Petroleum Explorationists Offer Strategies to Unlock More Oil Barrels from Mature Fields
Peter Uzoho As Nigerian oil and gas operators grapple with mature fields, declining reserves and tight drilling budgets, the Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists (NAPE) has urged them to learn
The Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists (NAPE) has advised oil and gas operators in Nigeria to heed the lessons from the Utor-40 well in Utorogu Field, located in OML 34 in Delta State. The Utorogu Field, historically gas-prone, presents a valuable case study for integrated subsurface evaluation and real-time drilling intelligence.
Dr. Christopher Asuquo-Jackson, Head of Geoscience at ND Western, presented the case study at NAPE's September technical/business meeting in Lagos. ND Western initially aimed for a single-zone completion in the E14 reservoir, targeting 2,000 barrels per day, but after drilling a pilot hole, they discovered nine hydrocarbon-bearing reservoirs.
Instead of adhering to their original plan, they decided to add a second zone, successfully completing an additional 300 barrels per day. This increased the total daily delivery to over 2,000 barrels, with only a minimal increase in completion costs. The key takeaways for the Nigerian upstream oil and gas industry include the importance of collaboration, real-time drilling intelligence, and flexibility in adapting Field Development Plans (FDPs) as new information is discovered.
Written by urgent.news from This Day's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
