Optimization of production with ICV by using temperature data feedback in horizontal wells Conference Paper uri icon

abstract

  • Horizontal wells with intelligent completion have been widely used in the field today. With inflow control valves (ICVs) production can be optimized either on individual well or at large reservoir scale. A critical step in this procedure is to understand the inflow profiles along horizontal wellbores. To develop control and optimization strategies, permanent monitoring systems such as pressure gauges and temperature sensors have been deployed with downhole control valves to provide temperature or pressure data at real time, and to translate downhole flow conditions from these data. The relationships between temperature and inflow distribution have been developed before in intelligent well models, and these models are very useful in locating water or gas entries, and obtaining better production performances. In this work we present a new idea of using temperature feedback to directly regulate flow control valves to achieve an approximate uniform flow distribution. Instead of detecting water or gas flow in a well with different thermal properties of fluids, we aim at regulating flow distributions by monitored temperature behavior to achieve optimal flow conditions. Early-time temperature and pressure data are used to estimate permeability and initial flow profiles along the well, then developed models are applied to generate a desired temperature profile that yields an evenly-distributed flow rate along the wellbore. ICVs are operated based on the interpretation from the initial temperature data, and temperature are monitored as it approaches the desired temperature profile. By this procedure, we will be able to produce a well at an optimal condition by choking down the flow rate at higher-permeability locations along the well and therefore to increase oil flow rate and delay early water breakthrough. This paper explains the details of the procedure. Two examples are used to illustrate the application of the method; one is for a water-drive reservoir, the other is for a water-injection case. The results show significant improvement in well performance in both examples. Copyright 2010, Society of Petroleum Engineers.

author list (cited authors)

  • Li, Z., & Zhu, D.

complete list of authors

  • Li, Z||Zhu, D

publication date

  • December 2010