FULL-FIELD SIMULATION FOR DEVELOPMENT-PLANNING AND RESERVOIR MANAGEMENT AT KUPARUK RIVER FIELD

The Kuparuk River field on the Alaskan North Slope produces from two stratigraphically independent sands of the Kuparuk River formation. A full-field reservoir model was constructed to support field management and development planning. The model captures essential aspects of two independent producing horizons, hydraulically coupled at the wellbores, and simulates dynamic interactions between the reservoir sands and surface facilities. The field model is used to plan field development on the basis of performance ranking of drillsite expansions, to assess depletion performance effects of reservoir management strategies, and to evaluate alternative depletion processes and associated reservoir and facility interactions of field projects.