Case Study: Angola Deepwater Drilling Company achieves reliable permeability measurement and fluid sampling in tight deepwater sands with SLB's Saturn 3D radial probe

Successful Permeability Measurement and Fluid Sampling in 0.1-mD/cP Mobility Deepwater Angola

SLB worked with Angola Deepwater Drilling Company to characterize a low-permeability sandstone reservoir offshore Angola. The company needed interval pressure transient tests and fluid samples in tight deepwater zones, but conventional wireline formation testers could not reliably measure pressure or extract fluid because mobility was too low.

SLB deployed the Saturn 3D radial probe with an MDT modular formation dynamics tester and TLC tough logging conditions system to create circumferential flow in the tight sand. The tool successfully obtained valid pressure measurements, permeability and anisotropy data from two zones, and fluid samples even at 0.1-mD/cP mobility, pumping in a little over 4 hours per station versus 8.5 hours with a conventional probe while also reducing contamination and supercharging effects.