Case Study: a large oil production company monitors fluid contacts with lower opex and less HSE exposure using SLB WellWatcher BriteBlue HT

Monitoring Accurate Fluid Contacts in Fractured Carbonate with Lower Opex and Less HSE Exposure

SLB worked with a large oil production company in Oman that needed a regular, cost-effective way to monitor gas, oil, and water levels in a fractured carbonate reservoir during thermal recovery of heavy oil. The operator had to manage the fracture oil rim position and thickness to optimize steam injection and liquid offtake rates, but frequent wireline gradiomanometer surveys were expensive, impractical, and increased HSE exposure.

SLB deployed WellWatcher BriteBlue HT high-temperature distributed temperature sensing fiber to measure thermal relaxation after circulating cooler water through the well, allowing fluid contacts to be identified from temperature changes. The method matched gradiomanometer survey results to within 1 m, reduced surveillance operating costs and HSE exposure, and was expanded to 14 observation wells ahead of full-field thermal recovery startup.