3D Geomechanics Study Influences ADCO’s Future Development Plans for Giant Field Stacked Reservoir System

An onshore field operated by ADCO in United Arab Emirates covers approximately 1200 sq. km, and its multiple stacked reservoirs contain a variety of hydrocarbons. The production up to the present day varies between the different stacked reservoirs in the field. However, ADCO plans to produce all of them in the future, particularly the deeper reservoirs. ADCO’s problem statement was addressed by developing a 3D mechanical earth model (3D-MEM) consisting of 19 million grid cells and involved processing reservoir simulation results generated by various software packages. Coupled geomechanical simulations have been conducted to track the performance of a stacked reservoir system to present day and beyond. In addition to the typical deliverables, namely optimising the placement and stability of planned wells, the significant outcome of this study is disclosure of the reservoir interaction evolving over time between closely separated units.