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345 comments on DrumBeat: October 18, 2006

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PhilRelig on October 18, 2006 - 9:26am Permalink | Subthread | Comments top
I also have a second question about how field size relates to the lifetime of the field.  Ghawar has a total lifetime of significant extraction spanning many decades, while fields in the North Sea have a lifetime of significant extraction that seems to be significantly shorter - maybe two decades, rather than 8.  And I get the impression that smaller fields often have a lifetime of significant extraction that is even less than a decade.

I guess my question is this:  Is there some kind of mathematical rule-of-thumb that relates OOIP to significant extraction lifetime, or that perhaps relates the physical dimensions of the field (in 3D, underground) to significant extraction lifetime?

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elwoodelmore on October 18, 2006 - 7:17pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
well it appears no one is going to respond so i'll take a stab at it   the size of a field depends on the volume of rock   areal extent x net thickness   the porosity, water saturation and fluid skrinkage (from reservoir to stock tank)       the rate of production is a function of the well density    wellbore size and orientation (ie horizontal or vertical)  completion techniques   possibly artificial lift (type of pump if any) permeability of the rock (which is generally a function of porosity)  fluid viscosity and pressure  and reservoir drive mechanism  ( solution gas   water drive   gravity drainage) and possibly pressure maintainance techniques     some of these factors are interrellated   but i suppose to answer your question   every field is a different animal    the producer will generally try to operate the field in such a way as to maximize financial return (at least what they believe to be optimum)  
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PhilRelig on October 18, 2006 - 11:59pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
Thanks for your response.  But how flexible are all these variables?  Could Ghawar, for example, have been substantially exhausted within 10 years of the first well drilled if there had been 50 or 100 times as many wells drilled as there actually were?
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sendoilplease on October 19, 2006 - 12:19am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
In a nutshell - yes.

The more straws in the milkshake, the sooner you hear the slurping sounds.

But if some slurpers get head-freeze and their consumption drops there will be a delay until you hear the slurping sounds.  And if one person is a head-freeze recessive mutant and therefore can suck down the milkshake at a rate 10X that of everyone else...

sluuuuurrrrrrrrrrrrrp!**

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elwoodelmore on October 20, 2006 - 9:37pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
well yes  in theory   but would the oil market absorb this level of production (supply)
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345 comments on DrumBeat: October 18, 2006

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