Maximizing oil recovery from thin oil reservoirs with strong bottom-water aquifers presents significant challenges due to fluid coning or cresting, which reduces recovery efficiency and leaves substantial oil unrecovered above the completion well. This issue persists regardless of well orientation, particularly in the presence of bottom- or edge-water invasion, leading to high water cut and economic inefficiencies. This study presents a design approach to optimize oil recovery under these conditions by optimizing well placement, perforation strategies, operating rates, and bottom-hole pressures (BHP) to maximize revenues while adhering to engineering standards and environmental regulations. The reservoir static geological model was built using Builder™ software, and dynamic modeling was conducted with IMEX™ software, incorporating fluid properties and aquifer dynamics from the CMG™ Suite. The dynamic simulation confirmed that conventional production techniques are highly susceptible to water coning. To address this, two advanced design technologies were tested: the inverted electrical submersible pump (ESP) and the conformance polymer sealant (CPS). The design scenarios were sensitized with three BHP settings (250, 500, and 1000 psi), five wells (W
1–W
5), and four perforation layers with varying open/closed conditions. The results demonstrated that while inverted ESP technology is technically feasible and can mitigate environmental impacts, it is not economically viable for the field under study. In contrast, drilling five strategically located wells away from the aquifer and employing the CPS technology to create a water-oil seal significantly increased oil production, prevented water coning, and eliminated water intrusion from the aquifer. The economic analysis of the CPS approach showed an internation rate of return (IRR) of 64% and a total net present value (NPV) of $459 million over a 10-year project life, highlighting its technical and financial feasibility. These findings provide a useful and effective development strategy for maximizing oil recovery from thin reservoirs with strong bottom-water aquifers to the petroleum engineers and oilfield operators, offering both economic benefits and reduced environmental impact.
Keywords: Thin reservoirs, water coning, production optimization, conformance polymer sealant, electrical submersible pump, bottom-water aquifers, modelling and simulation.
