Well Completion Applications for the Latest-Generation Low-Viscosity Sensitive Passive Inflow Control Device

J Petrol Explor Prod Technol

2017

Commercialization of the steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) process has made recovery of heavy oil/bitumen possible in a number of reservoirs hindered by hydrocarbon immobility. However, the economics of this process are highly sensitive to the efficiency of steam creation, delivery, and use, with a successful and unsuccessful SAGD well pair often separated by how effectively thermal inefficiencies can be mitigated in the flow profiles of steam injection and/or in emulsion recovery. To improve flow profiles, Albertan SAGD completions have experimented with the addition of flow control devices (FCDs). These completion tools have historically been used to regulate liquid inflow across long producing laterals, adding a variable pressure drop along the lateral to improve the conformance of hydrocarbon production and delay water breakthrough; within SAGD completions, FCDs find novel use to force a more even flow distribution of steam in the injector and a thermally dependent inflow profile in the producer to maximize recovery of heavy oil/bitumen. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of different FCD designs, discussing their respective methods of regulation, the fluid-adaptive behavior of ''autonomous'' FCDs, operational strengths and weaknesses of different commercial offerings, and suggestions on how to use existing pressure loss models for FCDs and apply them to the non-traditional application of regulating SAGD flow profiles, both for equipment sizing and estimation of pressure loss/flow rates across the device. From this work, it is proposed that use of autonomous FCDs in the production lateral are of greater value than use of flow control in the injector; however maximum benefits are achieved by coupling simple orifice-style FCDs in the injector lateral with autonomous, large flow path (nonorifice) FCDs capable of controlling steam flash events in the production well.

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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

J Petrol Explor Prod Technol

2017

“…Limited information exists for FCD performance with any sort of gas-phase fluid Lauritzen and Martiniussen 2011;Least et al 2014;Least et al 2013;Lee et al 2013;Peterson et al 2010).…”

Section: Problem Statementmentioning

confidence: 99%

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

SPE Western Regional Meeting

2017

The volume of heavy oil/bitumen recoverable worldwide is vast in quantity but difficult and energy intensive to extract due to the high in-situ oil viscosity of these unconventional plays. One method of thermal recovery, steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD), has proven a commercial success in heavy oil/bitumen production by using steam to raise the temperature of heavy oil/bitumen in the reservoir with a resulting lower hydrocarbon viscosity, shifting the relative mobility of reservoir oil to one favorable for extraction via horizontal wells.However, geological and reservoir heterogeneity often complicate this task resulting in uneven production rates, higher operational costs, and stranded heavy oil/bitumen. This work theorizes that SAGD recovery is improved using flow control devices (FCDs) to force conformance in SAGD laterals. To test this theory, a novel protocol and test flow loop was developed to measure pressure drop across an autonomous hybrid FCD while flowing multiphase mixtures containing steam. This laboratory data was used to qualify existing pressure drop correlations and determine if nitrogen gas, a common test gas to describe FCD pressure drop response, creates suitable data for modeling steam systems. Finally, the flow loop was used to induce a steam "flash", a transition of water at saturation temperature to vapor due to a suddenly decreased pressure

“…Peterson et al (2010) built upon this work to demonstrate that an ICD pressure drop coefficient correlates strongly to Reynolds number, allowing reservoir simulators to better determine ICD performance for multiphase/multicomponent mixtures. In Peterson's work, a homogenous flow model (with no phase slippage) characterized ICD behavior using a seven-parameter function where the Reynolds number alone was sufficient to calculate ICD pressure drop.…”

Section: Performance Description: Restriction-style Icd Designsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Management of Steam Flashing in SAGD Completion Design via the Implementation of Flow Control Devices

Day 3 Wed, November 25, 2015

2015

The integrity of Steam-Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD) wells are often threatened by the very steam that provides the process its name. High rate steam production, or the adiabatic flashing of steam condensate to a vapor state, often creates an environment of Љflashing erosionЉ, erosive damage created by the water-cutting effect of high velocity wet steam or the corrosive elements (e.g., carbonic acid) that can be associated with low temperature condensate. Condensate flashing to steam also carries additional risk from Љcavitation erosionЉ, erosion of completion equipment that occurs from the sudden shock wave impacts caused by the implosion of small liquid-free zones with the condensate, similar to the wellunderstood water hammer effect. Conventionally, to prevent the production of live steam or the flashing of steam condensate, operators have relied upon choking production rates based upon monitored temperature differences between injected and produced fluids. However, this methodology based on subcool carries its own risks and undermines the economic viability of SAGD projects. Another approach is to improve conformance of steam injection and fluid production by installing inflow/injection control devices (ICDs) in either, or both, the SAGD injector and producer. If properly designed, these devices in the producer can equalize heel-to-toe influx of bitumen emulsion, provide greater control of the sub-cool, and behave as an autonomous (or self-regulating) valve. This presentation will focus upon this last design objective. By coupling published performance equations for various ICD designs with steam behavior equations, competing designs will be evaluated for their likelihood of steam flashing within a SAGD completion and their respective ability to control flashed steam prior to the steam creating damage in the completion. Further, the discussion will examine possible future avenues of research, such as ICD designs with a steam throttle effect driven through a velocity-sensitive choking of steam production.