Hydrocarbon-gas injection improves microscopic-displacement efficiency and generally acts as pressure maintenance; however, unfavorable mobility ratio can affect the ultimate recovery negatively because of viscous fingering and gravity override. This paper describes a gas-injection pilot that has been implemented in offshore Middle East carbonate reservoirs (a second pilot is described in the complete paper) to assess injectivity, productivity, macroscopic-sweep efficiency, flow assurance, and operational efficiency in a field that has a long water-injection history.
Introduction
The carbonate field is part of the Lower Cretaceous Lower Lekhwair formation. The field is divided into A, B, and C reservoirs, 20 to 35 ft thick individually. Each reservoir is vertically separated by nonpay tight intervals of similar thickness, composed of argillaceous limestone, isolating each reservoir from the others.