The Role and Value of “Biosteering” in Hydrocarbon Reservoir Exploitation

15.4 Concluding Remarks

Benefits accruing from biosteering and optimal reservoir placement in the cited examples include:

• Savings of tens of millions of dollars in drilling costs;

• Addition of tens of millions of barrels of reserves;

• Addition of tens of thousands of barrels per day of production (sustainable throughout field life).

Costs incurred are typically less than 0.5% of an individual well budget. The value added to date by the application of biosteering on over 200 wells throughout the BP portfolio runs into hundreds of millions of dollars.

It is anticipated that this figure will further increase in the future, as the technology is transferred to fields only now entering into production, for example deep-water Angola and the Gulf of Mexico.

With contributions from Nick HOLMES, Ichron, Northwich, Cheshire; Haydon BAILEY, and Liam GALLAGHER, Network Stratigraphic Consulting Ltd., Potters Bar, Hertfordshire; Patrice BRENAC, BSI, Llanddulas, North Wales; Keith RICHARDS, KRA, Llandudno, North Wales; and Richard ATTEWELL, Robertson Research International Ltd., Llandudno, North Wales.