Flow Balancing for Multilateral Wells Using Network Optimization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current well completion technologies face challenges in optimizing the flow rate and pressure balancing across downhole flow control valves in multilateral wells, leading to inefficiencies in hydrocarbon production and potential issues like water breakthrough and gas production imbalances.
Innovation Solution
The method involves generating transformed well performance curves for each downhole flow control valve, performing network optimization analysis to determine optimal choke positions, and using network modeling to adjust pressures, ensuring that pressures across valves are within a threshold difference, thereby optimizing flow rates and balancing fluid production.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional well completion technologies are used, then installation is simpler, but flow rate optimization and pressure balancing across downhole flow control valves are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary network optimization analysis to determine optimal choke positions for each downhole flow control valve before actual field operation. Transformed well performance curves are generated in advance, and the optimization analysis is conducted to establish initial choke positions that balance flow rates and pressures across all valves, preventing water breakthrough and gas production imbalances before they occur.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs network modeling of the well based on determined choke positions to obtain second downhole flow control valve pressures. It then compares these modeled pressures against the first pressures used in the optimization analysis, and adjusts choke positions iteratively until the pressures are within a threshold difference, ensuring balanced flow rates across all valves through continuous feedback control.
2Reliability
If choke positions are not optimized, then operation is simpler, but flow rates are unbalanced and water breakthrough occurs earlier
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables the well to self-regulate flow rates across different valves by automatically determining optimal choke positions through network optimization analysis. The transformed well performance curves and optimization algorithm allow the system to self-adjust to balanced flow conditions without requiring continuous manual intervention, while the automated feedback mechanism maintains flow balance stability over time.
3Productivity
If pressures are not balanced across valves, then setup is easier, but oscillatory behavior increases and production efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary network optimization analysis using transformed well performance curves to determine choke positions that will balance pressures across all downhole flow control valves before field operation begins. This preliminary action establishes optimal pressure balance conditions, preventing oscillatory behavior and maximizing production efficiency from the start of operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs network modeling to obtain second downhole flow control valve pressures and compares them against the first pressures used in optimization. By iteratively adjusting choke positions based on this feedback until pressures are within a threshold difference, the system maintains stable pressure balance across all valves, eliminating oscillatory behavior and ensuring consistent production efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
Flow balancing includes selecting, for each down hole flow control valve of a well, a transformed well performance curve corresponding to a first down hole flow control valve pressure to obtain transformed well performance curves. The well includes a lateral including the down hole flow control valves. Using a constraint set that includes a balancing condition for the lateral, a network optimization analysis is performed on the transformed well performance curves to generate a set of choke positions corresponding to each down hole flow control valve. Network modeling of the well is performed based on the set of choke positions to obtain a second down hole flow control valve pressure for each down hole flow control valve. Using the set of choke positions, a field operation is performed for the well based on the second down hole flow control valve pressure being within a threshold difference of the first down hole flow control valve pressure for each down hole flow control valve.