Milestones, Lessons Learned and Best Practices in the Designing, Deployment and Installation of ICDs in Saudi Arabia

Day 1 Mon, November 09, 2015

Mascagnini

et al. 2015

Self Cite

Flow control along the wellbore is an important factor for a successful field development. Creating a flow control strategy can be especially difficult when a high level of reservoir uncertainty exists.A novel workflow was developed to help determine the flow control / intelligent completion strategy best suited for field development, by taking into account the reservoir uncertainties and control parameters for optimization. The workflow simplifies and reduces cycle time, yet ensures that the inflow control strategy for the field is fit-for-purpose. This novel methodology enables a rapid understanding of the uncertainties and reduces the cycle time of evaluation and high-level screening, and ensures a more responsive decision process to improve production and reduce costs.The described workflow is an optimum approach that is easily applied in an efficient semi-automated manner for any field. This method utilizes steady-state analytical and dynamic reservoir modelling for the determination of geological/subsurface uncertainties and selection of an optimal flow control strategy. Initially a base case model is constructed with the most likely/expected reservoir properties and control parameters. A series of experimental design cases are run, and then an objective function is created, followed by a large number of optimization runs to investigate the potential solution space. The analysis of these cases quantifies the effects of each uncertainty parameter. Using the analysis performed on uncertainty, a number of the scenarios are investigated in detail to study various flow control completions (passive and active) and determine the system that is best suited to achieve the optimum recovery efficiency. A full optimization under uncertainty is conducted so that the flow control settings are optimized against the full probabilistic subsurface uncertainties.

“…1) (Madan, Gohari, R., H.A., & Mohammed, 2015). The study was conducted for a well length of 3,000 ft across the reservoir section at 6,000 ft TVD, with an oil viscosity of 30°API.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Novel Workflow for the Development of a Flow Control Strategy with Consideration of Reservoir Uncertainties

Day 1 Mon, November 09, 2015

Mascagnini

et al. 2015

Self Cite

DAS/DTS/DSS/DPS/DxS - Do We Measure What Adds Value?

SPE Europec Featured at 78th EAGE Conference and Exhibition

Kshirsagar

et al. 2016

Inwell measurement of rates and ratios do not allow operators to proactively control flow into the well. For intelligent fields there is a growing need for tools that enable engineers to ‘see’ further into the reservoir in order to adjust and/or change the flow control strategy as required. From a reservoir management perspective the most value can be achieved when implementing intelligent flow control systems coupled with surveillance tools. Hence, this study presents a way of defining a fit for purpose surveillance strategy that can be coupled with active flow control systems that facilitates the optimisation of the recovery efficiency. A dynamic simulator was used to analyse and determine a monitoring strategy that provides the most cost effective method of understanding various phenomena occurring within the reservoir, such as water/gas encroachment. The intention of the study was to determine if the data set currently obtained is sufficient enough to provide a deep understanding of the reservoir. The dynamic simulator modelled the temperature, saturation and pressure changes and the post-processer was used to derive corresponding changes in resistivity and acoustic properties. The change in temperature was important to model in order to study the parameter for its surveillance value as well as to capture thermal effects on reservoir fluid properties and geomechanical properties. The electro-magnetic and acoustic properties were calculated using a well-known formulae; resistivity was derived by inverting the Archie equation. Results from the study were used to specify what the surveillance tools should measure and what detection distance would allow operators to proactively adjust the flow control devices/valves in order to maximise the value of the development. Sensitivity and optimisation analysis was conducted to obtain the distance of investigation required by the surveillance. The study demonstrated that a simple 1-way coupling gives representative estimations of electro-magnetic and acoustic properties over field production time. This will be able to assist in determining which methods of surveillance can be used over the life of the field assisting in recommending a suitable data acquisition strategy to extract maximum value from the tools available; DAS/DTS/DSS/DPS/DxS, EM, seismic and other methods. Simple 1-way coupling is often enough to estimate the change with suitable accuracy to assess feasibility of various surveillance techniques. DAS could have an application in continuous cross-well tomography to follow the flood front; this subject is to be studied further.

Viscosity Versus Accuracy – Flow Control Feasibility Workflow in Polymer Flooding

Day 1 Wed, October 19, 2016

Kshirsagar

et al. 2016

The use of horizontal wells for injection and production to help maximise the sweep efficiency and economic recovery; especially for recovery of viscous oil in offshore environments. Flow control devices (FCDs) are readily used to control the flow along the well in conventional recovery operations leading to improved recovery efficiency. The benefits of polymer flooding and FCDs has been well demonstrated, however the combination of the two technologies has yet to be fully realised. The cause of FCDs not being as utilised in polymer injection application is due to the severe degradation of the polymer through devices. This paper provides a workflow used to determine the benefits of a well planned and executed polymer injection complemented by the optimum flow control strategy. The main focus will be on demonstrating the relative weights in the objective function of optimising the sweep efficiency with the cost of reduced polymer quality. This workflow will allow a number of strategies to be studied, such as the impact of well types, well placement, well lengths, FCDs and polymer viscosities. The impact of polymer viscosity reduction in an injector well with FCDs is of particular interest. Hence the trade-off of the polymer degradation and the ability to get the required polymer quantity in the various segments of the well will be described. The feasibility of polymer flooding with flow control is a viable alternative for classical enhanced oil recovery (EOR) but the decision whether or not to implement it has to be based on prudent analysis and decision making process. Hence the study highlights the importance of understanding uncertainties with control as well as those associated with reservoir and geology.