Summary
Horizontal wells with intelligent completions have been used widely in many
field cases. With inflow-control valves (ICVs), production can be optimized
either on individual wells or at large reservoir scale. A critical step in this
procedure is to understand the inflow profiles along horizontal wellbores. To
develop control and optimization strategies, permanent monitoring systems such
as pressure gauges and temperature sensors have been deployed with downhole
control valves to provide temperature or pressure data in real time, and to
translate downhole-flow conditions from these data.
The relationships between temperature and inflow distribution have been
developed before in intelligent-well models, and these models are very useful
in locating water or gas entries and obtaining better production performances.
In this work, we present a new idea--using temperature feedback to directly
regulate flow-control valves to achieve an approximately uniform flow
distribution. Instead of detecting water or gas flow with different thermal
properties of fluids, we aim to regulate flow distribution through temperature
behavior to achieve optimal flow conditions. Early-time temperature and
pressure data are used to estimate permeability and initial flow profiles along
the well; then, developed models are applied to generate a desired temperature
profile that yields an evenly distributed flow rate along the wellbore. ICVs
are operated on the basis of the guidance from the initial temperature data,
and the temperature is monitored as it approaches the desired temperature
profile. Through this procedure, we will produce a well at an optimal condition
by choking down the flow rate at higher-permeability locations along the well.
This can increase oil-flow rate and delay early water breakthrough.
This paper explains the details of the procedure. Two examples are used to
illustrate the application of the method; one is for a waterdrive reservoir,
and the other is a water-injection case. The results show significant
improvement in well performance in both examples.
© 2011. Society of Petroleum Engineers
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History
- Original manuscript received:
20 October 2010
- Meeting paper published:
20 September 2010
- Revised manuscript received:
11 February 2011
- Manuscript approved:
22 March 2011
- Published online:
9 June 2011
- Version of record:
10 August 2011
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