Gas Coning Control for Smart Wells

Leemhuis, Anton; Belfroid, S.P.C.; Alberts, Garrelt

doi:10.2523/110317-ms

Cited by 6 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 7 publications

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“…Leemhuis et al [6] study the effects of gas coning and demonstrate how allocation of the gas influx potentially can be combined with a PID controller to stabilize production via manipulation of inflow control valves. The study is based on a dynamic reservoir model, combined with a rather simple steady-state well representation based on lift curves.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rate Allocation: Combining Transient Well Flow Modeling and Data Assimilation

Lorentzen

Sævareid

Nævdal

2010

SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition

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This paper presents an approach for rate allocation for individual wells by combining a transient well flow model and the ensemble Kalman filter. Specifically, we aim to utilize available high frequency measurements of pressure and temperature, focussing particularly on the early time period after changing influx conditions. The transition between two steady state flow periods implies natural excitation of the well flow, and during this phase an individual sensor experiences a golden age compared to the single value associated with a steady state. Thus, by taking proper advantage of the transient periods, it is reasonable to believe that important insight into the subsequent steady state conditions can be obtained.We explore a couple case studies, indicating the feasibility of our approach and then draw some preliminary conclusions from our investigations.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rate Allocation: Combining Transient Well Flow Modeling and Data Assimilation

Lorentzen

Sævareid

Nævdal

2010

SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition

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An Investigation Into the Need of a Dynamic Coupled Well-Reservoir Simulator

Alberts¹,

Belfroid²,

Peters³

et al. 2007

SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition

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Within the research framework of the "Integrated System Approach Petroleum Production" (ISAPP) knowledge center of TNO, TU Delft and Shell, the necessity of taking the interaction between dynamic reservoir and dynamic well behavior into account when optimizing a producing asset is investigated. To simulate dynamic phenomena in the well and in the reservoir, a dynamic multiphase well simulation tool (OLGA) and a dynamic multiphase reservoir simulator (MoReS) have been used. Both simulators have been coupled using an explicit scheme. The dynamic well simulator, the dynamic reservoir simulator and the coupled dynamic well-reservoir simulator have been used to simulate a realistic test case which consists of a horizontal well with three inflow sections located in a thin oil rim. A number of scenarios are investigated that play a crucial role during different stages of the well's lifetime: naturally occurring phenomena, e.g. coning, and production dynamics, e.g. shut-in. The results of dynamic well simulations, dynamic reservoir simulations and coupled well-reservoir simulations are presented and an overview is given of the cases where the results of the coupled simulations are significantly more accurate in comparison to stand-alone well or reservoir simulations. For gas coning it is shown that the coupled simulator has much faster pressure transients after gas breakthrough than the dynamic reservoir simulator. Therefore, the coupled well-reservoir simulator should be used to simulate gas breakthrough and to optimize production using gas coning control. For small time scale phenomena, order of less then one day, the well and reservoir transients overlap. Simulations show that the coupled simulator is essential for an accurate prediction of the well-reservoir interaction during these small time scale phenomena. Introduction Production instabilities are undesirable and play a crucial role in the production lifetime and ultimate recovery of any reservoir. These instabilities can arise from or be governed by the interaction between the well and the reservoir.1 Production instabilities can be subdivided into two groups. Firstly, the naturally occurring dynamical phenomena, such as coning and slugging. Secondly, the production dynamical phenomena, such as shut-in, clean-up and gas lift heading. Figure 1 displays the time and spatial scales for different naturally occurring and production dynamical phenomena. The values of the time and spatial scales are indicative and based on experience. There are several phenomena which have a certain amount of overlap. In these areas it is expected that the well dynamics are strongly influenced by the reservoir dynamics and visa versa. Simulations are widely used to predict oil and gas production. The current status of these simulations is to either use a dynamic well model combined with some analytical reservoir model2 or to use a dynamic reservoir model combined with either lift tables or a steady state well model.3, 4 The disadvantage of these models is the fact that they underestimate the pre-mentioned well-reservoir interactions and therefore give non-realistic production forecast in cases where well-reservoir interactions play a crucial role.

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Using a Dynamic Coupled Well-Reservoir Simulator to Optimize Production of a Horizontal Well in a Thin Oil Rim

Nennie

Alberts

Peters

et al. 2008

Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference

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Stabilization and optimization of production are the key challenges for smart well control. In order to compare the effectiveness of different control strategies, a simulation environment can be used. To study and control the effects of for instance slugging, gas coning and wax deposition, both reservoir dynamics and the dynamics of multi-phase well flow have to be taken into account in such a simulation environment. In this paper we use a dynamic coupled well-reservoir simulator to identify instabilities of a field case and test a control strategy to mitigate gas coning and wax deposition. The dynamic simulation environment has been developed within the research framework of the 'Integrated System Approach Petroleum Production' knowledge center of TNO, TU Delft and Shell. This simulator has been validated with field data of a horizontal well located in a thin oil rim, suffering from gas coning and containing a crude which has a high tendency to wax. With the help of the simulation environment it was possible to understand the production instabilities observed in this well and to determine a control strategy to stabilize and optimize its production. The results of the coupled well-reservoir simulations are presented and the phenomena that are most likely to cause the production instabilities observed in the field are identified. In production optimization the current status is to use separate dynamic well and reservoir models. In case of significant reservoir-well interaction this approach gives a non-realistic production forecast. This project gives a clear indication that, when using a coupled simulation on a real field case, a better understanding of the instabilities and therefore a more accurate production forecast and a better control strategy can be designed. Introduction With increasing knowledge and new technologies more complex reservoirs with respect to location and dimensions can be explored. This brings new challenges in e.g. exploration, drilling and production. Furthermore, existing reservoirs require new insights to be able to increase its ultimate recovery. Dedicated simulation software tools can offer these new insights by helping to understand production instabilities and test new control strategies to avoid them and to optimize production. The field under investigation has most of its wells drilled with long laterals in a thin oil rim, which have a strong tendency to gas-cone. Gas coning is a phenomenon where the gas oil contact of a reservoir slowly moves towards a well as a result of oil drawdown, see Figure 1. At a certain moment in the production life of the well the gas oil contact will reach the well and the well will experience high influx of free gas. A second important issue which is causing production limitations is wax deposition. Wax deposition is a known problem for reservoirs located in cold areas or deep water, but also for reservoirs containing a crude which has a large tendency to wax. Wax precipitates from the crude when the temperature of the crude drops below the critical wax solubility temperature. The crude produced from the field under investigation has a maximum pour point temperature which is slightly lower than the reservoir temperature, which implies possible wax deposition during production.

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Gas Coning Control for Smart Wells

Abstract: fax 01-972-952-9435.

Cited by 6 publications

References 7 publications

Rate Allocation: Combining Transient Well Flow Modeling and Data Assimilation

Rate Allocation: Combining Transient Well Flow Modeling and Data Assimilation

An Investigation Into the Need of a Dynamic Coupled Well-Reservoir Simulator

Using a Dynamic Coupled Well-Reservoir Simulator to Optimize Production of a Horizontal Well in a Thin Oil Rim

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