Case Study: ADNOC predicts gas production from natural fractures with SLB 3D far-field sonic service

ADNOC Maps Natural Fractures with 3D Far-Field Sonic Service to Predict Gas Production

ADNOC was facing puzzling gas production in a hot, naturally fractured carbonate reservoir in Abu Dhabi, where two zones with good porosity and low water saturation were producing less gas than expected while a thin interval was producing far more than anticipated. SLB recommended using its 3D far-field sonic service alongside the FMI fullbore formation microimager and Sonic Scanner acoustic scanning platform to better understand fracture behavior beyond the borehole.

SLB’s solution compared near-wellbore and far-field fractures and showed that the high-flow zone had strong continuity between fractures near the wellbore and farther into the reservoir, while the low-producing zones had poor fracture connectivity. This explained the production test results and helped ADNOC improve reservoir understanding for future completion and stimulation planning, with 70% of the well’s gas coming from the unexpectedly high-performing 5-ft interval.

Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC)