Summary
Production and injection profiling through permanent-downhole-pressure-gauge
(PDG) recording during a coiled-tubing (CT) -conveyed workover operation, a
novel and unique application, has been proposed in the present paper.
Theoretical development of the new technique is provided first. Example studies
are then given to illustrate the application of the technique. Application
scenarios, practical issues, and key impacting parameters have also been
addressed. Finally, a field case study implementing the new technique for a
long horizontal well has been performed to demonstrate how the production
profiles calculated from PDG data compare closely to the results from a recent
production logging survey, which was expensive and mechanically risky yet
turned out to be unsatisfactory.
The technique could be applied to real-time production and injection
profiling for different well configurations (vertical, horizontal, deviated,
and multilateral) and bring tremendous financial benefits through replacing
conventional production-logging surveys that could be cost-extensive for
horizontal or multilateral wells offshore.
Introduction
Permanent downhole gauges are metering devices installed downhole to monitor
well and reservoir conditions in real time. Continuous measurement of key well
parameters enables engineers to observe ongoing changes in wells and make
operating adjustments to optimize well performance and enhance recovery.
Permanent downhole pressure gauges, the earliest and most widely installed
PDGs, provide an opportunity to feature reservoir information in four
dimensions rather than obtaining a glimpse or snapshot in time (Athichanagorn
et al. 1999).
PDG data have a wide range of applications in the oil and gas industry
(Ouyang and Kikani 2002), including reducing ambiguity and uncertainties in
interpretation; detecting changes in reservoir properties; monitoring skin,
permeability, and pressure drawdown over time; evaluating the performance of
well completions, stimulations, or workovers; identifying reservoir
connectivity; and assisting reservoir simulation and history matching, just to
name a few. Nevertheless, so far no application of PDGs for production or
injection profiling has been reported.
Production and injection profiling (i.e., flow profiling) through PDG
recording during a CT-conveyed workover operation will be proposed in this
paper. The technique could be applied to real-time production and injection
profiling for different well configurations (vertical, horizontal, deviated,
and multilateral) and could bring tremendous financial benefits through
replacing conventional production-logging surveys that could be cost-extensive
for horizontal or multilateral wells offshore.
In the present paper, theoretical development of the new technique will
first be addressed. Example studies will then be provided to illustrate the
application of the technique, followed by sensitivity studies performed to
investigate the key influencing parameters such as wellbore size, CT outer
diameter (OD), degree of eccentricity, fluid density and viscosity,
production/injection rate, and others. Application scenarios and practical
issues also will be discussed. Finally, a field case study implementing the new
technique for a long horizontal well will be conducted to demonstrate how the
production profiles from PDG data very closely match the results from a recent
PLT survey that was expensive but unsatisfactory.
© 2006. Society of Petroleum Engineers
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History
- Original manuscript received:
18 February 2004
- Revised manuscript received:
7 January 2005
- Manuscript approved:
21 August 2005
- Version of record:
20 May 2006
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