The Evolution of the Role of Openhole Packers in Advanced Horizontal Completions: From Novel Technology to a Critical Key to Success

Gavioli, Paolo; Vicario, Roberto

doi:10.2118/132846-pa

Cited by 17 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…Generally, the higher the number of compartments the more control the completion would have on the flux along the wellbore. It should also be noted that more compartmentalization is needed to control gas compared to water (Gavioli & Vicario, 2012).…”

Section: Figure 12-permeability Distributionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Novel Workflow for the Development of a Flow Control Strategy with Consideration of Reservoir Uncertainties

Gohari

Jutila

Mascagnini

et al. 2015

Day 1 Mon, November 09, 2015

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Flow control along the wellbore is an important factor for a successful field development. Creating a flow control strategy can be especially difficult when a high level of reservoir uncertainty exists.A novel workflow was developed to help determine the flow control / intelligent completion strategy best suited for field development, by taking into account the reservoir uncertainties and control parameters for optimization. The workflow simplifies and reduces cycle time, yet ensures that the inflow control strategy for the field is fit-for-purpose. This novel methodology enables a rapid understanding of the uncertainties and reduces the cycle time of evaluation and high-level screening, and ensures a more responsive decision process to improve production and reduce costs.The described workflow is an optimum approach that is easily applied in an efficient semi-automated manner for any field. This method utilizes steady-state analytical and dynamic reservoir modelling for the determination of geological/subsurface uncertainties and selection of an optimal flow control strategy. Initially a base case model is constructed with the most likely/expected reservoir properties and control parameters. A series of experimental design cases are run, and then an objective function is created, followed by a large number of optimization runs to investigate the potential solution space. The analysis of these cases quantifies the effects of each uncertainty parameter. Using the analysis performed on uncertainty, a number of the scenarios are investigated in detail to study various flow control completions (passive and active) and determine the system that is best suited to achieve the optimum recovery efficiency. A full optimization under uncertainty is conducted so that the flow control settings are optimized against the full probabilistic subsurface uncertainties.

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Section: Figure 12-permeability Distributionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Novel Workflow for the Development of a Flow Control Strategy with Consideration of Reservoir Uncertainties

Gohari

Jutila

Mascagnini

et al. 2015

Day 1 Mon, November 09, 2015

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The industry has used well-centric workflows, which are based on either employing a commercial steady-state wellbore simulator e.g. NETool or evaluation of the static data near the wellbore such as permeability, to design these completions (Hembling et al, 2009, Das et al, 2012, Gavioli and Vicario, 2012, Al-Khelaiwi, 2013, Birchenko et al, 2011. However, they cannot be the best frequently used in such dynamic, flow system since the design which they are suggesting is based on the best performance of the completion at a particular time, often only valid over the short period, as addressed by (Ogunsanwo et al, 2011, Ostrowski et al, 2010, Al-Jasmi et al, 2013, Moradi et al, 2014, Jackson et al, 2013.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Novel Integrated Approach Simultaneously Optimising AFI Locations Plus Number and (A)ICD Sizes

Dowlatabad¹

2015

All Days

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The optimal design of Advanced Well Completions (AWCs) is an important step in field development planning nowadays. However, determination of optimum design of (Autonomous) Inflow Control Devices [(A)ICDs] and their integration with Annular Flow Isolations (AFIs) in an advanced well completed across a heterogeneous reservoir is a challenge which has not been addressed properly yet. Most used, variable strength (A)ICD completion design, workflows by industry are based on trial and error evaluations of a static well-reservoir models. Several researchers also suggested relating the strengths of the devices to near wellbore static reservoir properties such as permeability of the encountering layers. Both of these approaches do not capture the dynamic interactions between the well and constantly changing reservoir conditions. Moreover, neglecting mutual dependency of AFI location and (A)ICD design in the traditionally step-by-step (A)ICD-AFI design workflows, may result in a design delivering low overall productivity throughout the field life.A novel, integrated (A)ICD-AFI completion design workflow is presented in this paper. The workflow simultaneously optimises (A)ICDs strengths and number plus locations of AFIs in the horizontal and/or multilateral wells based on field's production lifetime. The approach includes stochastic optimisation algorithm coupled with a reservoir simulator and an in-house completion design programming code. The code is developed to automatically generate various (A)ICD-AFI completion configurations required to determine the optimum completion design while honouring practical concerns and economics. A novel AFI modelling technique developed allows integration of AFIs in the optimisation process.The application of the new and the traditional workflows are illustrated using heterogeneous reservoir simulation models. A significant improvement in total oil production for the wells, designed by the new workflow, was achieved comparing with the wells designed by the traditional workflows. The study aims to help well engineers in designing optimal advanced well completion delivering maximum possible field's added-value.

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“…d. Installing AFI based on a flow velocity limit in order to minimise annular erosion AFI (Al-Khelaiwi, 2013). e. Installing AFIs at every single joint of ICD (Gavioli and Vicario, 2012). However, the maximum number of AFIs is limited by various practical issues such as AFI type, borehole geometry, completion string length economics and, most importantly, AFI installation risk (Krinis et al, 2008)].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Novel Workflow to Optimise Annular Flow Isolation in Advanced Wells

2014

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Advanced well completion with multiple, downhole flow control devices such as Inflow Control Devices (ICDs), are a proven and effective solution to mitigate water/gas breakthrough and coning problems in horizontal and multilateral wells. An important parameter adversely affectinthe ICD completion's performance is the annular flow. Such annular flow can be minimised or eliminated by segmenting the wellbore into a number of compartments by installing Annular Flow Isolation (AFI). Installation of sufficient AFI at the optimum locations is a key step in achieving the desired well performance. This number of AFI devices is itself constrained by both costs and risks associated with installing the completion string in a long wellbore of complex geometry. Previous AFI design workflows were based on either a single well parameter or a static well-reservoir model that do not consider the total lifetime benefits of the technology. A new AFI design methodology that accounts for the well's lifetime performance has been developed to ensure optimal AFI design in terms of the location and number of AFI installed along the length of the completion.This novel workflow is based on the concept of, to a degree, mimicking the inflow performance of an "ideal" completion (i.e. the completion where AFI is installed between every 12 m completion joint) with a reduced, realistic number of AFIs. The great advantage of this workflow to optimise the AFI design is that it is based on the well's lifetime production performance while at the same time limiting the computation to a single reservoir simulation run for each number of AFIs. The workflow achieves this by ranking the AFI locations based on a criterion related to the annular pressures. A significant recovery increase can be achieved for wells designed with this new workflow when compared to previously proposed AFI design protocols. The learnings from this study can thus be employed by well engineers to optimally design advanced well completions.

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The Evolution of the Role of Openhole Packers in Advanced Horizontal Completions: From Novel Technology to a Critical Key to Success

Cited by 17 publications

References 12 publications

Novel Workflow for the Development of a Flow Control Strategy with Consideration of Reservoir Uncertainties

Novel Workflow for the Development of a Flow Control Strategy with Consideration of Reservoir Uncertainties

Novel Integrated Approach Simultaneously Optimising AFI Locations Plus Number and (A)ICD Sizes

Novel Workflow to Optimise Annular Flow Isolation in Advanced Wells

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