Case Studies for Improving Completion Design Through Comprehensive Well-Performance Modeling

Ouyang, Liang-Biao; Huang, Wenrui

doi:10.2118/104078-ms

Cited by 5 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 16 publications

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“…This section explains some of the key complexities inherent in physical completions (Ouyang and Huang 2006) that made it challenging to define the Completion data-object and how these challenges were addressed. The next section gives an overview of the Completion data-object schema.…”

Section: Addressing the Inherent Complexities Of Completion Design Inmentioning

confidence: 99%

A New WITSML/PRODML Data-Object to Handle Completions and Well Services for the Life of a Well

et al. 2014

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The new Completion data-object is an XML specification for describing a well completion throughout its life. It is part of the WITSML and PRODML industry data-exchange standards. Using the object, well completion data can be accurately, reliably, and consistently exchanged between the many software applications used to plan, manage, and record work on a completion over a well's life. This paper describes the business case and value of the Completion data-object, explains the solution, and presents details and examples about how it can be used and implemented.Over a well's life, the completion configuration is typically changed many times. This work involves changes in operational "ownership" between different companies (e.g., operator and service companies) and different departments (e.g., drilling and completions, production operations, and workover teams). For safer and efficient operations, it is vital that the team taking over knows the current completion configuration. Drilling and operations organizations use different software systems from different vendors. The transfer of completions data between these systems can be a very manual process, involving reformatting or even re-entering all data into the new system-which is inefficient and introduces opportunities for errors, jeopardizing safety and schedules.The use cases addressed by the new Completion data-object support specific workflows and requirements, including: "Snap Shot" of a completion at any instant, supporting "what is the current status?"; "Change Log" representing events and changes to a completion between one time and another, supporting "what has changed?"; and "Cumulative History" for all data over the completion's life for synchronization of databases, supporting "give me all the information".Thus the business drivers for using this data-object include: improving safety, efficiency, data consistency, accuracy, and quality; eliminating multiple data entries; giving faster access to the required data; and reducing reliance on paper well files and spreadsheets. IntroductionThis paper describes the "who, what, when, why, and how" of the Completion data-object specification, version 1, which was published for industry use in August 2013.This introduction lays out the real-world challenges and business case that drove a major operator to initiate the project to develop the Completion data-object specification; describes the relevant background and process for performing the work; and outlines the data-object and the use cases it supports. Subsequent sections describe: inherent challenges in completion design and in developing an accurate yet flexible and usable data model; how the current solution addresses these challenges; an overview of the Completion data-object schema; the results and benefits of its use; next steps, including implementation by the industry and future developments; and conclusions.

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Section: Addressing the Inherent Complexities Of Completion Design Inmentioning

confidence: 99%

A New WITSML/PRODML Data-Object to Handle Completions and Well Services for the Life of a Well

et al. 2014

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Coupled Well and Reservoir Simulation Models to Optimize Completion Design and Operations for Subsurface Control

Wan

Dale

Ellison

et al. 2008

Europec/Eage Conference and Exhibition

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Ensuring long-term optimum completion performance is important for the economic development of any field. As fields are now developed with fewer wells and in more technically challenging environment, new technologies are required to provide guidance and quantify the impact of completion design. This paper presents a new methodology in coupling ExxonMobil's reservoir simulator and a detailed well hydraulics simulator that simulates reservoir, wellbore tubing and wellbore annulus flow simultaneously. Case studies indicate that unique completions opportunities in optimizing completions options, especially inflow control devices, are captured by using the modeling capabilities Completion strategies frequently include provisions tomaintain a uniform production profile along the wellbore,manage future risks (early water or gas breakthrough) and mitigate the potential for sand production, andimprove reservoir recovery. Completion options include open hole, cased hole, inflow regulation devices (inflow/flow control devices and inflow valves), sand screens, or pre-drilled liners. Different from nodal based wellbore simulation in a conventional reservoir simulator, the proposed coupled well and reservoir simulation provides not only detailed information on the tubing and annulus flow and associated pressure drops in and throughout all completion types, but also the impact of completions on short and long term reservoir flow and recovery. Studies have shown the importance in utilizing the coupled model in both history matching and model prediction when advanced completions are applied. The significance of this new coupled approach is its ability to capture both flow dynamics through various completion options and reservoir performance Introduction In the past, top performing fields produced thousands of barrels a day from each of dozen of wells with completions lengths spanning tens to hundreds of feet. Today, we are using far fewer wells, each producing tens-of-thousands of barrels a day, from much longer and more complex completions often spanning thousands of feet, and all of this in more technically challenging environments. Obtaining superior well performance requires both a better understanding of the physics that controls well production as well as new technologies that take advantage of physics-based knowledge. ExxonMobil develops unique, physics-based modeling capabilities that can be applied during well planning, design, and production to deliver optimized well performance over a well's life-cycle 1. Well completions are important means to optimize well performance throughout the entire well life, especially for challenging and remote environments. Commonly available completions options include open hole, cased hole perforated, slotted liner, inflow control devices (ICD), perforated liner, wire wrapped screen, gravel pack, frac pack, etc. For example, in ExxonMobil's Sakhalin-1 development, a combination of external isolation packers, inflow control devices, sand screens, and pre-drilled liners were used and the factors that were considered to configure the completions include rock strength, sand particle size, reservoir deliverability, reservoir description, etc.3 The challenging part from a completion design point of view is the understanding well inflow and outflow performance as a result of pressure drops due to multiphase flow in and throughout all completion types. More importantly, how the well inflow and outflow performance change over time. All these are the fundamentals for completion optimization - physics-based completion design, practices, and procedures for optimizing the selection, design, execution, and operations of wells in consideration of lifecycle risks and costs.

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Practical Consideration of an Inflow Control Device Application for Reducing Water Production

Ouyang

2009

All Days

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Inflow control devices, or ICDs, have been developed to improve well performance and enhance reservoir management by mitigating undesired water and/or gas breakthroughs that often occur due to a variety of factors, including: a). reservoir permeability heterogeneity; b). heel-toe effects - significant wellbore pressure drop from toe to heel; c). different reservoir pressure in different regions penetrated by a well. Success of an ICD completion relies heavily on appropriate design of the completion. Several key issues that should be addressed in designing an ICD completion have been identified and their impacts on performance of a well equipped with ICDs will be elaborated through a couple of case studies after a brief introduction of the three major types of inflow control devices (ICD). Practical guidelines for applying an ICD completion for reducing water production will also be shared. Several important observations have been achieved through this study:Appropriate design and planning for an ICD completion requires: a). good knowledge of reservoir and geology, such as permeability, porosity, reservoir pressure, as well as oil/water saturation distribution, etc; b). accurate modeling of the near wellbore fluid flow and flow in the completions; c). reasonable account for the change of reservoir condition over time - possible coupling between completion simulation software with a reservoir simulator is preferred.Zonal isolation plays a critical role in the success of an ICD completion, especially in terms of water production reduction.ICDs have been mainly developed to minimize toe-heel effects and balance inflow. Under certain circumstances, nontrivial water production may be anticipated from a well from day one of the well production. An ICD is not expected to trim much of water production from this type of well since water is already there, unless additional measures are taken to cut down water production.There are potential approaches for minimizing water production in well with ICD completion, such as:Change well trajectory to avoid high water saturation region(s);Apply ICDs with efficient phase filtering capability;Block water production with efficient zonal isolation.A reasonable design of ICD completion may have promising potential to cut water production as long as good zonal isolation across layers and sections exists; however, water production may also be cut with other completion options without ICD under the circumstances.

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Case Studies for Improving Completion Design Through Comprehensive Well-Performance Modeling

Cited by 5 publications

References 16 publications

A New WITSML/PRODML Data-Object to Handle Completions and Well Services for the Life of a Well

A New WITSML/PRODML Data-Object to Handle Completions and Well Services for the Life of a Well

Coupled Well and Reservoir Simulation Models to Optimize Completion Design and Operations for Subsurface Control

Practical Consideration of an Inflow Control Device Application for Reducing Water Production

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