This paper illustrates how practical application of surveillance and monitoring principles are keys to understanding reservoir performance and identifying opportunities that will improve ultimate oil recovery. Implementation of various principles recommended by industry experts is presented using examples from fields currently in production.

Practices on how to process valuable information and analyze data from different perspectives are presented in a methodical way on the following bases: field, block, pattern, and wells. A novel diagnostic plot is presented to assess well performance and identify problem wells for the field.

Results from the application of these practices in a pilot area are shared, indicating that the nominal decline rate improved from 33% to 18% per year without any infill drilling. The change in the decline rate is primarily attributed to effective waterflood management with a methodical approach, employing an integrated multi-functional team.

Although the suggested techniques can be applied to any oil field undergoing a waterflood, they are of great value to mature waterfloods that involve significant production history. In these cases, prioritization is a key aspect to maintain focus on the opportunities that will add most value during the final period of the depletion cycle. Case studies illustrating the best surveillance practices are discussed.