A method has been developed for improving both steam injection and production conformance in a thermal EOR project by utilizing intelligent well technology incorporating interval control valves (ICV), well segmentation and associated downhole instrumentation. This provides the ability to selectively open and close segmented sections of the well bore and monitor the key parameters of temperature and pressure from surface. The initial field trial is ongoing in the injector of an Orion field SAGD well pair. Development of the completion system suitable for thermal conditions, initial field trial results and plans for further development are described. Modelling shows that, depending on the level of heterogeneity present in the reservoir, an improvement of 20 to 40% in the steam oil ratio and 5 to10 % in recovery can be achieved in a SAGD process when both improved injection conformance and producer differential steam trap control can be applied in a segmented horizontal well pair. A cost effective solution to achieve this segmentation and control has the potential to add substantial value to field developments through improved steam conformance resulting in increased energy efficiency and oil recovery. The method being developed is applicable to a wide range of EOR processes such as CSS, steam drive and variations. The initial field deployment in the injector well was primarily to prove operability of the system in high temperature thermal applications, to demonstrate the feasibility of modifying steam distribution and to learn for future optimization and deployment of the system. A successful installation and commissioning has substantially validated the completion technology. Early injection test results and data provide a significant improvement in the understanding of the injection and production behavior in the well pair. A test program to optimize the distribution of steam injection in the well is underway and the preliminary results are discussed. Lessons learned from the trial are highlighted. The intelligent completion technology under trial, and proposed further developments, should enable more extensive use of downhole measurement and control in thermal EOR projects to improve performance.

Well segmentation and instrumentation have been used to improve steam injection and production conformance in a completions strategy for a thermal-enhanced oil recovery (EOR) project by using intelligent well technology and interval control valves (ICVs). The initial field trial is ongoing in the injector of a Northern Alberta steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) well pair. The development of the completion technology suitable for thermal conditions, initial field trial results and the plans for further development are described in this paper. The application modeling shows that, depending on the level of heterogeneity present in the reservoir, a 45% reduction in the steam-oil ratio and an almost 70% increase in recovery can be achieved in a SAGD process when both improved injection conformance and producer differential steam-trap control can be applied in a segmented horizontal well pair. A cost-effective, intelligent-well completion solution to achieve this segmentation and control has the potential to add substantial value to field developments through improved steam conformance. This will result in increased energy efficiency and oil recovery. The method under development is also applicable to a wide range of other thermal EOR processes such as cyclic steam stimulation (CSS), steam drive, and variations, including, for example, those involving solvent additives. The initial field deployment in the injector well was initiated to prove the technology, to demonstrate the feasibility of modifying the steam distribution, and to obtain best practices for future developments. A successful installation and commissioning of the intelligent completion has validated the technology. Lessons learned are highlighted. Early injection test results and data show a significant increase in the understanding of the injection and production behavior in the well pair. A test program to optimize the distribution of the steam injection in the well is underway, and the results are discussed. The intelligent completion technology under trial and proposed further developments should enable more extensive use of downhole measurement and control in thermal EOR projects than has been possible to date.

Reliability and acceptance of intelligent completions has increased dramatically over the last decade. With this, there has been a demand to push the limits of intelligent completion technology to allow access to more zones at higher pressures and temperatures while minimizing cost and maximizing reliability. Meeting this demand not only requires flow control components such as packers or Interval Control Valves (ICV) but it also requires a system and methodology to control those components. Different control methodologies have been designed and tested over the years using hydraulic power, electric power, or combinations of the two. These hydraulic and electric requirements have been supplied by small diameter metal hydraulic control lines and metal-encased electrical conductors. Control and power requirements to the downhole components have increased as operators have desired control of more zones. Downhole control system requirements have become increasingly demanding to meet these requirements. This paper discusses the history and future of control systems for intelligent completions. It describes how these systems have evolved from simple hydraulic systems to more complex multiplexing systems and presents the advantages and disadvantages of each.

Well segmentation and instrumentation have been used to improve steam injection and production conformance in a completions strategy for a thermal-enhanced oil recovery (EOR) project by using intelligent well technology and interval control valves (ICVs). The initial field trial is ongoing in the injector of a Northern Alberta steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) well pair. The development of the completion technology suitable for thermal conditions, initial field trial results and the plans for further development are described in this paper. The application modeling shows that, depending on the level of heterogeneity present in the reservoir, a 45% reduction in the steam-oil ratio and an almost 70% increase in recovery can be achieved in a SAGD process when both improved injection conformance and producer differential steam-trap control can be applied in a segmented horizontal well pair. A cost-effective, intelligent-well completion solution to achieve this segmentation and control has the potential to add substantial value to field developments through improved steam conformance. This will result in increased energy efficiency and oil recovery. The method under development is also applicable to a wide range of other thermal EOR processes such as cyclic steam stimulation (CSS), steam drive, and variations, including, for example, those involving solvent additives.The initial field deployment in the injector well was initiated to prove the technology, to demonstrate the feasibility of modifying the steam distribution, and to obtain best practices for future developments. A successful installation and commissioning of the intelligent completion has validated the technology. Lessons learned are highlighted. Early injection test results and data show a significant increase in the understanding of the injection and production behavior in the well pair. A test program to optimize the distribution of the steam injection in the well is underway, and the results are discussed. The intelligent completion technology under trial and proposed further developments should enable more extensive use of downhole measurement and control in thermal EOR projects than has been possible to date.

A completions strategy has been developed for improving both steam injection and production conformance in a thermal enhanced oil recovery (EOR) project by using intelligent well technology incorporating interval control valves (ICV), well segmentation, and instrumentation. The initial field trial is ongoing in the injector of a Northern Alberta steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) well pair. The development of the completion technology suitable for thermal conditions, initial field trial results and the plans for further development are described. The application modeling shows that, depending on the level of heterogeneity present in the reservoir, a 45% reduction in the steam-oil ratio and an almost 70% increase in recovery can be achieved in a SAGD process when both improved injection conformance and producer differential steam trap control can be applied in a segmented horizontal well pair. A cost-effective intelligent well completion solution to achieve this segmentation and control has the potential to add substantial value to field developments through improved steam conformance resulting in increased energy efficiency and oil recovery. The method being developed is also applicable to a wide range of other thermal EOR processes such as cyclic steam stimulation (CSS), steam drive, and variations, including, for example, those involving solvent additives. The initial field deployment in the injector well was primarily to prove the technology, to demonstrate the feasibility of modifying the steam distribution and to learn for future developments. A successful installation and commissioning of the intelligent completion has substantially validated the technology. Lessons learned are highlighted. Early injection test results and data show a significant increase in the understanding of the injection and production behavior in the well pair. A test program to optimize the distribution of the steam injection in the well is underway and the results are discussed. The intelligent completion technology under trial, and proposed further developments, should enable more extensive use of downhole measurement and control in thermal EOR projects than has been possible to date.