10.11440060461_si_001.pdf (7.32 MB)
The Mittelplate Oil Field
journal contribution
posted on 2020-04-30, 14:17 authored by M. DOEHLERThe Mittelplate Oil Field with its 950 MMBOIP is Germany's largest oil field and
lays offshore Germany in the coastal tidal flats about 100 km northwest of
Hamburg at the mouth of the river Elbe estuary and some 25 km northeast of
Cuxhaven. It is located in the West Holstein Jura Trough with its flanking salt
walls Oldensworth and Heide. The discovery well Mittelplate-1 was drilled in
1980 by the consortium RWE Dea AG and Wintershall AG. The prospects targeted by the Mittelplate-1 well were
stacked Middle Jurassic
Dogger sandstone reservoirs. At the time only 2D data was available to the
group and only few seismic lines defined the play. The discovery well
encountered two separate oil columns within the Middle Jurassic 'Mittelplate'
sands and when tested flowed low gravity oil from four sandstone reservoir
horizons at a depth between 2134-2743 mTVD. In 1981 three appraisal wells
were drilled confirming the structure with today's proven recoverable reserves
to be at around 220 MMBO. The distance of the field towards the coast is
between seven and thirteen kilometres and its NS extension of more than 10
km is straddling along the western flank of the Büsum salt dome. After building
an artificial drilling and production island in 1985, 15 wells have been drilled
since 1986 from the Mittelplate-A platform draining the central part of the field.
Along with acquiring of new 3D seismic in 1997 in the area between the
appraisal wells Mittelplate-2 and Mittelplate-3, a pilot project was initiated to
develop the field through extended reach wells from onshore. Three wells were
drilled from the Mittelplate island to the salt dome to verify geology and drilling
requirements. At the same time one well, the Dieksand-1 was drilled from the
shore to investigate the situation from the onshore side. After only half a year of
engineering time the first extended reach well, Dieksand-2 was spudded, drilled
more than 3600 m horizontally through the Büsum salt dome and was
successfully completed at a TD of 7727 m in 1998. Since then a further six
ERD wells have been drilled from onshore reaching a maximum length of 9275
m MD. Since nearly 17 years of undisturbed and accident free operation, the
Mittelplate group is now at the planning stage to investigate the development of
the southern and northern part of the field with horizontal wells of more than 8
km to develop and drain the remaining 350 MMBO of proven and probable
reserves.
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350 MMBOappraisal wells Mittelplate -27727 m3600 m100 km2134-2743 mTVD950 MMBOIPoil columnsoil fielddrilling requirements10 km17 yearssandstone reservoir horizonsriver Elbe estuaryconsortium RWE Dea AGsalt domeMittelplate island220 MMBO8 km25 km northeast2 D dataonshore sidepilot projectappraisal wellsERD wellsMiddle Jurassic Dogger sandstone reservoirsMiddle JurassicDieksand -2Mittelplate groupB üsum salt dome3 DWintershall AGplanning stageMittelplate-A platformgravity oilNS extension9275 m MDWest Holstein Jura Troughproduction islandsalt walls OldensworthTDengineering timeMittelplate Oil FieldGeology