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206

Sturgeon Lake South D3 Oil Pool Pressure Depletion Patterns and Infill Well Potential

Sturgeon Lake South, AB

RPCL

BUSL

December 2001

Play(s):
N/A
Fluid(s):
Light Oil
N/A
Area:
Sturgeon Lake South, AB
N/A

The Sturgeon Lake South D3 oil pool was discovered in 1953 and has been assigned OOIP of 308 MM Bbl, and OGIP of 330 BCF. The pool was initially developed at an 80-acre spacing through the 1950s along the reef margin. Development of more complex geologic models initiated the development of back-reef facies and younger reef stages in the 1960s. Very few wells were drilled in the 1970 to 1990 period, a majority of which were infill wells probably drilled due to higher quality seismic control. During the period 1990-2001 an aggressive 3D-seismic-based downspacing program (40 acres) was conducted primarily to exploit attic and unswept oil along the northern reef rim and eastern nose. The original reservoir pressure for the pool was 27,250 Kpa at a datum elevation of 1,921m subsea. Current pool pressures range from 20,000 Kpa to highs of almost 26,000 Kpa. The same pressure data when converted to hydraulic head and plotted against the date of measurement show that up until ~1980 the pool pressure was depleting along a straight line, exhibiting a homogeneous reservoir with excellent hydraulic communication. After 1980, the pressure depletion pattern changes dramatically, with some areas of the pool depleting far more rapidly than others. Although some of these fluctuations are undoubtedly a function of variable fluid removal and production rates, they are also indicative of a semi-compartmentalized reservoir that could inhibit effective oil sweep based on the current drilling density and limit the ultimate potential recovery factor. This analysis has been conducted in order to determine Proven Undeveloped and Possible Undeveloped drilling locations that may exist in the study area.