DHULIAN OILFIELD : A CASE

HISTORY

Presented by:
Mohammed Salman Shamim
Sohail Ahmed
Atif Mehmood
Adil Aslam
Contents

• Objectives
• Introduction
• Exploration and development history
• Stratigraphy
• Petroleum geology
• Enhanced oil/gas recovery projects
• conclusion
Objectives

• Main focus on:

• the exploration and development history,
• stratigraphy,
• structure, and
• petroleum geology of Dhulian field.
• Reservoir engineering and E.O.R aspects are also discussed briefly.
Introduction
• Dhulian Oil Field is located about 90 km southwest of Islamabad in Central
Potwar Plateau of the Upper Indus Basin.
• Tectonically, this region, forms part of an active foreland fold and thrust belt
in northern Pakistan (Figure 1).
• The Dhulian structure was first mapped by A.B. Wynne.
• It was recognized as a likely oil-bearing prospect by E.S. Pinfold in 1914.
• Although exploratory drilling activity started in 1918, the first commercial
discovery of oil was made in 1937 from Eocene limestone.
Figure 1: Generalized map of Potwar plateau & Salt Range showing geological
features and tectonic trends
• Oil was also discovered for the first time in Indo-Pakistan from Paleocene
and Jurassic reservoirs, during further appraisal of Dhulian structure and it
still have some potential for secondary recovery.
• Some oil production was also obtained from the Miocene Murree Formation
during initial stages but is almost depleted now.
• A total of 49 wells were drilled in Dhulian oil field out of which 46 wells
were drilled by Attock Oil Company (A.O.C.) and three wells by Pakistan
Oilfields Limited (P.O.L.) as shown in Figure-2.
Figure 2: Well location and status map of Dhulian oil field
• Seven wells did not reach objective reservoirs and three wells could not be
put on production due to various technical reasons.
• At present the Dhulian Oilfield is covered by a Development & Production
lease granted to P.O.L. in August, 1993.
• After recent successful workovers on two wells, the production has
increased to 50 BOPD, 4.0 MMCFD gas, with 270 BWPD along with
natural gas liquids.
Exploration And Development History
• The Attock Oil Company Limited, which had established commercial production
of oil from the nearby Khaur Field, was granted a Prospecting Licence over the
Dhulian structure.
• Exploratory drilling started in 1918 solely based on surface geological mapping.
• Until 1933, four wells were drilled and abandoned due to severe drilling problems
encountered during drilling of molasse above the main Eocene objective.
• The first well to reach the Eocene objective was Dhulian-5, drilled in 1936 to a
total depth of 7863 feet in Sakesar Formation (Figure 2).
• It was located on the eastern plunge of the fold, about 250 feet down dip from the
crest.
• This well, however, flowed oil for a couple of days before it started producing
water.
 Dhulian-5

Figure 2: Well location and status map of Dhulian oil field

• This also indicated that well was drilled near the oil/water contact.
• The first commercial production was obtained in May, 1937 when Dhulian-7
produced several hundred barrels of oil of 280 API gravity with initial reservoir
pressure of 5960 psi at a depth of 7715 feet.
• With the continued development of the Eocene reservoir, a peak production of
2900 BOPD was reached in March, 1941.
• Thereafter, the field produced at declining rates with increasing volumes of
formation water.
• Initially, the prospects for obtaining production below the Eocene were considered
poor, because of absence of oil shows in the Paleocene (Ranikot) Limestone.
• It was not until 1951 that Dhulian-24, an Eocene producer, was deepened to
Paleocene (Ranikot) and was completed as an oil producer at a depth of 8245 feet.
• The lighter Paleocene oil (430 API) had a much higher gas/ oil ratio (3000
SCF/STB) .
• The Eocene production by that time had declined to less than 170 BOPD, which
was also approximately the rate of production from the Paleocene (Ranikot)
discovery well.
• Additional Eocene wells were deepened to Paleocene (Ranikot) which gave
satisfactory production.
• By December 1954, in excess of 1700 BOPD were being produced from the
Paleocene (Ranikot) reservoir. During 1960, Paleocene (Ranikot) reservoir was
producing about 2800 barrels per day from eight wells.
• In July 1960, Dhulian-39 was drilled to a depth of 9106 feet, below the Eocene
and Paleocene, and good production was obtained from coarse to medium grained
porous quartzose sandstone of Datta Formation ("Variegated Beds") of Jurassic
age.
• From 1960-66, ten more wells were drilled, primarily to develop Paleocene and
Jurassic reservoirs.
• Some of these wells were completed as dual producers from both the reservoirs.
• During 1962-64, Dhulian-43 was drilled to 12,428 feet as the deepest vvell.
• The well was drilled down to the Salt Range Formation of Infra-Cambrian age.
Good shows of oil and gas were encountered in Permian but on testing it proved to
be water bearing.
• Dhulian-43 also proved the absence of Jurassic section in the eastern part of the
structure and indicated the wedging out of the Jurassic strata below the Paleocene
unconformity.
Stratigraphy
 AGE

Group
Thickness Hydro-
Epoc Formation Depositional setting Lithology
ERA Period (ft) carbons
h

Siwalik
Plioc Nagri Fluvial channel Greenish grey s.st and clay, conglomeratic

s
ene Chinji Fluvial, Streams, channels 2413-3520 Bright red clays with s.st
Mioc Kamlial 380-684 Massive red and brown s.st, dark red clay
Figure 3:Generalized
R.pindi Fluvial
ene Murree 4005-4716 R/C Interbedded light grey s.st stratigraphic column
Oligocene and depositional
Interbedded quartzose s.st, grading to conglom, with silst and
Kuldana (Red clays) Red beds, coastal plains 90-106 C setting, Dhulian field
Eocene

sh
Cenozoic

Tertiary

Chorgali
Shallow Marine, Supertidal, Lagoonal
140-200 S/R Dark - med grey argillaceous Lst, minor evaporites S= source
Sakesar 270-340 S/R Massive and nodular Lst with marls, chert in upper part
Dark grey calcareous sh. Light-dark grey. Lst pyrite and R= Reservoir
Nammal Shallow Marine, Restricted, Anoxic 155-200 S/C
glauconite C=Cap
Oyster beds 15-20 Grey Lst. Abundant mollusk. Echinoids shells
Paleocene

Group
Patala

Dark grey calcareous sh. Light-dark grey. Lst pyrite and

U.Ranikot Shallow Marine 100-120 R/S
glauconite
Patala 73-243 R/S Dark grey greenish sh and Lst
Lockhart 185-300 R/S Massive light-dark grey Lst with minor sh pyrite
Hangu 0-138 C Light grey sdst and dark grey sh
Cretaceous
Mesozoic

Jurassic Massive sst and variegated sh and Mdst, Lateritic zones,

Datta Shallow marine to Deltaic 0-223 R
common gy mottling carb

Triassic
Mianwali Marine 149 S/C Olive-green and grey shales, thin limestone/ dolomite
Late Permian

Chiddru Shallow marine 257 Limestone, marl and calcareous sst

Zaluch

Wargal Shallow marine, Platform 450 R Massive grey Lst, thin carbonaceous sh
Amb Shallow marine to pludal 248 Calcareous Sst, carb sh
Sardhai V.shallow marine to Esturine 252 S Dark purple and Lavender clays, streaks of Sst
Early Permian

Nilawahan

Warcha Fluvial, Sub aerial, Pludal, Lagoonal 494 Red and light colored Sst and grit

Dandot Shallow marine, Lagoonal 218 Olive-green and grey Sst and sh
Tobra Glacial to Fluvial 407 Conglomeratic Sst, boulders, sh
Carbonifereous-Cambrian
Salt range Restricted Marine Hypersaline +511 Red gypsym marl, rock salt, Evaporites
Precambrian
Basement Indian shield Biotite schist, quartzitic, rhyolite
Petroleum Geology
Dhulian Structure
• The Dhulian surface structure is an almost symmetrical anticline with maximum
dips of 30 0 to 35 0 (Figure 4).
• The fold axis trends ENE-WSW and plunges about 40-50 at both ends, running en-
echelon to the nearby Khaur fold.
• Dhulian fold is flanked by the Soan Syncline to the south and by the tight Pindi
Gheb syncline to the north.
• The westerly pitch appears to be continuous for about 18 km beyond which it
flattens or even reverses to form Injra structure.
• The sandstones of Nagri Formation form the flanks of the Dhulian anticline
whereas Chinji Formation is exposed in the core of the fold.
Figure 4: Surface Geological
Formline Map of Dhulian
Structure (Modified After
Martin 1954)
• The Dhulian structure was originally thought to be a conventional anticline with a
fold axis trending northeast-southwest.
• Consequently the development of the Dhulian field was carried out without
Geophysical surveys and all subsurface geological maps and crosssections were
constructed based on borehole information, wireline logs and regional structural
and stratigraphic trends. (Figures. 5 a & b)
Figure 5a: Dhulian Oil Field:
Depth Contour Map on Patala
Formation.
Figure 5b: Structural Cross
Section Along A-A’, across
center of Dhulian Field.
• Based on this new seismic evidence, dhulian structure was proved to be a thrust-
bounded salt-cored anticline, which is cut across by a major wrench fault that
splits Dhulian into two major fault blocks (Figure 6).
• Besides exhibiting a dipslip motion with the western fault block which is
upthrown relative to the eastern fault block, the wrench fault also displays strike-
slip separation.
• As a result, the Dhulian structure may be compartmentalized.
• Another effect of the wrench faulting is the rotation of the Dhulian structure to the
north (towards Khaur), relative to the western fault block.
• The western fault block has a gentler back limb which dips to the north (Figure 7)
while the eastern fault block has a back limb which dips to the south (Figure 8).
Figure 6: Time Structure Map of Dhulian field at
Eocene Limestone (Chorgali Formation)
Figure 7: Geoseismic Section along seismic line PDK-
102 16 across Western fault block
Figure 8: Geoseismic Section along
seismic line PDK- 104 across Eastern fault
block.
• The main thrusting in these two blocks is in opposite direction.
• The foreland thrust in the western fault block is located to the south while in case
of the eastern fault block, the thrust is on the northern side (hinterland verging
thrust).
• It is suspected that the wrench is responsible for this counter thrust movement,
which has resulted in the disappearance of the Pindi Gheb syncline in between
Dhulian and Khaur in the east.
Reservoirs

Eocene
• The initial production at Dhulian was obtained from a limestone of Eocene age
near the contact of Chorgali and Sakesar Limestone.
• This oil bearing horizon was remarkably consistent and it became known as the
"Main Oil Horizon".
• The Eocene strata from the top of Nammal Formation to the base of Kuldana
Formation are 475 feet thick in the central part of the Dhulian field.
• The top 150-200 feet of this sequence overlies the "Main Oil Horizon" which has
been described as chemical limestone. Below this horizon, the limestone is coarse
grained and highly fossiliferous, but in POL#I the lowest 150 feet of section
consists of fine grained globigerinal compact limestone with no apparent
permeability.
• However, high-salinity water flows have been encountered in this basal 150 feet of
section in the central part of the field.
• The Eocene reservoir, which was discovered in 1937 was developed over an
approximately 20 acre spacing and reached peak production of 2900 BOPD in
1941 (Figure 9).
• The rate of production had declined to less than 70 BOPD with 97% water cut by
1952, when all Eocene producers were shut in.
• The reservoir was re-opened to flow in 1957 when surface pressure increased from
925 psi to 1310 psi.
• The Eocene reservoir has an abnormally high pressure, the original pressure
gradient being in excess of 0.75 psi/ foot. The areal extent of the oil accumulation,
however, is very small (approximately 400 acres) as compared to that of aquifer.
• As a consequence, all of the oil production obtained todate has been accompanied
by large volumes of very corrosive salt water. Evidence from cores taken from the
"Main Oil Horizon" indicates that this zone is highly fractured with very low
matrix porosity.
Figure 9: Graph Showing Production History of
Eocene Reservoir 1940-1993
• Very few samples showed porosities greater than 5% and most samples averaging
less than 3% porosity.
• Pressure behavior of the reservoir indicates excellent communication both laterally
and vertically.
• The production history of the Eocene reservoir indicates an active water-drive
mechanism for the reservoir.
• Todate, the Eocene reservoir has produced 7.7 million barrels of oil and is still
producing at an average rate of 20 BOPD and 255 BWPD.
 Paleocene

AGE Formation Lithology Thickness Comments

Oyster Beds/
argillaceous, highly produced oil from Dhulian-5,7,16, 24, 28, 41, and
Upper Ranikot 120 feet
fossiliferous limestone 43 wells

The limestone has been termed as "Patala Main

60-70 feet
argillaceous Limestone"
Paleocene

Patala (Shales)
foraminiferal limestone productive in Dhulian-11,16,24,28,41 and 43 wells
Formation
bounded by shales 75-150 feet
wells (Dhulian-38, 39, 41 and POL-I)
(Limestone)
produced hydrocarbons from Dhulian-37,
Lockhart massive, argillaceous 38,41,42,44 and 45 and appears to be productive
Formation limestone in Dhulian-39.
• Cores from the Paleocene reservoirs revealed a slightly porous and impermeable
limestone with considerable vertical fracturing.
• Core analyses show a matrix porosity of less that 2.5% with no measurable
permeability.
• The nature of the reservoir rock and the production behavior indicate that most of
the oil in Paleocene reservoir was stored in a system of interconnected fractures.
• From the available data, it is not possible to determine whether the three reservoir
zones act as separate reservoirs.
• The available bottom-hole measurements indicate that these zones are in pressure
communication but these are probably not in equilibrium.
• Based on production history, bottom-hole pressure data and nature of the
Paleocene formations, it has become evident that the principal producing
mechanism of this reservoir is gravity segregation.
• The oil which enters the well bore then contains only that gas which remains in
solution at the current reservoir pressure. Only Dhulian-37, which is structurally
the lowest well in the field, behaved in this manner. All of the crestal wells
produced a large volume of gas from the secondary gas cap
• The regular production from Paleocene started in March 1952 and continued till
1983 (Figure 10). Various wells have flowed at different rates.
Figure 10: Graph Showing Production History of
Paleocene Reservoir 1952-1997
• The peak production level was achieved during September 1965, when maximum
production level of 5094 BPD of oil and 5.74 MMSCFD of gas was achieved.
• Water production from Paleocene wells started during February 1958 with
maximum salinity of 20% (Sodium Chloride). The Paleocene wells with
decreasing reservoir pressure gradually watered out and the flow ceased
completely in 1983.
• The original oil in place of the Paleocene reservoirs is estimated to be about 80
MMSTB out of which 21.3 million barrels of oil has been recovered so far along
with 113.75 Bcf of gas and 5.2 millon barrels of water.
Jurassic
• Dhulian-39 was Pakistan's first oil discovery from a Jurassic reservoir (Datta
Formation). Subsequently, nine more deep wells were drilled below Jurassic.
• Dhulian41 bottomed in Permian and Dhulian-43 was drilled down to Salt Range
Formation.
• Dhulian-41 drilled a very thin section of Jurassic while Dhulian-43 did not
encounter this formation, which indicated that the regional truncation edge of
Jurassic is located between Dhulian-41 and 43, near the crest of the fold.
• POL-3 well drilled through 170 feet section of Jurassic strata, which is the
maximum thickness of Jurassic section encountered in Dhulian Field. Although
the general thinning is towards east, but the formation is thicker at the northern
and southern flanks of the Dhulian fold.
AGE Formation Lithology Thickness Comments

upper part consists of termed as

mudstone, claystone and "Variegated
shale with minor sandstone Beds"
Jurassic

Datta
Formation 107 feet in
lower unit: massive, coarse
Dhulian POL-3, called "Main Oil
to medium grained,
absent in Sand"
quartzose sandstone
Dhulian-41
• The primary porosity of Jurassic is quite variable and ranges from 2.9% to 11.6%.
• The average porosity is about 8.5%. Permeability ranges from 1.2 to 869 Milli
darcys. The Jurassic discovery well (Dhulian-39) was completed in Main Oil Sand
and flowed at a rate of 720 BOPD with WHFP of 2000 psi.
• Later on a total of seven wells were completed as Jurassic producers. The
maximum production of 2744 BOPD was achieved during September 1965
(Figure 11).
• Water breakthrough occurred during April 1970 with salinity of 13% (Sodium
Chloride). The field was abandoned in 1983, when water cut substantially
increased and due to decline in reservoir pressure to 1600 psi, the Jurassic wells
were unable to produce due to water loading.
Figure 11: Graph Showing Production History of
Jurassic Reservoir 1960-1997
• The pressure surveys in Jurassic wells indicated that the Paleocene and Jurassic
reservoirs were in pressure communication.
• However, many wells, including Dhulian-46 produced oil from the deeper Jurassic
sand, while shallower Paleocene in the same wells produced only water, implying
non communication between these reservoirs.
• Original oil in place of Jurassic reservoir has been estimated to be about 40
MMSTB. The cumulative production from Jurassic is 12.20 million barrels of oil,
85.6 BCF of gas and 1.3 million barrels of water.
Source

• The data regarding source rocks of Dhulian crude is not directly available to
quantify the potential of each Paleocene and deeper rocks units, and to locate the
precise source rock.
• However, Chorgali - Sakesar carbonates and shales along with Patala black marine
shales are now considered potential source rocks. Derived data from nearby fields,
where source rock studies were carried out, support this view.
Seal
Formation Lithology Thickness
red and purple coloured claystone and
shale with occasional silty/sandy
90 to 120 feet
streaks.
Kuldana Formation

basal part: green compact shales 10-20 feet thick

155 to 200 feet

Nammal Formation Shales
thick
Top part: varicoloured shale, siltstone,
Datta Formation mudstones and claystone with thin sand
beds
Enhanced Oil / Gas Recovery (EOR) Project
• Oil reservoirs after primary recovery leave a large volume of oil in the reservoir.
The fraction of oil left in the reservoir varies from 85% to 55% depending upon
the primary recovery mechanism.
• This remaining fraction of oil left in the reservoir has been the target for various
EOR techniques, which range in cost and complexity from water injection to a
miscible displacement by solvent slug or carbon dioxide injection.
• At Dhulian field the Jurassic and Paleocene reservoirs had an initial oil-in-place of
89-118 million barrels. These reservoirs produced about 33 million barrels of oil
during primary production by solution gas drive and partial water influx.
• Thus, the remaining oil volume in these two reservoirs is quite significant.
• However, the wells drilled in Dhulian Field are in poor condition for having been
shut-in for a long time and therefore there is potential risk of encountering casing
leaks, parted tubing, and abandoned fish.
• POL took the challenge of reviving this old and depleted field.
• The company strategy in the first phase was to assess the success rate of being
able to workover the old wells and put them on production and after successful
workover of 4 to 6 wells, to initiate a pilot water injection to prove whether oil in
the reservoir can be mobilized and displaced towards the producing wells.
• After thorough evaluation and study of the field in 1996, some wells were selected
for workover operation by considering the initial productivity of the Paleocene/
Jurassic reservoirs, degree of fracturing, structural position and volume of total
fluid production.
• Mechanical integrity of the wells and existing production/ completion strings of
the wells were also taken into consideration.
• The drilling problems associated with depleted reservoir pressure of about 1600
psi were also kept in view.
Summary

• The Dhulian oilfield is located in the central part of the Potwar Plateau, about 90 km south-west of
Islamabad.
• A. W. Wynne first mapped the surface structure in 1877 as a broad east-west trending, doubly
plunging anticline.
• In 1918, the Attock Oil Company Limited started exploration on the surface structure.
• In 1960 Pakistanis first Jurassic oil-bearing reservoir was also discovered in the Dhulian-39 well. A
total of 49 wells were drilled till 1966 out of which 46 wells were drilled by Attock Oil Company
(A.O.C.) and three wells by Pakistan Oilfields Limited (P.O.L.).
• The trapping mechanism for the Tertiary reservoirs is a four-way dip closure, whereas the Jurassic
oil is trapped by a combination of structure and reservoir pinchout.
• The Kuldana Formation (red clay) forms the top seal for the Eocene reservoir, whereas
the Nammal and Datta variegated shales are the cap rocks for the Paleocene and Jurassic
respectively.
• The Eocene marine carbonates and shales and the black marine shales of the Paleocene
Patala Formation are believed to be the source rocks for the oil in Dhulian.
• The main oil production of 21 mmbbls was obtained from the 450 feet thick Paleocene
shelf carbonate and 12 mmbbls of oil has been produced from the 70 feet thick basal
Jurassic Datta sandstone.
• The Palaecene and Jurassic reservoirs gradually watered out and the flow ceased
completely in 1983.
• Prior to the initiation of an enhanced hydrocarbon recovery project in late 1997, daily
production from the Eocene was only about 18 b/d oil and 256 b/d water.
• After the recent completion of the Dhulian-17 and -39 workovers, oil and gas production
from the field has increased significantly