Cuttings Injection and Monitoring Operations: Cashiriari Gas Field, Peru III

Presented at SPE Latin American and Caribbean Petroleum Engineering Conference, Lima, Peru, December 2010.

Abstract

Performance and environmental assurance of cuttings injection programs require monitoring and periodic analysis of injection response. Such programs provide operational oversight and the ability to respond to changes in performance, providing for optimization of operating parameters to minimize potential negative impacts. Cuttings injection was implemented on a remote pad in the Cashiriari Field, located in a nature preserve in Camisea, Peru. CI was recognized as a technically and environmentally acceptable alternative for waste management in a location with extreme environmental sensitivity. Higher than anticipated injection pressures, indicative of regional and local stress regimes, required adjustments in operating parameters and expectations. Performance was contingent on successful inhibition of reactive clays in and around the target zones. Continuous monitoring of closure pressure and other trends associated with batch injection has made performance predictions possible. Monitoring operations have allowed for performance improvement and/or minimization of potential problems. The operation injected over 212,000 bbls of cuttings on the first pad and continues to be successful on the second pad through careful management of batch attributes and adaptation to operating realities. Assurance derived from such programs provides long term operational viability and social acceptance of cuttings injection as a safe means of waste management.