Abstract An efficient resource maturation funnel ensures seamless transition of field from exploration to development phase leading to optimal pace of field development and yielding value transformation through early monetization for the enterprise. This paper illustrates a case study from a greenfield oil development in Sarawak which is planned for a fit-for-purpose development scope to create value for stakeholders and develop oil resources in a phased manner within four (4) years of project framing. Field X has been discovered off the coast of Sarawak (Malaysia) through drilling campaign in Cycle-II clastic reservoirs ~150km from Bintulu. Through post-drilling analysis, significant oil volumes have been identified, and field recovery factor is estimated at 17% through the presence of gas-cap drive & solution drive mechanism. Notional field development requires 4-6 development wells to be drilled from a new wellhead platform and produced fluids to be evacuated to nearby hub for processing. Although the project is commercially viable, there are significant subsurface and surface uncertainties which need to be mitigated through robust field development planning. Moreover, the project aspires to achieve the first hydrocarbon within 4 years of project framing which required complete reframing of project planning to deliver fit-for-purpose scope. The project team embarked on phased development planning with streamlined governance process for this greenfield to identify major oil reservoirs for Phase-I development. Subsurface studies were focused to deliver static and dynamic models tailored to Phase-I scope within 7-months while workscope for full field modelling were planned to be staggered to ensure more flexibility with future development scenarios e.g. minor reservoir development, additional wells requirement, secondary recovery options. This resulted in delivering a complete outlook for full field development potential which is planned to be validated from Phase-I results and will shorten time for future reworks. Optimal facility design was considered with emphasis on potential brownfield modifications’ scope at tie-in hub to ensure the project cost estimates are robust and project execution schedule is within the aspiration timeline. Provision for additional appraisal well and flexibility in topside/pipeline design were considered to address some of the key uncertainties in subsurface and surface scope. The simplified governance scope resulted in integrating project gate reviews in alignment with project maturation level to facilitate paced planning and project execution. An efficient collaboration between subsurface and surface teams has resulted in delivering a fast-paced development plan for Field X to create value for all stakeholders. This approach can be replicated for similar fields to accelerate field development resulting in early monetization in the region.
Sinha et al. (Mon,) studied this question.