Method to Improve Thermal EOR Performance Using Intelligent Well Technology: Orion SAGD Field Trial

Clark, H. P.; Ascanio, Felix A.; Kruijsdijk, C.P.J.W. van; Chavarria, Jose Luis; Zatka, Mirko; Williams, Will; Yahyai, Ahmed H.; Shaw, Joel; Bedry, Mark

doi:10.2118/137133-ms

Cited by 25 publications

(5 citation statements)

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“…Cold techniques such as solvent-drive mechanisms, chemical flooding, and miscible displacements are used to reduce the oil viscosity and improve the sweep efficiency in the reservoir, respectively. Moreover, different thermal EOR methods are applied when cold techniques are not efficient and include in-situ combustion (ISC), steam drive, cyclic steam stimulation (CSS), steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD), electrical heating, among others [3,4].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of the Asphaltene Oxidation Process on the Formation of Emulsions of Water in Oil (W/O) Model Solutions

et al. 2018

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In this paper, the formation of water in oil (W/O) model solution emulsions using untreated and oxidized asphaltenes as emulsifiers was evaluated. Emulsions were formed with deionized water and toluene at different water/toluene ratios (1:4, 1:1, and 4:1) and concentrations of asphaltenes of 100, 500, and 1000 mg/L. Asphaltenes were oxidized at two different temperatures of 373 and 473 K for various exposure times. Untreated and oxidized asphaltenes were characterized by thermogravimetric analyses, C, H, N, S and O elemental analyses, solvency tests in toluene, and qualitative structural indexes from Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. The emulsions were evaluated for stability, the percentage of oil in water (O/W) and W/O phases, interfacial tension (IFT), and mean droplet diameter. The asphaltenes solubility decreased up to 93% as the temperature of oxidation and the exposure time increased. The amount of W/O emulsion increases when asphaltene concentration, exposure time, and oxidation temperature increase. With oxidized asphaltenes at 373 and 473 K, the formation of W/O emulsions increased by approximately 30% and 70% for a fixed asphaltene concentration, respectively. IFT revealed that after oxidation, no carboxylic acids were formed. A hypothetical oxidation reaction of asphaltenes to ketones and sulphoxide, and nitrogen and alkyl chain removal is proposed.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of the Asphaltene Oxidation Process on the Formation of Emulsions of Water in Oil (W/O) Model Solutions

et al. 2018

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“…The energy company worked with the developer to introduce the ability to analyze thermal wells (Duncan et al, 2014).…”

Section: Nodal Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A tubing deployed intelligent completion for a SAGD injector in the Orion field has been installed (Clark et al, 2010). This equipment could be used to positively shut off or turn on flow from segments of the well separated by flow diversion devices.…”

Section: Industry Publicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Application of Intelligent Well Technology to a SAGD Producer: Firebag Field Trial

Stahl

Smith

Hobbs

et al. 2014

Day 3 Thu, June 12, 2014

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Even temperature conformance along the length of the horizontal well is key to maximizing Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD) production rates. When temperature logs are run in SAGD producers, temperature variations of greater than 50°C between the hottest and coldest spots are commonly observed. We theorize that this temperature distribution is related to an inflow distribution, and that production rates could be improved if this temperature variance was narrowed.It is difficult to influence conformance with traditional SAGD producer well design. Flow areas are large, and liquid velocities are low, resulting in small frictional pressure losses. It is not possible to impose a materially different drawdown on hot and cold spots along the horizontal with typical well completion methods.A field trial is ongoing at the Firebag project in which a production well is equipped with intelligent completion technology. The test well's horizontal liner section is split into four hydraulically isolated zones, with each zone having the ability to provide flow or isolation from the reservoir. The well completion is equipped with optical pressure and temperature (P/T) gauges and distributed temperature sensing (DTS) technology which monitors each segment's performance during operations. The capability to independently and immediately manipulate each segment's production inflow will provide the operator the ability to evaluate the influence of an intelligent completion design on a well's conformance and ultimate oil recovery.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Different technologies have been used or put on trial to diagnose and control steam flow and production along SAGD well pairs to counterbalance any unexpected effects of heterogeneity on uniform subcool temperature. [10,15] These include limited entry perforations (LEPs), inflow and outflow control devices (ICDs and OCDs), as well as interval control valves (ICVs). In practice, such technologies involve manual control of the SAGD wells, which is probably not the best way to consider both inflow and outflow relationships with subcool temperature.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Real‐time feedback control of SAGD wells using model predictive control to optimize steam chamber development under uncertainty

et al. 2018

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The efficiency of steam assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) operation depends on developing a uniform steam chamber by maintaining an optimal subcool temperature along the length of the well pair. Implementing operational parameters obtained from model‐based optimization directly in the field may not lead to the desired subcool temperature. Based on the real‐time measurements from surface and downhole sensors, along with other well and surface constraint information, a real‐time feedback control of SAGD well pairs can be implemented to optimize subcool and steam chamber development. Model predictive control (MPC), which is a multivariable constrained controller, provides a framework for such control. To evaluate the use of MPC for real‐time control of SAGD wells, a case study is performed using a 3D heterogeneous reservoir model. Porosity and permeability realizations are created and ranked based on net present value (NPV). One of the realizations is considered as the ‘true’ reservoir, and two other realizations are selected to represent different cases of uncertain reservoir models. For each model, a reservoir simulator is used to find the optimum rates and subcool temperature, which become the set‐points for MPC to operate the wells. We compare the steam chamber growth and NPV calculated using MPC with the base case where no MPC is used and discuss the implementation advantages. Since MPC led to expedited and accurate tracking of optimized operating targets obtained using reservoir models, ∼18 % improvement in NPV is achieved compared to manual open‐loop application of optimum rates, a practice used commonly in the field.

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Method to Improve Thermal EOR Performance Using Intelligent Well Technology: Orion SAGD Field Trial

Cited by 25 publications

References 1 publication

Effect of the Asphaltene Oxidation Process on the Formation of Emulsions of Water in Oil (W/O) Model Solutions

Effect of the Asphaltene Oxidation Process on the Formation of Emulsions of Water in Oil (W/O) Model Solutions

Application of Intelligent Well Technology to a SAGD Producer: Firebag Field Trial

Real‐time feedback control of SAGD wells using model predictive control to optimize steam chamber development under uncertainty

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