SPE-184909-MS The Shushufindi Revolution: New Life and a Brighter Future for a Giant David Meza, Eduardo Gozalbo, Patricio Whitney, Richard Clayton, Claudio Fonseca, Jorge Hurtado, and Richard Henson, Schlumberger; Edgar Chicango, CSSFD; Dimas Reyes, Tecpetrol; Ruth Leon, Petroamazonas EP Copyright 2017, Society of Petroleum Engineers This paper was prepared for presentation at the SPE Latin America and Caribbean Mature Fields Symposium held in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, 15–16 March 2017. This paper was selected for presentation by an SPE program committee following review of information contained in an abstract submitted by the author(s). Contents of the paper have not been reviewed by the Society of Petroleum Engineers and are subject to correction by the author(s). The material does not necessarily reflect any position of the Society of Petroleum Engineers, its officers, or members. Electronic reproduction, distribution, or storage of any part of this paper without the written consent of the Society of Petroleum Engineers is prohibited. Permission to reproduce in print is restricted to an abstract of not more than 300 words; illustrations may not be copied. The abstract must contain conspicuous acknowledgment of SPE copyright. Abstract The Shushufindi field is the largest oil accumulation (3.8 billion barrels) in the Oriente Basin in Ecuador, and it represents 16% of the total oil production in the country. It was discovered in 1972 and has achieved a current recovery of 1.2 billion barrels of its original oil in place. Its peak oil production was 125,000 BOPD, reached in 1986; since then the production steadily declined. The Ecuadorian government recognized the danger of declining oil revenues, and, in January 2012, the national oil company (EP Petroamazonas) signed a 15-year Specific Integrated Services Contract with Consorcio Shushufindi S.A. (75% Schlumberger, 25% Tecpetrol). During an aggressive optimization campaign performed in the last 10 months, the Consorcio Shushufindi has achieved an incremental recovery of 1.1 million barrels (4,400 BOPD) by rebalancing and optimizing bottomhole flowing pressure over most of the field through increasing the extraction rate. An additional 1.1 million barrels (4,700 BOPD) of production was achieved by performing Electrical Submersible Pump (ESP) upsizings in 24 wells, from a complete portfolio of 34 wells. The Shushufindi revolution demonstrates how an ambitious optimization plan, multidisciplinary integration and collaboration between the operator and the service company can be successful in a mature field despite the associated risks. In addition, this project demonstrates that activities can be performed to increase production at a minimal cost and how to maximize the return on existing assets through the realization of their production potential. Introduction The Shushufindi field has a rich history, having been on stream for more than 40 years. It follows, therefore, that optimization activities started with an intense collaboration and integration with the national oil company in Ecuador to gain a complete understanding of the reservoir, and to question industry paradigms such as pre-established bottomhole flowing pressure limits. The massive drop in oil prices in 2014 generated a climate of uncertainty where capital constraints in the industry meant it became necessary to increase production with a limited budget, requiring a change in extraction philosophy to achieve our production objectives. Downloaded from http://onepetro.org/SPELAMA/proceedings-pdf/17LAMA/1-17LAMA/D011S001R001/1282699/spe-184909-ms.pdf by Schlumberger Oilfield UK Plc user on 12 September 2021