Case Study: an onshore field operating company achieves successful geosteering in a complex carbonate reservoir with SLB GeoSphere 475

GeoSphere 475 Reservoir Mapping Service Enables Geosteering in Complex Carbonate Reservoir, Sicily

SLB helped Onshore Field Operating Company address the challenge of increasing production from a complex heavy-oil reservoir in Sicily by converting an existing slanted well into a horizontal well. The operator needed to geosteer through structurally uncertain carbonate and dolomite formations, avoid faults and a bottom water zone, and land the well in the lower reservoir at the right angle for maximum recovery.

SLB deployed a sidetrack BHA combining GeoSphere 475 reservoir mapping-while-drilling, PowerDrive Orbit rotary steerable, SonicScope sonic-while-drilling, MicroScope resistivity and imaging-while-drilling, and Petrel E&P software. The integrated solution provided real-time reservoir data and a 22 m depth of investigation, enabled proactive trajectory changes, and allowed the well to be steered 178 m along the lateral while staying on target. The operation was completed two days ahead of schedule, and SLB used the GeoSphere 475 service to successfully geosteer the well for the first time in this application.