Design and Deployment of In-Well Fiber-Optic Sensing Systems

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Disciplines: Completions | Data Science and Engineering Analytics | Drilling | Production and Operations | Reservoir

Course Description

This course presents a broad exposure to fiber-optic monitoring and leads the student through the steps of sensing system selection, design and installation/deployment. The technology addressed in this course originated for oil and gas operations but are applicable for subsurface CCUS, geothermal and low-carbon energy projects.

Various data needs exist to properly calibrate and validate reservoir development and completion/stimulation and reservoir performance models.  These needs vary based on well types and general design specifications (onshore vs. offshore, vertical vs. horizontal, etc.) as well as reservoir rock and fluid characteristics.  Once the data needs are defined, the specific sensing (monitoring) system and high-level data acquisition plan can be designed.

The first segment of this course provides guidance for using in-well fiber-optic monitoring for completion and stimulation diagnostics as well as reservoir and well surveillance, with a special focus on unconventional resource plays.  Fiber-optic sensing is a major diagnostic tool which can provide critical information to validate, constrain and calibrate various models (fracture growth, reservoir drainage, well placement, perf cluster and stage placement, etc.) used to optimize field development. After a well is brought on production, fiber-optic sensing can provide key surveillance information that has been historically acquired with cased hole logs and other traditional monitoring systems: inflow (production) profiles, injection management, stimulation/re-stimulation efficiency, water and gas breakthrough location, sand production.

The second course segment provides the knowledge and tools to design and manage the execution of fiber-optic-instrumented well completions and well interventions, which will provide key data and information to optimize well completions and asset performance.  Upon completion, the student will have the basis to properly recommend when and where to apply fiber-optic sensing to optimize field development and manage well and reservoir performance. 
 
Course Content
Segment 1

• Quick review of Fiber-Optic Sensing Basics
• Introduction to “Life-of-Field” monitoring with Fiber-Optic Sensing (FOS)
• Using FOS for completion and stimulation diagnostics, e.g.:
• Life-of-field surveillance
  • Production monitoring/multiphase inflow profiling
  • Injection/stimulation monitoring
  • Reservoir depletion
  • Well-well interactions
  • Artificial lift monitoring
  • Using the production well as an ad-hoc monitor well
  • Others
• What FOS provides (where it works), what it may miss (advantages/disadvantages vs. other monitoring tools)
• Integration (synergy) with other monitoring methods
  • Tracers
  • Geophone-acquired Microseismic and Vsp
  • Tiltmeter
  • OH and CH wireline
  • Others

Segment 2

• Fiber-optic sensing (FOS) well architectures
  • Onshore
  • Offshore
• Permanent installations vs. intervention-based acquisition
• The FOS system – component selection and specification
  • Fiber
  • Cables
  • Surface instrumentation units
  • Power/communication options
• Completion hardware
• Well design modifications needed to accommodate FOS
  • Hole size
  • Casing/tubing
  • RIH procedures
  • Cementing
  • Perforating
• Wellhead-to-office data transfer,data storage and interpretation considerations
• Installation operations
  • Project planning
  • Completion/FOS installation operations
  • Preferred/recommended practices
• Fiber-optic monitoring system commissioning
• Work flows, recommended practices, project planning

Learning outcomes

1. For various development scenarios, assess where and when fiber-optic sensing can provide appropriate diagnostic data vs. other monitoring/diagnostic tools (i.e. when it works and when another technique has potential to provide superior results)
2. Select fiber-optic data acquisition systems to provide reservoir development model calibration and validation information, for various well placement and completion scenarios.
3. Design plan/workflow (high level) to effectively integrate FO data with other diagnostic data.
4. Evaluate fiber-optic sensing options vs. traditional reservoir/well surveillance methods
5. Select fiber-optic data acquisition systems suitable for different surveillance needs.
6. Design plan/workflow (high level) to effectively integrate FO data with other surveillance data.
7. Select fiber-optic well sensing system appropriate for well type and surveillance need.
8. Specify completion hardware and fiber-optic system components (fiber, cable, instruments) needed to accomplish surveillance and completion/stimulation diagnostic goals.
9. Modify completion designs to accommodate permanently installed fiber-optic sensing systems.
10. Design data acquisition protocols for specific well types.
11. Assess permanently installed fiber-optic sensing and fiber-optic intervention (“logging”) options, and recommend/justify when to use which options based on a particular well type and information need.

Learning Level

intermediate to advanced

Course Length

1-day

Why Attend

Deepen your technical expertise in fiber-optic sensing by exploring advanced design, deployment, and integration strategies for in-well monitoring systems. This course provides experienced professionals with the tools to optimize well performance and reservoir development through high-resolution diagnostics and life-of-field surveillance applications.

Who Attends

This course is targeted towards completion, drilling, production, surveillance, and reservoir engineers, geologists and geophysicists.

CEUs

0.8 CEUs / 8 PDHs

Cancellation Policy

All cancellations must be received no later than 14 days prior to the course start date. Cancellations made after the 14-day window will not be refunded. Refunds will not be given due to no show situations.

Training sessions attached to SPE conferences and workshops follow the cancellation policies stated on the event information page. Please check that page for specific cancellation information.

SPE reserves the right to cancel or re-schedule courses at will. Notification of changes will be made as quickly as possible; please keep this in mind when arranging travel, as SPE is not responsible for any fees charged for cancelling or changing travel arrangements.

We reserve the right to substitute course instructors as necessary.

Instructors

Other courses by these instructors