How can you optimize well placement and completion design with formation evaluation software and tools?

Optimizing well placement and completion design is crucial for maximizing oil and gas recovery and minimizing costs and risks. However, this requires a comprehensive understanding of the subsurface formations, their properties, and their interactions with the wellbore and fluids. Formation evaluation software and tools can help you achieve this by providing data acquisition, analysis, and visualization capabilities that enable you to make informed decisions. In this article, you will learn how to use formation evaluation software and tools to optimize your well placement and completion design.

1 Data acquisition

The first step in formation evaluation is to acquire high-quality data from the reservoir. This can be done using various tools and methods, such as logging while drilling (LWD), wireline logging, coring, testing, and sampling. These tools and methods can measure different parameters, such as porosity, permeability, fluid saturation, pressure, temperature, and rock mechanics. Formation evaluation software can help you design, execute, and monitor your data acquisition programs, ensuring that you collect the right data for your objectives and minimize operational risks and uncertainties.

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Sushant Rastogi

Energy Transition & Utilities Industry Platform | Consulting & Sales Strategy |CXO Strategy| Advisory | Business Development | Energy Transition | Decarbonization | CCUS | OSDU | Sustainability | Oil & Gas | Utilities |
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Optimizing well placement and completion design involves efficient data acquisition methods like Logging While Drilling (LWD), Wireline Logging, Seismic Surveys, Formation Testing, and Core Analysis. LWD provides real-time downhole measurements, Wireline Logging collects post-drilling data, Seismic Surveys image subsurface formations, Formation Testing evaluates reservoir properties, and Core Analysis analyzes extracted samples. Integration of these methods into formation evaluation software allows engineers to optimize well placement and design, enhancing reservoir recovery and production efficiency.

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2 Data analysis

The next step in formation evaluation is to analyze the data and interpret the results. This can be done using various techniques, such as petrophysical modeling, geostatistical analysis, geomechanical modeling, fluid characterization, and reservoir simulation. These techniques can help you understand the reservoir architecture, heterogeneity, connectivity, fluid dynamics, and stress state. Formation evaluation software can help you perform these analyses using advanced algorithms, workflows, and models, ensuring that you use the best available science and technology to evaluate your reservoir.

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Sushant Rastogi

Energy Transition & Utilities Industry Platform | Consulting & Sales Strategy |CXO Strategy| Advisory | Business Development | Energy Transition | Decarbonization | CCUS | OSDU | Sustainability | Oil & Gas | Utilities |
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Geosteering software like Landmark's DecisionSpace® and Schlumberger's GeoSphere® ensures real-time wellbore positioning. Petrophysical analysis software, including Schlumberger's Techlog™ and Halliburton's IP™, assesses reservoir properties. Seismic interpretation software such as Schlumberger's Petrel and Landmark's DecisionSpace® identifies subsurface structures. Formation pressure prediction tools like Schlumberger's PeriScope™ and Baker Hughes' AutoPilot® optimize drilling parameters. Reservoir modeling software like Schlumberger's Petrel and Landmark's DecisionSpace® builds 3D models. Wellbore stability analysis software such as Schlumberger's GeoMechanics and Halliburton's StressCheck™ predicts and mitigates stability issues.

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3 Data visualization

The final step in formation evaluation is to visualize the data and communicate the findings. This can be done using various tools, such as maps, cross-sections, 3D models, animations, and reports. These tools can help you display the data in a clear and intuitive way, highlighting the key features, trends, and uncertainties. Formation evaluation software can help you create these visualizations using interactive and customizable functions, ensuring that you present the data in a meaningful and engaging way.

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Sushant Rastogi

Energy Transition & Utilities Industry Platform | Consulting & Sales Strategy |CXO Strategy| Advisory | Business Development | Energy Transition | Decarbonization | CCUS | OSDU | Sustainability | Oil & Gas | Utilities |
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Advanced visualization techniques support the effective interpretation of subsurface data like 3D visualization for complex reservoir structures, cross-sectional views for lithology assessment, log plotting for reservoir property identification, and seismic attribute visualization for subsurface structure analysis. Geosteering displays provide real-time trajectory information for optimal well placement. By utilizing these techniques, we can optimize well design, identify reservoir characteristics, and make informed decisions, enhancing hydrocarbon recovery and production efficiency.

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4 Well placement optimization

Using formation evaluation software and tools, you can optimize your well placement by identifying the optimal locations, trajectories, and targets for your wells. You can do this by integrating the data, analyses, and visualizations from different sources and scales, such as seismic, geological, petrophysical, geomechanical, and reservoir data. You can also use formation evaluation software and tools to perform real-time steering and geosteering, adjusting your well path as you drill based on the data from LWD and other sensors.

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5 Completion design optimization

Using formation evaluation software and tools, you can optimize your completion design by selecting the optimal methods, materials, and parameters for your wells. You can do this by using the data, analyses, and visualizations from different domains and disciplines, such as rock mechanics, fluid dynamics, production engineering, and economics. You can also use formation evaluation software and tools to perform completion evaluation and optimization, testing and monitoring your wells' performance and efficiency based on the data from wireline logging, testing, and sampling.

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6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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Sushant Rastogi

Energy Transition & Utilities Industry Platform | Consulting & Sales Strategy |CXO Strategy| Advisory | Business Development | Energy Transition | Decarbonization | CCUS | OSDU | Sustainability | Oil & Gas | Utilities |
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Formation evaluation software and tools are evolving with advancements like machine learning for predictive analytics, real-time data integration for agile decision-making, high-resolution imaging for detailed subsurface characterization, quantitative risk assessment for mitigating drilling risks, and integrated workflows for streamlined processes. These developments enable the oil and gas industry to optimize well placement and completion design, enhancing hydrocarbon recovery while minimizing drilling risks and costs.

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How can you optimize well placement and completion design with formation evaluation software and tools?

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1 Data acquisition

2 Data analysis

3 Data visualization

4 Well placement optimization

5 Completion design optimization

6 Here’s what else to consider

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