SPE APOGCE conference preview – Wheatstone: What we have Learnt in Early Production Life

APOGCE Conference 2020 registration:

https://www.spe-events.org/apogce2020/home

Abstract

Wheatstone and Iago commenced production in June 2017.  Its foundation subsea system includes nine Wheatstone and Iago development wells tied back to a central Wheatstone Platform (WP) for processing. Hydrocarbons then flow via an export pipeline to an onshore processing facility that includes 2 x liquefied-natural-gas (LNG) trains and a domestic gas (Domgas) facility.

Data from subsea wells, manifolds and flowlines, along with data from WP and the Wheatstone LNG Plant are continually monitored to ensure wells and equipment are operating within allowable limits.  Observed and expected performance are routinely compared to recognise any unexpected performance for further investigation.

This paper will highlight some of the key learnings in well and reservoir surveillance analysis and optimisation (SA&O) that have been developed using the data from early production. Production strategies will be discussed, along with factors that need to be considered when developing a preferred strategy through operational and production challenges. Insights will be provided in how to assess the performance and reliability of equipment, including pressure and temperature gauges, flowmeters and chokes. Discussion will also include reservoir surveillance and analysis techniques used, what information is yielded from the different analyses and what surveillance and analysis techniques and tools have worked best.

Practical examples will be shared that includes tubing and inflow trends, drawdown analysis, equipment performance, and the operational and production challenges of trunkline pressure management.