- June 27, 2010
- Posted by: Art Berman
- Category: The Petroleum Truth Report
Estimates of flow rates for the BP Deepwater Horizon “Macondo” well now range from 1,000-100,000 barrels of oil per day (bopd). Initial estimates were 1,000 bopd. These increased to 3,000 bopd and then to 5,000 bopd. Now the U.S. Geological Survey believes the well is flowing 20,000-40,000 bopd but other experts believe that flow rates may be as high as 60,000 bopd. Some have even suggested rates as high as 100,000 bopd, and others as high as 250,000 bopd. The purpose of this post is to provide a calibration framework for probable flow rates.
More than 8,700 wells drilled in the Gulf of Mexico since 1996 were evaluated using publicly-available production data from the Minerals Management Service (MMS). Wells in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico dominate the highest flow rates in this data set. Approximately 4,000 wells have been drilled in water depths more than 1000 ft, and more than 700 in more than 5,000 ft of water during the past 20 years. The Macondo well was drilled in 5,067 ft of water to a total depth of 18,360 ft below sea level.
Historical Context for High Flow Rates in the Gulf of Mexico
The highest flow rate for a single well in the Gulf of Mexico is 46,467 bopd (Figure 1) based on the daily average of the peak month of production. The mean of the 50 wells with the highest oil flow rates is 27,753 bopd. A probability plot (Figure 2) of these wells indicates that the most likely case is about 27,000 bopd (P50). There is a 10% probability (P10) that a well will produce 37,000 bopd, and a 90% probability (P90) that it will produce 20,000 bopd.
There is no historical precedent for a single well producing more than 100,000 bopd. Among historical blowouts, the highest flow rates known are approximately 100,000 bopd at the Spindletop Field in Texas in 1901, the Midway-Sunset Field in California in 1910, the Long Beach Field in California in 1910, and the Lake Maracaibo Field in 1922 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blowout_%28well_drilling%29). These were all open-hole completions drilled without casing or drilling fluid so they represent maximum unconstrained flow rates.
The BP “Worst Case Scenario” Document
An internal BP “worst-case scenario” document released June 20 has been mis-interpreted by some to indicate that the company believes that flow rates as high as 100,000 bopd are possible (http://globalwarming.house.gov/mediacenter/pressreleases_2008?id=0272#main_content). The document states that the probable range is 5,000-40,000 bopd (http://globalwarming.house.gov/files/WEB/flowrateBP.pdf). It further states that the maximum theoretical rate is 60,000 bopd. It is important to note that these values represent unconstrained, open-flow rates that might be expected after removing the BOP from the well, and are estimated to be at least 10,000 bopd more than present flow. The 100,000 bopd rate assumes that flow is occurring within the production and casing and around the annulus. It again is an unconstrained rate.
The Most Likely Case
We know that the well is producing at least 25,000 bopd because that much has been collected in a single day. It is impossible to know the flow rate until the well is brought under control and rates and pressures can be measured. It is possible that the welll is flowing at a rate 25% higher rate than any well drilled to date (60,000 bopd) in the Gulf of Mexico, but it is not likely. It is less likely that it is flowing at 110% of the rate of the highest rate well so far (100,000 bopd). It is reasonable that it may be among the highest rate wells, and was initially flowing at 40,000-50,000 bopd.
2 Comments
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Bonjour M. Berman
I am a science journalist working for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation from Montréal. I read TOD since quite a bit of time, but the analysis that you put forward few hours after the Deepwater Horizon tragedy really struck a chord with me: incisive, well written, with the proper interrogations…
I am preparing a full hour report about the Deepwater Horizon and what this entails for deepwater offshore in general. From a canadian of view, it is interesting to know that the deepest offshore drilling in Canada started few weeks ago on the Grand Banks of Newfoundland and Labrador, and next year, it will be in the delta of the St-Lawrence River.
I will be in Louisiana, Port Fourchon, at the end of August filming there. I wonder if, by any chance, your traveling might guide your feet in that region at that time.I would be delighted if you accept to give me an interview. I think it would be a very important point of view offerd to the canadian public.
Thank you for your time and patience
cordially
Mario Masson
Science journalist
Canadian Broadcastig Corporation
Montréal, Qc
514-596-7860
Mr. Berman, I hope your estimates about the flow of the BP well are more accurate than your estimates of the EUR of the Haynesville Shale wells. No one can prove you right or wrong about this well, because there has never been a measured flow, unlike the Haynesville wells.