ALL Consulting contracted for DOWS research in Oman

ALL Consulting has been selected to perform a Feasibility Study and supervise installation of a Downhole Oil/Water Separator (DOWS) in the nation of Oman. Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) is a consortium approximately 35% by Shell Oil and 60% by the Sultanate of Oman; they operate many large oil fields throughout the country and currently export approximately 1 million barrels of oil per day. One of the more prolific regions of oil production is Qarn Alam where the Shuaiba limestone develops several hundred feet of tight reservoir rock with over 100' of oil-column. PDO has produces several broad, shallow structures through extensive horizontal laterals. These fields quite rapidly produce fluid with a very high water-cut, requiring extensive water handling infrastructures. PDO wishes to avoid such expense and instead use DOWS technology.

ALL Consulting has been contracted to examine several Shuaiba fields in the Qarn Alam area to select a suitable candidate for DOWS installation. The system will be designed to move approximately 2000 cubic meters of fluid (12,000 bpd) of total fluid at approximately 85% water-cut. A 50% oil mixture will be pumped to the surface while clean salt water will be pumped into the water-leg of the Shuaiba Formation at pressures near its fracture pressure. Both production and disposal will be into the Shuaiba by way galleries consisting of several parallel laterals drilled off a backbone lateral. The disposal gallery is below the production gallery and offset. The resulting flood is intended to move oil vertically and horizontally toward the producing laterals. Attached is a short version of a technical article from the Journal of Petroleum Technology focusing on one of these fields.

Efficient operation will require full down-hole instrumentation so that PDO, vendors, and ALL can monitor operating parameters at remote locations. Adjustments to the system can be made via PDO's SCADA network after consultation with ALL. The DOWS technology will be major step toward the establishment of an Intelligent Well installation. ALL will work closely with vendors to insure reliable operation and close monitoring of operating efficiency.