
waterflooding system and the mutual influence of wells using simulation model (1), tracer studies (2) and
well testing (3).
Simulation model (1) shows a high level of convergence of the main development indicators (oil flow
rate, fluid flow rate, injectivity), as well as a high level of adaptation of accumulated oil and fluid production
in wells. The main adaptation tool is hydraulic fracturing. The geometry of the cracks was set explicitly,
the cracks mainly go into the underlying layers; the parameter of hydraulic fracture attenuation with
time is specified. The predominant distribution of hydraulic fractures down is confirmed by the 2015
geomechanical model.
Based on the results of the analysis of tracer studies (2), data were obtained on the effect of injection
wells on production wells (figure 2). Each production well gets a tracer from each injection well.

Figure 2—Net pay map with pilot scheme with tracer results

A predominant orientation of the income of tracers is observed, which coincides with the direction of
sediment drift, however, this effect may be associated with local heterogeneity and reservoir pressure
The time of tracers’ income is taken as a conditional indicator, since measurements in the field were made
with a lower frequency of observed events. The results of tracer studies are confirmed by the simulation. The
simulation of tracers in the model reflects the data obtained as a result of tracer studies at a qualitative level,
however, it shows the presence of additional interactions (between Inj1 and Hz1, between Inj3 and Hz2,
Prod5). An increase in reservoir pressure that observed in the Prod6 well located near the Hz2, confirms the
assumptions about the location of the wells in various geological bodies and is described by the simulation.
In order to confirm the presence of the injection effect, it was decided to organize field studies, in
particular, hydrodynamic studies of the well (3). The well test for Prod5 as an object of study was done.
Since the piezoconductivity of the formation is very low, in order to notice the effect of the injection wells,
it was decided to stop the injection wells alternately for up to 2 months. Simulation of the history of the
work of this well without reservoir pressure also confirms its influence (figure 3a,b).
IPTC-19824-MS 5

Figure 3—History matching of well Prod5 in case of injection system (a) and its absence (b)

All types of analysis show noticeable features of injection system effectiveness. Despite the value of the
injection influence is small depletion cases shows both too low values of net present value and oil production
that doesn't match fact data. Well test shows the influence of injection wells on production on the distance
more than 500 meters with time delay about 4-5 months. Tracer data helps to estimate reservoir connectivity
on a qualitative level: the time of tracers coming varies from months to year.

Conclusions
Based on the simulation results, two main conclusions can be made:

• Is is possible to increase the efficiency of the development of low-permeability formations in the

case of high heterogeneity, in particular, of deep-sea sedimentation of cones, facies of the lobes of
the cones, by an increase of the length of the horizontal wellbore, which leads to an increase of the
possibility of the involving the reserves of a new geological body; and also due to the creation of
a system for maintaining reservoir pressure in a horizon wells system with hydraulic fracturing.
• In the case of the development of low-permeability formations of ultrahigh lateral heterogeneity,
for example, the facies of the supply channels of the cones of deep sea deposits, the optimal solution
would be to drill vertical wells and use them for depletion without reservoir pressure.
• The Pilot project demonstrated the feasibility of injection into the low permeable deposits. There
are significant signs of the effectiveness of the injection system: the results of modeling the pilot
area section at depletion, the presence of a response at the well Hz1 and Prod5, as well as the
results of tracer studies.
Both modelling experiments and pilot works show that effectiveness of injection system in low permeable
reservoirs depends not only on reservoir permeability but on the value of reservoir heterogeneity. The
injection system in hard-to-recover collector is the more stable the longer the wellbore because long wellbore
with multistage fractures helps to overcome the heterogeneity. To summarize, effective waterflooding in
extremely low permeable layers is possible, but the effectiveness will depend on heterogeneity, completion
type and CAPEX. For scenarios without horizontal wells, depletion is more profitable than injection.

Acknowledgments
The authors are grateful to colleagues that took part in theoretical studies and field analysis: Davletbakova
L.A., Enilin A.S., Iskhakova S.Sh., and Murtazin R.I.

References
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Permeability Reservoirs Optimal Development Plan. Presented at the SPE Russian Petroleum Technology Conference
and Exhibition, 24-26 October, Moscow, Russia. SPE-182041-MS.
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Naugolnov, M.V., Murtazin, R.I., 2019. Reservoir Value-Engineering for West Siberian Oil Fields. Presented at the SPE
Annual Caspian Technical Conference, 16-18 October, Baku, Azerbaijan. SPE-198374-MS.
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