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Abstract Operators are challenged to deliver gas in an ever-changing gas demand market. During periods of low commodity pricing, capitol spend on appraisal or new projects can be heavily reduced. To deliver in this type of environment, operators utilize cost-effective solutions using existing resources. One industry example is the revival of gas production by stimulating mature wells in the Saih Nihayda field in the Sultanate of Oman. Gas wells in the Saih Nihayda field are typically completed with a combination of perforation in the sections with good rock quality and hydraulic fracturing in the tighter rock layers. As the field matures beyond its first decade, there remains a significant quantity of under stimulated wells in the field. Wells that currently produce below economic gas rates offer a substantial hydraulic fracturing opportunity. Candidate selection is key to unlocking these untapped reserves. Candidate criteria include reservoir properties, remaining gas in place, completion limitations, and well intervention requirements. Depletion and lengthy perforation intervals present challenges in these wells. The ideal hydraulic fracturing technique would be able to effectively stimulate more than 100 m of clustered perforations and flow back almost immediately after fracturing operations. The fracture growth must be able to cover the entire perforation interval utilizing chemical diversion techniques and material. To validate the proppant placement distribution of the entire treatment, radioactive tracer is pumped and logged during and after pumping. In Saih Nihayda field, wells stimulated using these methods produced above expectations and met economic flow rates. A fit-for-purpose workflow for candidate selection criteria and the process for stimulating sandstone gas wells in Middle East brownfields was developed. A unique diversion technique and strategies for long perforation intervals in depleted gas reservoirs is introduced, with results confirmed using surveillance techniques.
Raisi et al. (Mon,) studied this question.