Evaluating onshore reservoir connectivity in Algeria

• A customer in North Africa wanted to understand how the reservoir volumes between remote wells in the desert were connected during an onshore appraisal campaign in order to optimise their field development plan
• The observation wells were not instrumented with real-time downhole monitoring systems to read pressure and temperature (P&T) data, so the only way to recover this data was to mobilise a slickline unit to the well site to recover historic data from memory gauges, which added time and cost to the project
• The remote location provided many logistical and security challenges with performing short term memory gauge well interventions

• Expro retrofitted a CaTS wireless gauge on slickline into the observation well to record and transmit Pressure & Temperature data to surface in real-time
• The data was received by a solar powered topside receiver, which then sent data-to-desk via a satellite modem
• The data was used to monitor cross-field reservoir pressure interference during appraisal testing and extended well testing of other wells in the field

• The system successfully transmitted wireless data from the CaTS gauge at the remote well site to the operator’s desk
• Real-time data allowed the customer to make dynamic decisions on the well tests and verified the optimal time to terminate the testing activities
• There was no requirement to mobilise a slickline unit to the well site to recover the data during the extended monitoring period, saving time and cost
• Safer performance of the field operations by eliminating vehicle and personnel movements in a security sensitive desert environment
• The fully autonomous solar-powered topside system removed the need for an onsite mains power supply
• The system provided flexibility to retrieve and rerun the gauges in other wells

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