Case Study: a major offshore Nigeria operating company reduces water breakthrough with SLB ResFlow ICDs

Introduction of ResFlow ICDs Transitions Wells from 100% Water Production to 70% Oil Production

SLB worked with a major offshore Nigeria operating company that was planning to complete 16 openhole wells in an unconsolidated, low-pressure sandstone reservoir. The operator needed to prevent water or gas breakthrough, maintain sand control across the full lateral, and avoid the total water production seen in earlier wells completed with stand-alone wire-wrapped sand screens.

SLB implemented ResFlow inflow control devices (ICDs) with wire-wrapped sand screens to regulate inflow along the horizontal section. In the first well, 93 ICDs were installed and production logging showed much more uniform inflow from heel to toe across nearly 4,000 feet, with water breakthrough greatly reduced and oil flowing freely over the entire lateral. Based on this success, the operator chose SLB’s ResFlow ICDs for the remaining 15 wells.