With an increasing number of smart well applications being installed in the field, more knowledge is required to optimize their operation. This paper compares the benefits of various wellhead gas coning control strategies to optimize production of a thin oil rim. This study is performed within the "Integrated System Approach Petroleum Production (ISAPP)" knowledge center of TNO, TU Delft and Shell. For this study a field case model is used, which has been validated with field data. The field case is a thin oil rim with a horizontal well. Due to the location of the horizontal well in the oil rim, the well is particularly susceptible to gas coning. Besides gas coning, wax precipitation is a second production constraint. This makes this well challenging to operate. Different production strategies are investigated and compared against each other: intermittent production and continuous production with pressure differential control. The results of the different production strategies are presented by analyzing the advantages and disadvantages for the different gas coning control strategies, satisfying the given constraint of gas influx. This study reveals the difference in the cumulative production between the two strategies. The use of a closed loop control strategy can lead to a larger oil production in the same amount of time. This paper shows the viability of using dynamic simulation models to quantitatively assess the benefits of various production optimization strategies. This allows operators to compare emerging smart well technologies, and increase trust in specific technologies that could be of an added value to their operation. Even though much has been published about the potential benefits of a smart field philosophy, few published field cases are available. This paper offers a field case testimony of the comparison of various feedback control strategies for purpose of production optimization. Introduction With increasing knowledge and improving technologies, more complex reservoirs (with respect to location and dimensions) can be explored and produced. This brings new challenges in exploration, drilling and production. Furthermore, existing reservoirs require new insights to be able to increase ultimate recovery. Dedicated simulation software tools can offer these new insights by helping to understand production instabilities and test new control strategies to avoid instabilities and to optimize production. The field under investigation has most of its wells drilled with long laterals in a thin oil rim, making them particularly susceptible to gas coning. Gas coning is a phenomenon where the gas oil contact of a reservoir slowly moves towards a well as a result of high drawdown. Eventually, the free gas is being drawn into the well, see Figure 1. Furthermore, the reservoir temperature is low enough to cause wax deposition. At high production rates, a well will suffer a large gas influx, which cannot be handled by the topside equipment. For low production rates, a well will suffer increased wax deposition due to the lower fluid temperature [Nennie, 2008]. Therefore, due to gas coning and wax deposition, some of the wells are operated intermittently. Goal of this study is to determine whether instead of the intermittent production continuous production is more beneficial and if so, quantifying the difference between these control strategies.

With the advancement of technology, fields are increasingly monitored in real time, remotely from the office. This applies to wells and facilities alike. Shell has applied a range of capabilities across the assets worldwide. The capabilities include: –Real time monitoring and optimisation of wells–Virtual metering–ESP surveillance - real time monitoring and remote control–Advanced Rotating Equipment monitoring–Integrated Production System Modelling–Collaborative Work Environments for integrated decision making The paper describes how these techniques are used in Shell's operations. They enable asset staff to deal with a wider range of issues faster and more efficiently while bringing global expertise as required in near real time. This involves integration across a range of disciplines, for fast and effective decision making.

Relative small improvements in the operational efficiency of gas trunkline systems can generate significant business value due to the large volumes of gas running through the system. Production deferment, off-spec gas, ramp up time, etc. can be greatly reduced by accurate control of the gas flow within constraints on gas quality, pressure regime, liquid holdup, etc. In this paper we will show how the workflow of gas trunkline management can be improved by a successful combination of Shell Model Optimizing Control (SMOC, Shell's proprietary MPC technology) and the web-based on-line dynamic modeling environment Lagosa, Shell's proprietary Liquid & Gas Online Scenario Advisor (Lagosa). The case study entails an operator support system that provides advice to the operator on how to manage the flow rate of ten platforms such that the flow rate is optimized while satisfying constraints on e.g. landing pressure and gas quality. In this paper we will to share the learning from this cross-business implementation project. Learnings will be shared from a workflow/people perspective as well as from a technology perspective.

In Shell, asset professionals use advanced technologies and processes for field management and optimising production performance. Real time monitoring of wells and compressors has become the norm, delivering higher uptime and increased production. Asset teams use visual information on hundreds of wells and their facilities using a web-based portal. The wells and facilities with events or deviations, i.e. exceptions, are highlighted, enabling the staff to focus on fixing the critical wells and facilities. The information is brought together in Collaborative Work Environments with video connection to streamline the communication between field and office and speed up decision making. Shell has implemented these capabilities in a number of assets around the world, for example in Oman, Russia, Brunei, UK and Gulf of Mexico. The people side is a large part of the attention, during the implementation and for sustainability of the solutions. Awareness sessions, training, local ownership, feedback sessions, coaching and regular reviews are part of the embedding activities. The paper describes the capabilities and the benefits, and illustrates this with a field case from Salym in Russia. This includes the approach to change management and learning from both the project and the embedding phase. The benefits include HSE improvements (less travel exposure), increased production and reduced operating cost.

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