Well Placement Optimization Using GIS Authors

Determining optimal location for conventional and multilateral wells in oil and gas reservoirs is a complex process. Optimal location determination depends on a combination of geological parameters, reservoir information, and surface landcover feature data types that need to be analyzed concurrently in one software system. A Geographic Information System (GIS) can integrate and represent these many data types in a single view. It has sophisticated analysis tools that can identify the optimum well location in a reservoir. Saudi Aramco’s E&P GIS application functionalities were extended to allow petroleum engineers to efficiently propose well locations where the density of wells in a field is high. Furthermore, these functionalities allow engineers to create and view fluid contact maps, formation pressure information, and well trajectory data for this complex task. This paper will provide an overview of the methodologies developed to effectively place wells in a reservoir and will highlight the GIS implementation for each methodology