Explorationists Urge Better Reservoir Modelling as Nigeria’s Deepwater Drilling Cost Hits $1m Daily

The Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists (NAPE) is urging oil and gas operators in the country to enhance their reservoir modeling capabilities, as deepwater drilling costs now exceed $1 million daily. This significant expense underscores the critical need for accurate subsurface characterization to mitigate exploration and development risks.

NAPE President Mrs. Olajumoke Ajayi and Dr. Busari Olarewaju, a geoscientist with TotalEnergies EP Nigeria, emphasized this point at NAPE's recent technical session in Lagos. Dr. Olarewaju presented findings from a study on a Pleistocene submarine channel-levee complex in deepwater Nigeria, highlighting how a weak understanding of submarine channel architecture increases uncertainty and negatively impacts hydrocarbon recovery.

"The message here is that we understand the detailed interactive presence of the flow to make sure to maximise the production and you delay water cut as much as possible," Dr. Olarewaju stated. His research, which utilized extensive seismic and well data, revealed complex geological features within the channel system. These include lateral accretion packages, vertically stacked channels, and mass-transport deposits, all of which influence fluid movement and production efficiency.

The study reconstructed the channel's evolutionary history over five stages, demonstrating how this understanding forms the basis for effective facies and reservoir modeling. Such modeling is essential for guiding field development decisions and optimizing recovery. Dr. Olarewaju noted that heterogeneity within channel systems directly affects fluid movement, sweep efficiency, and overall production performance, identifying lateral accretion deposits as particularly attractive for reservoir quality.

NAPE's call for improved modeling comes at a time when Nigeria's deepwater sector faces escalating costs. Accurate geological insights are paramount to ensuring the economic viability of these complex operations and maximizing the potential of the nation's hydrocarbon resources.

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The message here is that we understand the detailed interactive presence of the flow to make sure to maximise the production and you delay water cut as much as possible.