The Challenge
The Suban field is the producing anchor of ConocoPhillips’ Corridor Block PSC of South Sumatra, Indonesia. The field was discovered in 1998 and has gas-in-place estimates in excess of 7 trillion cubic feet. Developing the Suban field into the financial success that it currently represents has required overcoming significant subsurface challenges because the reservoir is structurally complex and it produces primarily from tectonic fractures within igneous, metamorphic and carbonate units.

Characterizing fractured reservoirs requires close collaboration between all exploration and drilling disciplines. Geology, geophysics, reservoir engineering, modeling, simulation, and drilling must work together to build a 3-D geologic model, analyze its fracture characteristics, and put a field development plan in place that efficiently exploits the fracture system and minimizes the difficulties associated with drilling and field management.

The Answer?
The recent Suban field fracture characterization project illustrates the benefits of intra-organizational collaboration and a multidisciplinary integration. An integrated fracture model for Suban was developed that explains the dramatic spatial variations in well performance and drainage observed across the field.

Efforts are currently under way to use the fracture and reservoir models in decisions affecting the placement, design and completion strategy for future development wells. It is expected that this will lead to improved productivity and reduced capital expenditure through the use of fewer wells required to meet gas supply commitments.