Expensive conventional techniques create risks when logging and accessing well

An operator in southern Mexico needed to access a horizontal well to determine how to reduce water production and increase oil output. The well had been historically inaccessible using wireline or wired coiled tubing during production logging operations. Logging was required along an interval located between 7,218–8,917 ft-MD [2,200–2,718 m-MD] with a TD of 9,642 ft-MD [2,939 m-MD] and a 7-in cased hole with a 5-in perforated liner.

Although the use of wireline is possible with a tractor, this technique is not only expensive and risky, but it can also be more prone to multiple issues during operations. Wired coiled tubing is also not a practical option for those operations, as the weight added by the wires inside the coiled tubing may prevent the pipe from being run to the toe of the well.

Cost-effective service allows operational flexibility

Schlumberger proposed using the ACTive PS service, which allows an operator to run the coiled tubing to the toe of the well while providing real-time telemetry and the ability to pump. These two benefits enable flexibility during operations and significantly reduce the surface equipment footprint. When compared with the tractor or wired coiled tubing methods, the ACTive iFC fiber-optic carrier is much lighter and eliminates the issue of conveyance or pumping limitation.

Reservoir saturation tool locates additional hydrocarbons and restores production

The RSTPro tool was used to locate bypassed hydrocarbons, depleted reservoirs, and gas zones. The results prompted the operator to perform a cementing job to plug the water-producing bottom portion of the well and perforate the hydrocarbon-bearing upper portion. Using the acquired data from the RSTPro tool, well intervention operations were determined to restore production to the well. 

As a result, the oil production increased from 126 bbl/d before logging to 500 bbl/d after the shutoff and perforating interventions. Water production decreased from 742 bbl/d (85.5% water cut) to 18 bbl/d (0.5% water cut).