Flow performance of horizontal wells with inflow control devices

Abstract

This paper presents a powerful approximate method for modelling the steady single-phase flow into a horizontal well completed with an Inflow Control Device (ICD) in an anisotropic reservoir. Two types of problems are investigated: the forward problem, which allows the user to find the flux distribution along the wellbore for a specified pressure drawdown, and the inverse problem to determine the ICD properties when the flux or reservoir pressure drawdown along the wellbore is given. The method is based on structuring the flow patterns around and, inside the wellbore and across the ICD and on the reduction of the dimensionality of the problem by using boundary integral equations. The resulting one dimensional singular nonlinear integro-differential equation is solved numerically, using the appropriate quadrature formula for singular integrals with Cauchy kernels.

Design of flow control devices in steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) completion

“…All FCD geometries are similar in that they induce an additional pressure drop as fluid travels between the reservoir and the completion base pipe so that the total pressure drop for any fluid flow path is equivalent and thus fluid conformance is maximized (Atkinson et al 2004). However, the mechanism by which this pressure drop is created can vary wildly between geometries, resulting in drastically different long-term injection/production behavior as reservoir and operational conditions change (Carpenter 2015;Denney 2015).…”

“…Fluid produced from the reservoir is filtered of solid material by the sand control media before being channeled into a micro-annulus between the screen and base pipe. This annular gap is adjusted by wire stand-offs which separate the annulus into several sections evenly distributed around the circumference of the base pipe, providing the dominant flow path (Atkinson et al 2004). (Banerjee et al 2013a).…”

“…If the restrictionstyle FCD is oriented radially, the FCD also serves as the entrance into the production base pipe (Al-Khelaiwi and Davies 2007). The particular type of restriction may vary with common styles including thin and thick orifice chokes, nozzles, short tubes, and venturi restrictions (Abdelfattah et al 2012;Atkinson et al 2004;Banerjee et al 2013a, b;Banerjee and Hascakir 2015;Bybee 2008).…”

“…During ''heel to toe effect,'' as the in-situ oil vacates the region near the heel more rapidly than at the toe, any existing gas cap or aquifer is seen as advancing more quickly toward the wellbore in this regions than at points along the wellbore with lower flux (Atkinson et al 2004;Tabatabaei and Ghalambor 2011).…”

Flow Control Devices in SAGD Completion Design: Enhanced Heavy Oil/Bitumen Recovery Through Improved Thermal Efficiencies

“…During "heel to toe effect" (Figure 2), the contribution to the total well production rate is disproportionately large at the heel of the lateral in the absence of mitigating reservoir or fluid heterogeneities (Atkinson et al 2004;Tabatabaei and Ghalambor 2011).…”