Published: 04/26/2021
Published: 04/26/2021
Schlumberger has a global network of research and engineering centers through which the company advances its technology programs.
This year marks the 15th anniversary of the opening of the Schlumberger Dhahran Carbonate Research (SDCR) Center.
Opened in 2006 in the eastern province of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), the SDCR Center supports collaboration with universities and customers across Schlumberger business lines, operations, and technology centers worldwide.
Research at the Center is conducted by a team of international scientists who have expertise in disciplines such as electromagnetics, rock physics, and stimulation. SDRC is located near the King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, which further enables close collaboration with this academic center of excellence.
"The center has collaborated extensively on numerous R&D projects with leading research institutes in the KSA and abroad," notes Ziad Jeha, managing director Saudi and Bahrain.
"A fine mix of academia and technical expertise with local talents has enabled the development and adoption of new technological solutions for our global industry."
Since its opening, the SDCR research team has contributed to the development of ground-breaking technologies that address global industry challenges.
"SDCR has established itself as a pioneer in carbonate research. And we are very proud of what we have accomplished in collaboration with Saudi Aramco in many different areas, including reservoir formation evaluation and stimulation."
–Wael Abdallah, SDCR director
Among the achievements is the Manara production and reservoir management system, jointly developed by the SDCR team with Saudi Aramco. “Manara is an Arabic word, and one of its meanings is ‘lighthouse.’ In the case of our technology, the Manara system acts like a lighthouse by illuminating how we drain reservoirs and improve sweep recovery. The name is also an analogy for the ability of these control points to access parts of the reservoir that we previously could not reach,” says Wells Production Systems Domain Head Stephen Dyer.
“With the additional control and monitoring capabilities, engineers can see how the reservoir is developing dynamically over time and then respond efficiently to it—significantly reducing previously time-consuming workflows for delivering wells.”
In another research project, the SDCR team conducted extensive testing that contributed to the development of the OpenPath Reach extended-contact stimulation service, which improves production in carbonates with engineered acid stimulation designs that penetrate deep into the reservoir. It combines slow-reacting fluid systems with reservoir-specific pumping schedules to maximize reservoir contact and ensure open pathways for hydrocarbon flow, delivering improved stimulation performance.
"SDCR has established itself as a pioneer in carbonate research," says Wael Abdallah, SDCR director. "And we are very proud of what we have accomplished in collaboration with Saudi Aramco in many different areas, including reservoir formation evaluation and stimulation. Our team is committed to its ongoing research and to further contributing to the advancement of innovative technology to meet industry challenges.”
Learn more about technology development at Schlumberger here.
Image in this story taken prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
