Assessing the Oil Water Contact in Haradh Arab-D

Abstract

Abstract Haradh forms the southernmost part of the super giant Ghawar oil field located about 80 km (50 miles) onshore from the Arabian Gulf, in the Eastern Province, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (Fig. 1). A major feature of the Ghawar field is its tilted Original Oil Water Contact (OOWC), getting shallower from North to South Ghawar at an average gradient of 0.36 m (1.2 ft) per km. In Haradh, the OOWC displays also a large but localized west-to-east component. Understanding the OOWC tilt mechanisms is vital since it will improve the effectiveness of the on-going Oil-Water Contact (OWC) delineation program. This will result in better placement of future producers and injectors, which in turn will reduce the cost of future developments.