Goal of the analysis:
To identify opportunities to sustain or enhance production from mature fields by optimizing existing infrastructure, applying new technologies, and adjusting operational strategies.
Data required:
- Historical production data (by well, reservoir, and facility)
- Reservoir characteristics and remaining reserve estimates
- Well intervention logs and workover histories
- Current field infrastructure status and capacity
- Operating cost structure (OPEX) and future capital requirements (CAPEX)
- Potential EOR or new technology options
- Relevant regulatory or environmental constraints
Detailed step-by-step instruction on how to conduct the analysis:
1. Gather and review historical data: Compile production trends, well performance logs, and reservoir studies to understand the field’s decline patterns and identify potential bottlenecks.
2. Assess reservoir potential: Evaluate remaining reserves and identify zones or layers that may respond favorably to secondary or tertiary recovery methods.
3. Evaluate existing infrastructure: Inspect wellhead equipment, flowlines, processing facilities, and pipelines to determine operational limits, maintenance needs, and upgrade potential.
4. Model redevelopment scenarios: Use reservoir simulation or analytical methods to test different interventions (e.g., infill drilling, workovers, EOR) and estimate incremental production.
5. Conduct economic analysis: Calculate net present value (NPV) and internal rate of return (IRR) for each redevelopment option, factoring in CAPEX/OPEX and potential production gains.
6. Rank and prioritize interventions: Develop a clear ranking of redevelopment actions based on technical feasibility, economic returns, and potential risks.
7. Implement pilot programs: For high-potential but uncertain approaches, run small-scale pilots to validate assumptions before committing full-scale investment.
Format of the output of analysis:
- A redevelopment roadmap outlining prioritized strategies for field life extension
- Economic indicators (NPV, IRR, payback period) under different intervention scenarios
- Updated reservoir simulation models reflecting proposed changes
- Infrastructure gap analysis and recommended upgrades or replacements
How to interpret results:
- Higher projected incremental production and positive economic metrics (e.g., robust IRR, acceptable payback time) suggest strong potential for profitable field life extension.
- Negative or marginal returns indicate that the costs of extending field life may outweigh the benefits, guiding decisions to reduce scope or decommission.
- Pilot results help validate reservoir response and reduce uncertainty before scaling up redevelopment activities.
Steps a company can take to improve on this measure:
1. Adopt continuous surveillance and monitoring to quickly detect changing reservoir conditions and identify low-performing wells.
2. Leverage advanced recovery techniques (EOR methods, workovers, artificial lift upgrades) to extract remaining hydrocarbons more efficiently.
3. Optimize infrastructure use through debottlenecking, retrofitting, or sharing facilities across nearby fields.
4. Integrate cross-disciplinary teams (reservoir, production, facilities) to develop holistic solutions that align technical, operational, and financial goals.
5. Engage in phased redevelopment by piloting new technologies or operational practices on a limited scale, refining based on results before broader implementation.