Production Optimization of an Oil Well by Restraining Water Breakthrough

Authors

  • Eric Donald Dongmo Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Technology, University of Buea, P.O. BOX 63 Buea, Cameroon
  • Victorine Belomo University Institute of Entrepreneurship, P.O. Box 1743, Bonanjo, Douala, Cameroon
  • Isidore Komofor Ngongiah Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Bamenda, P.O. Box 39 Bamenda, Cameroon
  • Ingrid Imelda Ngoumi Tankoua University Institute of Entrepreneurship, P.O. Box 1743, Bonanjo, Douala, Cameroon
  • Denis Tcheukam Toko Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Technology, University of Buea, P.O. BOX 63 Buea, Cameroon
  • Sifeu Takougang Kingni Department of Mechanical, Petroleum and Gas Engineering, National Advanced School of Mines and Petroleum Industries, University of Maroua, P.O. Box 46, Maroua, Cameroon / Laboratory of Products Development and Entrepreneurship, Institute of Innovation and Technology, PO Box 8210 Yaounde, Cameroon

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31699/IJCPE.2024.1.2

Keywords:

Water breakthrough, electric submersible pump, nodal analysis, perforation, oil production, return on investment

Abstract

This study investigates the well named X (for confidential reasons) of the field called Y which initially was productive with the natural energy of the reservoir of the oil in the absence of water. After a few years of production, water began to overflow excessively in the well. The goal of this paper is to maximize the oil production in an oil well X by reducing water ingress. The Pressure Volume Temperature (PVT) data, completion data, and reservoir data are analyzed via PIPESIM and Excel software by using the nodal analysis method to get the well performance and decline curve for predictions. Two scenarios are considered: firstly, to install an electric submersible pump (ESP) to activate the X well and secondly to make a new perforation. The ESP is installed at 11300 ft where the water production flow rate is 5586.264 STB/d and the oil production flow rate is 1396.566 STB/d. The new perforation is installed at 12038 ft where the water production flow rate is 277.1693 STB/d and the oil production flow rate is 5543.387 STB/d. To have the optimal parameters, the sensitivity analysis is applied to the flowline diameter and the wellhead pressure. The optimal parameter values obtained are 308.6128 STB/d for the water production flow rate and 5863.643 STB/d for the oil production flow rate. The new perforation is appropriate because this scenario allows water reduction, oil production maximization, profitability of 98086854 $, and a return on investment in 5 months during 16 years of production.

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Published

2024-03-30

How to Cite

Dongmo, E. D., Belomo, V., Ngongiah, I. K., Tankoua, I. I. N., Toko, D. T., & Kingni, S. T. (2024). Production Optimization of an Oil Well by Restraining Water Breakthrough. Iraqi Journal of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, 25(1), 13-21. https://doi.org/10.31699/IJCPE.2024.1.2

Publication Dates

Received

2023-12-14

Revised

2024-01-06

Accepted

2024-01-09

Published Online First

2024-03-30