This paper presents a study of horizontal well completions equipped with inflow control devices (ICDs) in a large, unconsolidated sandstone reservoir in Saudi Arabia. The focus is the improved production performance gained through a completion using ICDs with variable nozzle settings across the openhole section vs. that from a cemented, perforated liner completion and uniform nozzle setting ICD completion performance. Discussion includes an overview of ICD and intelligent completions and their components, and the advantages and limitations of both uniform/variable types of ICDs completion design methods. Results from two wells in Saudi Arabia show that the major advantages of completions using ICDs with variable nozzle settings are the operator's ability to make adjustments at the wellsite; to balance the inflow from areas of differing permeability; to reduce the pressure drop across the completion; and to better controls water production compared with uniform nozzle setting ICD completion. Inflow Control Device (ICD) technology has been developed to overcome horizontal well production/injection challenges. ICD completion with packers segregates openhole (OH) horizontal section into compartments to balance inflow/outflow along the well and control undesirable water/gas production. There are various types of ICDs such as tube, helical, orifice and nozzle ICDs. The advantages of orifice/nozzle ICDs (Fig. 1) are their viscosity independence and the nozzle installation at the wellsite according to the attained while drilling properties/openhole logs that might change ICD completion design optimization. The optimum ICD completion is one which balances influx from heterogeneous reservoirs and control water/gas production and simultaneously without creating a huge pressure drop across the completion.
Locating downhole casing leaks in producer and injector wells is not a complex undertaking when using rig-operated straddle packers with pressure testing. However, this established technique has limited effectiveness because it does not necessarily address the overall comprehensive integrity of the entire completion, which might include additional intervals of serious corrosion leading to leaks in the near future.We examined the results of low-frequency electromagnetic (EM) remote frequency eddy current (RFEC) wireline logs from over 80 wells in one mature Middle Eastern offshore field, profiling the severity of measured metal loss (ML) from concentric casings against proven rig-discovered leaks and rigless measurements of subsurface ML. Casing leaks that otherwise would have been detected only by conventional zonal pressure testing from a workover rig can now be located and forecasted with a high degree of probability when using this evaluation tool.The importance of maintaining oilfield casing integrity for safety, environmental, and flow assurance objectives, combined with the high costs of drilling new wells, creates a necessity for this integrated well integrity appraisal approach. Application of this EM logging technology to identify intervals of external ML has great significance in being able to anticipate casing intervals with high likelihood of failure due to invasive corrosion.
TX 75083-3836, U.S.A., fax 01-972-952-9435. AbstractIn this paper we have presented a new tool to evaluate the feasibility of an exploration and production project. An exploration and production project can be evaluated for feasibility using deterministic methods or probabilistic methods. These two methods vary chiefly in the way they manage uncertainty in the input parameters of the decision model. Deterministic methods neglect the changes in the input parameters with time, but focus on estimating the probabilities of the different outcomes possible at each stage in the decision model. A classical tool of the deterministic method is the decision tree. Probabilistic methods assume that a quantity to be estimated (e.g. reserves) can never be accurately determined. Rather it presents the possible number as a distribution. A typical tool in decsion making using probablitics methods is the Monte Carlo simulation. Each of these two methods, probabalistic and deterministic have thier own advantages and limitations. Our paper discusses combining the benefits of decision trees and Monte Carlo simulation. The new tool combines the simplicity of the deterministic approach and yet takes care of uncertainty in the manner of the probabilistic method. The result obtained by the deterministic method is fed into the probabilistic model as in input. The probability function for each input parameter in the probabilistic method is defined. Other input constraints and limitations are imposed and the model is simulated. The resulting output is analyzed and the associated risk or uncertainty for each output parameter is quantified. The output of the probabilistic model is fed back into the decision tree and the optimum decision is determined. The overall uncertainty in each decision outcome is determined by combining the individual uncertainties. The various options available in the project execution are compared using the new tool and the best project is selected on the basis of the highest return on investment or lowest risk. The advantages of the new tool as compared to using only deterministic or probabilistic methods are also demonstrated.
Producing from a high-permeability sandstone reservoir such as in Saudi Arabia's offshore fields has unique challenges, which include sand production, high-water production, and early water breakthrough due to active water drive and reservoir heterogeneity. These challenges add to the difficulty in the use of artificial lift where wells in different segments of the field were recently equipped with electrical submersible pumps (ESPs). This offshore field had seen an evolution of completion practices directed to resolve each challenge independently, until recently where an optimum integrated completion design was developed to overcome all challenges and optimize production, extend the producing life of the wells, and enhance recovery for the long term.The subject wells were completed with multilaterals targeting different layers in the reservoir. Inflow control devices (ICD) were used in the open hole completion for each lateral to enhance the well's influx balance and control/delay water production. The intelligent completions (IC) solution, which consists of inflow control valves (ICVs), permanent downhole monitoring system gauges, and multiport packers, are employed to control lateral production. In addition, a hydraulic line wet mate (HLWM) connect system is used to combine an ESP Pod system with an intelligent completion in multilateral wells. In most cases, due to the limited run life of an ESP, the pumps need to be replaced every few years. The HLWM connect system provides the flexibility to replace the ESP without having to retrieve the intelligent completion (ICVs, multiport packers, etc.), which saves cost and time.This paper describes the integrated completion design used to overcome the subject field's production challenges and will illustrate by an example how ICDs, ICVs, HLWM, and ESPs accomplished that goal. The integrated completion system helps enhance/optimize well production, allowing for efficiently draining the reservoir; and maximizing production and recovery. This paper will also summarize adapting the IC solution to practice and field example tests of such an IC solution design.
Operators are continuously striving to improve oil and gas field development strategies. One of the major improvements in field development strategies is enhancement of well completion designs that maximize profitability while maintaining high standards of reservoir management. Completion strategies have been transforming over the years from conventional wells to the recently drilled multilateral (ML) wells and smart wells that combine inflow control devices (ICDs) and electrical submersible pump (ESP) equipment. The new era of intelligent wells is focused on over-performing the old completion practices in terms of well productivity and reservoir sweep efficiency. Well-A was trial tested for the first time in an offshore field by deploying a hydraulic line wet mate (HLWM) connect system with the intelligent completion (IC). This tool allows de-completing the upper completion, which includes an encapsulated (pod) ESP portion, without the need to de-complete the lower intelligent completion. The completion operation of this well consists of two stages: the first stage consists of completing the well with the intelligent completion, HLWM connect tool and a production packer. The second stage is performed by pulling the production packer by disconnecting at the HLWM point and consequently running the ESP completion while maintaining the integrity of the lower intelligent well completion in place. The completion operation in Well-A was run in two stages only to trial test the reliability of the HLWM connect system in this field, since it was utilized for the first time. In subsequent wells, the intelligent completion can be run in one stage with the ESP integrated as part of the final completion design. A production optimization sequence utilizing a simulation model was used to analyze the potential of the well and selecting the right inflow control valve (ICV) settings from the two laterals for optimum reservoir drainage.
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