Automated Compartment Design for Horizontal Oil Wells
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Solution Overview
Problem
The traditional approach to designing inflow control devices (ICD) for horizontal oil wells is subjective and labor-intensive, requiring manual interpretation of permeability logs to create compartment intervals, which is inefficient and not scalable for hundreds of wells with varying reservoir permeability.
Innovation Solution
A system and method using statistical classification and pattern recognition that performs log transformations, calculates mean and standard deviation, generates classification flags, and transforms noise based on a predefined pattern library to automatically design compartment intervals along the well trajectory, reducing human intervention and standardizing the process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If manual visual analysis of permeability logs is used to identify packer placement locations, then compartment design can be customized for each well, but the process becomes subjective and extremely tedious when hundreds of wells are involved
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the manual mechanical process of visual log analysis with an automated computer-based system that uses signal processing algorithms. The system automatically processes permeability logs, performs log transformations, calculates statistical parameters (mean and standard deviation), generates classification flags, and identifies compartment intervals without human intervention, thereby eliminating the time-consuming nature of manual analysis while maintaining customized design capability
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables the permeability log data to 'serve itself' by automatically generating compartment design recommendations through built-in algorithms. The computational system processes the input logs and produces output designs autonomously, removing the need for engineer interpretation and making the process scalable to hundreds of wells
2Reliability
If manual interpretation of permeability logs is used, then engineer judgment can be applied, but the process is subjective and not scalable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces subjective human judgment with objective computational algorithms that consistently apply the same processing rules to all wells. The system performs deterministic operations including log transformation, statistical calculation, and pattern recognition that eliminate variability between different engineers' interpretations, ensuring reliable and consistent results across all wells
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a universal processing framework that can handle any permeability log with the same algorithmic approach. The standardized workflow accepts various input logs and produces comparable output designs, making the process universally applicable and scalable to any number of wells without requiring additional human resources
3Reliability
If custom compartment design is created for each well, then effective inflow equalization can be achieved, but the labor-intensive process cannot be scaled to field development plans involving hundreds of wells
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex manual operations with automated computational processing. The system handles all steps from log transformation to compartment identification through algorithmic operations, making the process as simple as inputting log data and retrieving design recommendations, thereby achieving both effectiveness and operational simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
The system extracts the essential design logic from manual engineering judgment and encapsulates it in computational algorithms. By separating the decision-making logic from human operators and embedding it in the software, the system maintains the effectiveness of customized design while removing the operational complexity and labor intensity
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for application of statistical classification and pattern recognition for compartment design in horizontal oil wells. One embodiment includes a drill for drilling a target well and a computing device that includes a memory component that stores logic that causes the computing device to receive an input parameter for the target well, perform a log transformation on the permeability log to create transformed data, and calculate a mean and a standard deviation of the transformed data. Some embodiments generate a classification flag that classifies the permeability log, based on the standard deviation, classify noise from the permeability log, and transform the noise based on a predefined pattern library. Some embodiments create a final transformed signal from the classification flag and the noise and generate a compartment design from the final transformed signal that provides recommended compartment intervals versus measured depth of the target well.