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RE Field Report

Falah Oil Field, Dubai Offshore

M.Sc. Petroleum Engineering


Heriot-Watt University, Dubai Campus

namdnaPage | 1

CONTENTS
1. Dubai
Offshore
EnvironmentPage
1
2. Introduction
..Page 2
3. Geology
and
Formation
Structure.Page 2
4. Reservoir
Parameters
including
PropertiesPage 2

Fluid

5. Development
Strategies
Undertaken
Petroleum.Page 3

and
By

Rock
Dubai

6. Matrix
Acid
Stimulation
JobPage 3
7. CO2
Injection
and
Carbon
Project..Page 3

Capture

8. Table
of
Key
Facts.
.Page 4
9. List
of
Figures
Page 4
10.
References
..Page 4

DUBAI OFFSHORE ENVIRONMENT

Figure 1: Schematic Diagram of Oil Fields in UAE

Figure 2: Location of Falah Oil Field, Offshore Dubai

Introduction
The Falah Oil Field is owned and operated by the Dubai Petroleum Establishment in
the United Arab Emirates. The field is located 90 kilometers Dubai Offshore in the
vicinity of the two biggest oil fields in Dubai, i.e., Fateh and Fateh Southwest.
Falah was discovered in 1972 and the production of oil was commenced in the year
1978. The oil produced is a light oil of about 33 o API gravity.
The current offshore field facilities include 71 processing, compression, water
injection and well-head platforms. Currently, the field produces through gas lift with
the operations of 17 compression trains providing 1 bcfd gas lift capacity to all the
Dubai Offshore Fields which include Fateh, Fateh Southwest, Falah, Rashid and Al
Jalila. The oil produced is stored in steel chambers erected on the sea floor which
are termed Khazzans.

Geology and Formation Structure


Falah Oil Field is considered to be a mature oil field, with its four major hydrocarbon
bearing zones producing from more than 400 wells over the last 35 years.
The fields produce from the Middle to Late Cenomanian Mishrif Limestones. Three
major carbonate reservoirs are responsible for production from Falah. The formation
sequence involves alternating beds of heterogeneous Mishrif Limestones and
Turonian Laffan Marine Shales which are stacked one over the other. Evidences of
coal have been found in the wells by high gamma and low density log signatures
and confirmed by drill cuttings.
Heterogeneity defines the reservoir characteristics of this field. The two dominant
litho-facies are packstones and grainstones. The Mishrif Limestone Formation has
large pore throats which are indicated by the saturation vs. height profiles of wells
with coal. The formation is also characterized by an efficient network of large scale
fractures which supplement the pore matrix of the formation. However, it has been
observed that this efficient network of large scale fractures tends to override the
pore matrix system of the reservoir and leads to unexpected and anomalous
increase in the water cut rates in the wells.
As a result of continued production for the last 35 years, the reservoir pressure is
declining with high water cuts observed in most of the wells. Various efforts have
been undertaken to maintain the reservoir pressure and minimize production
decline. These include water injection, infill drilling, remedial well intervention,
matrix stimulation and artificial gas lift techniques.

Reservoir Parameters Including Fluid and Rock Properties


The oil and rock properties of the Falah Oil Field are more or less similar to those of
Fateh and Fateh Southwest, majorly because of the proximity to the latter two and
the presence of the same Mishrif Limestone Formation.

The PVT data of the samples obtained from the wells show highly under-saturated
crude of 33o API gravity with a bubble point pressure of about 1650 psig and about
25 ppm H2S.
Wells high on structure penetrate the lower part of the formation and are
characterized by fine grains with relatively low porosity and permeability. Further
down-dip, the wells cover the entire Mishrif Formation and therefore comparatively
higher porosities and permeabilities are observed. Whole and plug core analysis
along with special core analysis indicate that the whole plug porosities are 2-3%
lower than the plug core porosities. As stated earlier, the entire reservoir is divided
into four hydrocarbon bearing zones. The lowermost interval has a porosity of about
15% with permeabilities varying from 5-10 mD. The next layer has porosities
varying from 18-23% with a permeability range of 15-20 mD. The top layer, along
with the layer beneath it has an average porosity of about 25% with an average
permeability of about 50 mD.

Development Strategies Undertaken by Dubai Petroleum


The initial pressure surveys undertaken at various locations across the field
indicated a rapid pressure decline which formed the basis of the development and
production strategy. The rapid pressure decline made the Dubai Petroleum
Establishment to anticipate an early consideration of pressure maintenance
techniques. The tests conducted for water susceptibility showed positive results in
terms of good recoveries by water injection.
The development strategy for the Falah Oil Field has been supplemented by the
numerical simulation methods which were first used by Dubai Petroleum for Fateh
Oil Fields in the year 1971. Initially it was assumed there shall be a very little effect
of the natural water drive mechanism on the reservoir production due to the large
distance between the reservoir and the supporting aquifer. This was also
substantiated by the numerical reservoir simulation models. The under-saturated
nature of the reservoir fluid along with the results of the pressure surveys led to a
conclusion that the pressure maintenance techniques shall be required to maintain
the reservoir pressure above bubble point so as to avoid solution gas formation and
losing multiple wells to gas production. Eventually, the two techniques identified
were water injection (summarized from the water susceptibility studies) and gas
injection which are still currently in use.

Matrix Acid Stimulation Job


In the year 2009, the Dubai Petroleum Establishment, along with Schlumberger,
undertook a major matrix stimulation program wherein the wells were treated with
15% hydrochloric acid (HCl) and a visco-elastic surfactant (VES) which has resulted
in increased oil production coupled with a decrease in the water cut from the wells.
This VES diverter only allowed the stimulation of the hydrocarbon bearing zones
without the stimulation of the water bearing formations.

CO2 Injection and Carbon Capture Project

In 2012, DPE commenced an initiative to study the feasibility of CO 2 injection to


further enhance the oil production from its mature oil fields. The scheme is termed
as the WAG scheme (Water Alternating Gas) which shall involve the capture of CO 2
from various power plants located onshore Dubai, compression of the gas and
further injection into the offshore fields to improve oil recovery.

Table of Key Facts


Name of the Field
Owner and Operator
Year of Discovery
Year of Commencement of Production
Current Status
No. of Wells
Reservoir Type
Reservoir Age
Reservoir Porosity and Permeability
Crude Type

Falah
Dubai Petroleum Establishment
1972
1978
Producing (Depleting Reservoir)
Approx. 400 (240 Producing and 160
Injection)
Carbonate (Mishrif Limestone Formation)
Middle to Late Cenomanian
18-23% and approx. 25 mD
Light Crude, 33o API Gravity with 25 ppm
H 2S

Table 1: Table of Key Facts

List of Figures
1. Figure 1: Schematic Diagram of Oil Fields in UAE
2. Figure 2: Location of Falah Oil Field, Offshore Dubai

List of References
1. Dubai
Petroleum
Establishment
Official
Website,
www.dubaipetroleum.ae
2. Mitchell, Ray W.; Fredricks, Kenneth J.; Browser, Peter D. and Menegatti,
Alessandra: Reservoir Alteration at the Mid to Late Cenomanian
Unconformity, Falah Field, Offshore Dubai, United Arab Emirates,
AAPG Search and Discovery Article #900072002 presented at AAPG Annual
Meeting, Houston, Texas, March 1-13, 2002.
3. Willoughby, W.A. and Davies, J.A.: Dubais Fateh Field Mishrif
Reservoir History of Seawater Injection Project, SPE Paper #7780,
presented at Middle East Oil Technical Conference of the Society of Petroleum
Engineers held in Manama, Bahrain, 25-29 March, 1979.
4. Shnaib, F; Desouky, A.M.; Mehrotra, N.; Kuthubdeen, M.M.; Rutzinger, G.;
Judd, T.C. and Rebello, R.P.: Case Study of Successful Matrix
Stimulation of High-Water-Cut Wells in Dubai Offshore Fields, IPTC
Paper #13203, presented at International Petroleum Technology Conference
held in Doha, Qatar, 7-9 December, 2009.

5. Jain, Alok and Ayoub, Joseph A.: Pressure Buildup in Gas-Lift Oil Wells,
Falah Field, Offshore Dubai, SPE Paper #11446 first presented at the
1983 SPE Middle East Oil Technical Conference held in Manama, Bahrain, 1417 March, 1983.
6. Hilyard, Joseph: 2008 International Petroleum Encyclopedia.
7. www.abarrelfull.wikidot.com/falah-oil-field

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