Optimizing Production in Maximum Reservoir Contact Wells with Intelligent Completions and Optical Downhole Monitoring System

Abstract

In today's drive to improve well production and performance, more innovative methods are continually being implemented to enhance well productivity and reservoir management. By increasing reservoir contact and applying fit for purpose technologies, increased production can be attained at lower drawdown. This can be accomplished by the effective implementation of multilaterals wells. In multilateral wells equipped with active downhole control valves and downhole measurement-devices, monitoring and managing the production from each lateral is achievable. These capabilities will enhance well performance and allow better sweep; hence better recovery. This paper describes the design, completion, commissioning, and operational experience of the world's first well equipped with intelligent completion combined with fiber-optic monitoring capabilities. Well-A is a trilateral MRC well with more than 5 km of total reservoir contact. The monitoring system for each lateral includes an optical flowmeter and pressure and temperature gauge. The readings of the flowmeter were compared to the readings against the conventional testing facilities. Production tests were conducted with various combinations of downhole valve positions for each of the three laterals to determine the optimum combination. The pressure and temperature gauges yielded excellent measurements as they were verified against conventional pressure and temperature measurements. The downhole flow rate measurements were assessed against conventional rate measurements and demonstrated acceptable results across most downhole valve positions. A comprehensive review was conducted on the optical flow meter capabilities to provide better understanding; hence, facilitate further enhancement to the technology and better production optimization capabilities. The review was utilized to develop a new system that provides better capabilities across all valves positions. Background The adoption rate of optical sensing technology for in-well permanent monitoring has accelerated dramatically since it was first introduced more than a decade ago. Today, most of the common electronic-based technology measurements for in-well permanent reservoir monitoring have a commercially available optical equivalent; such as pressure, temperature, seismic, and flowmeters. In fact, optical monitoring has exceeded the functionalities of conventional downhole measurement devices. The new fiber-optic devices provide various measurement capabilities such as Distributed Temperature Sensing (DTS), Array Temperature Sensing (ATS), and non-intrusive single and multiphase flowmeters.

In-Well, Optical, Strain-Based Flow Measurement Technology and Its Applications

“…Following this work, two separate field tests were conducted in 2010: first one was to prove that the new generation systems can address the earlier issues in the presence of excessive acoustic noise, and the second one was to optimize the well. These field tests were a continuation of the earlier work (Al-Bani et al 2007;Arnaout et al 2008;and Ünalmis et al 2010). The detailed results of these field tests will be presented in a future work.…”

“…A series of production tests with various combination of ICV settings (i.e., valve openings) were conducted. The flowmeters were functioning normally for most of the ICV settings with some exceptions: at lower ICV settings, the dramatic area change across ICV generated severe acoustic noise (Al-Bani et al 2007;Arnaout et al 2008). This acoustic noise dominated the flow signal.…”

Evolution in Optical Downhole Multiphase Flow Measurement: Experience Translates into Enhanced Design

“…Production optimization efforts have been the subject of a number of studies in the past within Aramco (Al-Bani et al 2007;Arnaout et al 2008;Mubarak et al 2007Mubarak et al , 2008. The current work builds on the previous work the subject of which was the performance evaluation of a permanent downhole monitoring system (PDMS).…”