The SS field is located offshore East Malaysia. Two exploration wells discovered multiple dipping reservoirs, with oil columns of about 40m. The heterogeneous reservoirs, combined with a very large gas cap (i.e. m size of 2) and moderate aquifer strength, imposed challenges in maximizing recovery from this field. A field development study formulated 14 horizontal wells with 3 water injectors to achieve a recovery factor of 30%. Optimum reservoir management strategy requires a delicate balance of gas cap expansion and water injection drive, where the optimum voidage replacement ratio is only 0.25. However, reservoir dynamic modeling shows that all the wells will get early gas and water breakthrough. ICD technology is therefore evaluated to address the above production and recovery dilemma, while prolonging production life.

In this paper, optimization of 12 horizontal ICD wells, out of the 14, is discussed. This includes the process of qualifying and designing the ICD application in each candidate through static modeling. Full field dynamic modeling was also conducted to quantify the real benefits of ICD, and confirming the robustness of the design throughout field life. In view of high uncertainty of fluid contacts and reservoir quality in unappraised areas, the team has adopted the unique, yet challenging, approach of field appraisal from pilot holes during the initial implementation stage. This has provided valuable data prior to horizontal drilling and final optimization of ICD. Subsequently, the production performance from the first ICD wells is also discussed to provide evidence on its effectiveness and lessons learned.

Finally, the paper highlights the importance of seamless teamwork and coordination between project team and service providers to deliver superior performance. This is an informative workflow source for future applicants of such technology with fields that are similar in nature and risk.