Revitalizing a complex heavy oil field: Subsurface reinterpretation and integrated execution at Velásquez (Middle Magdalena Basin)

In 2021, Velásquez became Mansarovar Energy Colombia Limited’s (MECL) sole producing field after operational restructuring. Traditionally viewed as a mature, low-upside asset, Velásquez is located in a faulted monoclinal setting on the western flank of Colombia’s Middle Magdalena Valley Basin. The fluvial reservoirs (Guaduas–Tuné sequence) are structurally segmented and exhibit strong lithological heterogeneity and elevated water cuts.

A full-field reinterpretation—based on reprocessed seismic and enhanced petrophysical models—revealed untapped oil potential and enabled a phased redevelopment strategy. From 2023 to 2024, MECL executed 13 infill wells and 13 workovers, increasing production by 30% (from 3,043 to 3,949 BOPD). As of mid-2025, the field has surpassed 5,000 BOPD, and is on track to reach 6,000 BOPD by year-end, supported by the planned drilling of 5 additional infill wells and 8 workovers.

The campaign delivered six key technical lessons:

• Zonal differentiation is critical: Guaduas and Tune—and even their internal sub-units—respond differently to development strategies. Treating them with tailored completion and intervention criteria improved well targeting, drainage efficiency, and recompletion success rates.
• Operational agility accelerates learning: Short-cycle integration of field data enhanced campaign performance.
• High BSW wells can still be productive: Targeted isolation and recompletion strategies recovered value from wells with >85% water cut.
• Stratigraphy drives entrapment: Subtle stratigraphic variations control lateral seal integrity and remnant oil distribution.
• Low-resistivity sands hold untapped potential: Saturation-driven diagnostics enabled successful targeting of low-resistivity, oil-bearing intervals.
• Pilot injection validated pressure support and sweep: A focused water injection pilot in Guaduas delivered over 1 MMBBL of incremental oil, confirming effective sweep and pressure behavior for scale-up.
• MECL’s newly approved growth manifesto outlines ambitious production targets (measured in KBOEPD), to be realized through base production optimization, expanded infill drilling campaigns, Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) techniques, and potential inorganic growth opportunities. These efforts align with global imperatives to secure energy investments, foster international cooperation, and accelerate the global energy transition.