Incremental Projects

The initial resource assessment is based on application of a defined initial development project. Incremental projects are designed to increase recovery efficiency and/or to accelerate production through making changes to wells or facilities, infill drilling, or improved recovery. Such projects should be classified according to the same criteria as initial projects. Related incremental quantities are similarly categorized on certainty of recovery. The projected increased recovery can be included in estimated Reserves if the degree of commitment is such that the project will be developed and placed on production within a reasonable timeframe.

Circumstances where development will be significantly delayed should be clearly documented. If there is significant project risk, forecast incremental recoveries may be similarly categorized but should be classified as Contingent Resources (see Determination of Commerciality, section 2.1.2).

Workovers, Treatments, and Changes of Equipment

Incremental recovery associated with future workover, treatment (including hydraulic fracturing), re-treatment, changes of equipment, or other mechanical procedures where such projects have routinely been successful in analogous reservoirs may be classified as Developed or Undeveloped Reserves depending on the magnitude of associated costs required (see Reserves Status, section 2.1.3.2).

Compression

Reduction in the backpressure through compression can increase the portion of in-place gas that can be commercially produced and thus included in Reserves estimates. If the eventual installation of compression was planned and approved as part of the original development plan, incremental recovery is included in Undeveloped Reserves. However, if the cost to implement compression is not significant (relative to the cost of a new well), the incremental quantities may be classified as Developed Reserves. If compression facilities were not part of the original approved development plan and such costs are significant, it should be treated as a separate project subject to normal project maturity criteria.

Infill Drilling

Technical and commercial analyses may support drilling additional producing wells to reduce the spacing beyond that utilized within the initial development plan, subject to government regulations (if such approvals are required). Infill drilling may have the combined effect of increasing recovery efficiency and accelerating production. Only the incremental recovery can be considered as additional Reserves; this additional recovery may need to be reallocated to individual wells with different interest ownerships.

Improved Recovery

Improved recovery is the additional petroleum obtained, beyond primary recovery, from naturally occurring reservoirs by supplementing the natural reservoir performance. It includes waterflooding, secondary or tertiary recovery processes, and any other means of supplementing natural reservoir recovery processes.

Improved recovery projects must meet the same Reserves commerciality criteria as primary recovery projects. There should be an expectation that the project will be economic and that the entity has committed to implement the project in a reasonable time frame (generally within 5 years; further delays should be clearly justified).

The judgment on commerciality is based on pilot testing within the subject reservoir or by comparison to a reservoir with analogous rock and fluid properties and where a similar established improved recovery project has been successfully applied.

Incremental recoveries through improved recovery methods that have yet to be established through routine, commercially successful applications are included as Reserves only after a favorable production response from the subject reservoir from either (a) a representative pilot or

(b) an installed program, where the response provides support for the analysis on which the project is based.

These incremental recoveries in commercial projects are categorized into Proved, Probable, and Possible Reserves based on certainty derived from engineering analysis and analogous applications in similar reservoirs.

Date: 2016-04-22; view: 689