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Prospecting for Bypassed Oil and Gas

In recent years, it has been increasingly difficult to economically explore for hydrocarbons bacause of geopolitical uncertainties and low oil prices. In many countries the remaining potential prospects are in areas which are difficult to acces bacause of climate, terrain, offshore water depth, and/or environmental constraints. Also, most of the relatively simple geologic basins have been exploited leaving to explore areas of complex geology. In addition, the probability of finding large fields in mature basins is understandably low. It is known that substantial amounts of hydrocarbons has been bypassed on a macroscopic and microscopic scale in known fields. This is mainly due to reservoir heterogeneities and complex lithology which result in poor reservoir characterisation. Innovative reservoir management options can reduce the amount of bypassed hydrocarbons. Emerging technologies such as 3-D seismic and horizontal wells facilitate the lokation of oil and gas which has been bypassed at near-virgin saturation. Sufficiently large amounts of such hydrocarbons could be economically produced in the near term by infill drilling. Innovative improved oil recovery methods can revive reservoirs which were considered depleted ba conventional standards. These emerging technologies and methoda have the potential of adding bypassed oil to the reserves category at a cost per barrel much lower than the cost of new discoveries.

Prospecting; Bypassed oil; Bypassed gas

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