Publications

Area 3 of the Duri Steamflood Oilfield, operated by PT Chevron Pacific Indonesia has a numerous idle steam injectors. They were idled either because data from nearby temperature observation well shows that reservoir is already in optimum temperature or because of environmental safety reason. Normally for these injectors, two actions would be implemented, converting the well into a producer if the remaining oil from opened sands is still economic or plugging and abandoning the well.The Reservoir Management Team (RMT) for Area 3 initiated in 2004 and 2005 a project to run CHFR logs, which are a type of residual oil saturation log, on 12 idle injectors in order to confirm data from observation wells. It was found that three of the wells still have by-passed oil layer in various depths. Volumetric calculation revealed that reserve from these three wells would still be economic to produce. Having these data, RMT opted for another option of the injector utilization, which is to reactivate the well and to inject steam into the by-passed oil layer. A packer revising workover program was implemented for these wells, sands with by-passed oil perforated, and steam injected into these sands with average 1000 BSPD per well.Production from surrounding producers started to respond after three months of injection. Responds became more obvious in the six month after steam injection commenced. Latest data indicates that 35 surrounding producers shows around 800 BOPD production increase while the trend is still inclining. A total of US$350,000 was needed for the workover jobs for a net present value income around 2,300,000 US$ and is an example of good practices in reservoir management and capital investment. An initiative to reuse idle facility, supported by effective surveillance program and decision to invest some capital, proved able to give more oil production and economic benefit.