TX 75083-3836, U.S.A., fax 01-972-952-9435. AbstractAs part of the Canyon Express project, four intelligent completions were installed in the Total Aconcagua Field and two in the Marathon Oil Camden Hills Field, Mississippi Canyon Blocks 305 and 348 respectively, in ultra-deepwater Gulf of Mexico. As a result of production optimization objectives and reservoir conditions, the intelligent completions have been utilized extensively to enhance field performance since installation and host platform commissioning in 2002.With the use of direct hydraulic open/close valves, various zones have been shut-in and cycled open to optimize production. The objectives of this paper are to provide an overview of using intelligent completions to improve well performance, to discuss the reliability of the intelligent completion equipment three years after installation, and to qualitatively present the value proposition of reservoir management of intelligent completions.Faced with reservoir depletion, suspected sand production, and water influx, the intelligent completions have proven themselves useful in the management of these assets.

This paper provides a case study of Marathon's Camden Hills gas field, located in world record water depth of over 7,200', in Mississippi Canyon Block 348. Two wells were completed and tested during late 2001 and the first half of 2002. The down hole pressure/temperature gauges failed in one of the wells as it was being unloaded and tested, only providing a static bottom hole pressure. The other well was unloaded and tested, and the down hole gauges provided valuable information about reservoir and completion performance parameters. Prior to production startup in the fourth quarter of 2002, the second well's down hole gauges failed. Prior to production start-up, well performance models were constructed for each well utilizing the limited data obtained prior to downhole pressure and temperature gauge failure. Operational procedures were developed to provide a methodology for acquiring data necessary to quantify well performance. The master MCS for the subsea system, located at the host platform gathers electronic data received from the wellhead pressure/temperature sensors and the multiphase flow meter. This data is transmitted into an internet web site allowing all participants access to real time data. This data is then input into the prediction models so performance can be monitored and updated. The Gas Production Analysis (GPA) technique was utilized as a further check of reservoir and well performance. Successful implementation allowed the well's performance metrics to be monitored and adjusted to maximize withdrawals while minimizing the potential for premature failure. Introduction The Camden Hills gas field is located 140 miles southeast of New Orleans in the Gulf of Mexico Mississippi Canyon (MC) Block 348 as shown in Fig. 1. Production from the field was initiated in October, 2002 from two wells. These wells produce into the Canyon Express Gathering System which consists of two 12-in flowlines, tied back 56 miles to the Canyon Station platform. The platform, located in Main Pass Block 261, was set in shallow water with the expressed purpose of processing gas. Two additional fields, Aconcagua (MC Block 305) and Kings Peak (Desoto Canyon 133 and MC 217) are also tied into this processing hub via Canyon Express Gathering System. The wells1 in Camden Hills are multizone completions as shown in the completion diagram depicted in Fig. 2. Both wells were frac-packed as a means of sand control. The production intervals are located between 13,800–14,700' TVD. Each well is completed utilizing Intelligent Well Completion Systems (IWCS) consisting of two interval control valves (ICV), providing the ability to hydraulically isolate and/or commingle the two completion intervals. The IWCS assembly includes permanent downhole gauges (PDG) containing three pressure/temperature sensors. Pressure/temperature can be measured from each zone and the commingled stream in the wellbore. Over 400 data acquisition sensors, located throughout the fields, gathering system and processing platform, are monitored and recorded at 10 minute intervals. This data is available through a secure internet website for immediate download. With the multitude of data collected at this frequency, periodic lapses of delivery timeliness or in some cases, complete delivery system shut-down are experienced. These events occurred more frequently early on in the project, but reliability has significantly improved over time. Approximately 4,400 sets of data are recorded monthly for each well. This study involved the analysis of 25,000 data points which necessitated modifications to existing software packages and required the use of PC's with high speed processors. Some of the "scatter" seen in Figures 3 & 4 can be attributed to the data collection issues discussed above.