In these times of increasing energy demand the petroleum industry needs to supply the world with hydrocarbon resources more than ever, exploring and developing new hydrocarbon prospects in the current oil price crisis is not an easy task. An alternative is the optimisation of existing (and in many cases mature) fields as a preferred economic option. Traditionally, a “mature field” is commonly defined as having production which has peaked or is producing at (or close to) its economical limit. Mature (or “brown”) fields comprise the majority (~ 70 %) of all the fields around the world. Typically, “brown fields” are very old and utilise aging equipment and field facilities.

This workshop is designed to give participants a chance to openly discuss and evaluate many methodologies and techniques available on the market to maximise recovery from aging fields. There are a considerable number of case studies with experience from Kazakhstan and the Caspian region which will be presented during this workshop. However, even with the focus of this workshop being the Caspian region, participants from other regions will still benefit from attending this workshop. Historically, the Caspian region has been developing its hydrocarbon resources for over a century and has applied a variety of development models in its fields which range from multilayered clastics to giant carbonates. This workshop will cover a wide range of topics from reservoir descriptions to project management.