Sustainable Development of New Opportunities in Zuata Field. Orinoco Oil Belt

The new developments of extra heavy crude oil in Orinoco Oil Belt (OOB) will have to affront important challenges. Assuring the resource extraction without impact negatively the original environment will be the most important investment in these remote areas. Restricted access due topographical irregularities, environmental restrictions and lack of production facilities are typical problems in new exploitation OOB areas. The study is based on the technical and economic viability evaluation for the development of new opportunities in Zuata Field; considering volumetric milestones for next 6 years, the new areas and thermal projects represent the most important production booster. Using diagnostic and planning resources as probabilistic analysis, economic evaluations, geologic configurations, possible projected sceneries were obtained to find solutions, in order to achieve the best cost-benefits relationship in exploitation schemes for new fields. As principal results we can mention: - Most optimistic probabilistic prediction allows drilling 36 wells per year. This scheme represents an accumulate increase of 53724 b/d in six years. - Less optimistic probabilistic prediction allows drilling 16 wells per year. This scheme represents an accumulate increase of 35904 b/d in six years. - Six-year field development contemplating temporal facilities is not technically viable. - Data acquisition strategies, focus in decreasing the uncertainty in the geological model must be taken into account in the aggressive exploitation schemes. The results of this study could be used as a decision support and background for others similar business in Orinoco Oil Belt. Since all new ventures are looking for earlier solutions in order to reduce costs and improves profits without having a negative incidence on the environment and the reservoir properties.