Publications

The Tunu field is a swamp giant gas field located in the Mahakam Delta, East Kalimantan. Stratigraphically, this field has an anticline structure with three main intervals; Tunu Shallow Zone (TSZ), Fresh Water Zone (FWZ), and Tunu Main Zone (TMZ). Shallow gas reservoirs of TSZ have been produced since 2008, following the production of TMZ in the 1990s. Drilling targets in the shallow gas reservoir decreased significantly due to limited reservoir targets, high inclination wells and a low oil price environment. The utilization of radioactive source logging (density and neutron) on Logging While Drilling (LWD) tools is not recommended to be performed in open hole mode for operational and safety issues (e.g: tool stuck). Thus, LWD Monopole sonic is chosen as a replacement of LWD Neutron-Density logs and helps to differentiate between shallow gas potential and coal lithology which is the main challenge in TSZ at interval depth above 1200 mSS. The methodology utilized sonic semblance (STRA) and compressional slowness (DTc) data at real-time and memory data logs, so early decision can be made in drilling mode. In a gas-bearing reservoir, both semblance and slowness are missing, while in coal it produced strong semblance. In order to differentiate carbonate lithology, additional data, such as cutting, calcimetry, drilling Rate of Penetration and Gas While Drilling are utilized. During 2018-2020, 5 wells have been drilled using LWD Monopole sonic together with LWD GR-Resistivity-Neutron-Density (Triple Combo) to calibrate the fluid interpretation and 3 trial wells with only GR-Resistivity-Monopole Sonic. As a result, LWD Monopole sonic is able to differentiate between Gas and Coal based on semblance and slowness with a success ratio up to 80%. This LWD Monopole Sonic provides a non-radioactive solution for safe and effective logs acquisition for shallow gas identification that could be applied in oil and gas fields outside Mahakam.