Water production in the Permian: Where is the water coming from?
Tuesday, August 13, 2024, Noon Central
CSEE Webinar
Abstract:
Substantial water production associated with shale oil production in unconventional basins presents a challenge for the sustainable development of oil and gas resources. Recent studies have identified the origin and content of water in these unconventional formations such as the Wolfcamp Formation, but little is known regarding the mechanisms and pathways through which water is produced. Understanding these mechanisms is crucial for water control and sustainable unconventional resources development. In this talk, I will explore whether simplified conceptual models can effectively capture the formation’s characteristics and reproduce production history. I will show collected water production data from over 8000 wells in the upper Wolfcamp Formation of the Delaware Basin. This is compared to two different conceptual models: a) water and oil being produced together from a large single layer, and b) water from water bearing layers and oil from oil bearing layers. one with different layers. It is found that only the second layer can match the field data. Additionally, it is found that crossflow between layers is an important part of the production. This has specific implications for attempts to lower the water production while raising the oil production from these reservoirs.
Bio:
Dr. David DiCarlo is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Petroleum Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin. He holds a PhD in Physics from Cornell University, and has worked as an Acting Assistant Professor at Stanford University and as a Physical Scientist with the Agricultural Research Service. His research focusses on applying advanced experimental techniques to understanding fluid flow in hydrocarbon reservoirs. In particular, this research touches on three-phase flow (water, oil, and gas), gas hydrates, compositional displacements, flow stability, and the effect of nanoparticles on multi-phase flow in porous media. He is the author of over 110 refereed publications, and 40 conference proceedings papers.
