Mote-Based Mapping of CHOPS Wormhole Networks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Diagnosing reduced oil production in CHOPS wells is challenging due to inaccessibility and incomplete, inaccurate diagnostic data, leading to potential counter-productive workover strategies that can render wells non-productive.
Innovation Solution
A method for mapping three-dimensional structures, such as wormhole networks, using motes that travel through the reservoir, obtaining sensor values, and determining a goodness of fit between candidate maps and actual structures through simulated time series comparisons, allowing for informed workover decisions and potential enhancement of oil production.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If in-fill wells are placed to increase oil production, then productivity may improve, but if they intersect wormhole networks, then reliability deteriorates due to pressure loss and watering out
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by mapping the wormhole network structure before placing in-fill wells. Motes are injected into the reservoir to trace and map the three-dimensional wormhole channels formed during CHOPS operation. This advance mapping allows operators to identify safe locations for in-fill well placement that avoid intersecting existing wormholes, thereby preventing pressure loss and watering out while still achieving enhanced oil recovery
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses motes as intermediaries to indirectly map the wormhole network. These small devices are injected into the reservoir and travel through the wormhole channels, collecting data on the structure and flow paths. The motes serve as mediators between the operators and the inaccessible wormhole network, providing crucial information about channel locations and configurations without directly interfering with the reservoir's production
2Loss of information
If diagnostic data is collected from CHOPS wells to understand production issues, then information quality may improve, but due to inaccessibility, measurement precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical diagnostic methods (such as well testing and pressure measurements taken at the surface) with a distributed sensing system using motes. These motes are injected into the reservoir and autonomously collect data directly within the wormhole network, eliminating the need for indirect mechanical measurements. This substitution enables precise measurement of flow conditions, pressure gradients, and channel characteristics throughout the three-dimensional structure
Solution Approach 2:
The motes serve as intermediaries that directly access and measure conditions within the inaccessible wormhole network. By traveling through the channels and collecting data in-situ, they provide direct measurements of flow rates, pressure, and channel geometry, eliminating the information loss and imprecision associated with remote diagnostic methods
Data Source
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AI summary
A method for mapping a three-dimensional structure and obtaining information on the condition of said structure. The method comprising injecting a plurality of motes into the structure causing the plurality of motes to travel through the one or more channels, the motes comprising a sensor and a storage, the motes being arranged designed to obtain a sensor-value measured by the sensor and to store the sensor-value in the storage, thus obtaining a time series of measured sensor-values in the storage, retrieving at least part of the plurality of motes from the structure, obtaining from said retrieved motes the time series of measured sensor-values stored in the retrieved motes, thus obtaining a set of measured time series, determining the structure or the condition by comparing the set of measured time series with a simulation.