Multi-Layer Well Drainage Height Evaluation Through Fluid Signatures
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods fail to accurately estimate stimulated and extended drainage heights in wells drilled into multiple formation layers, which are crucial for optimizing well placement and production efficiency in shale and tight asset developments.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for estimating stimulated drainage height in place (SDHIP) and extended drainage height in place (EDHIP) by analyzing samples from different depths before and during production, generating signatures, and using calibration matrices for fluid correlation to determine optimal well placement and completion design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional drainage height estimation methods are used, then the evaluation process is simple, but the measurement precision of stimulated drainage height is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the drainage height estimation into multiple components: pre-production samples from different depths, production samples, signature generation for each sample set, and calibration matrix development. This segmentation allows each component to be analyzed separately and combined to achieve high overall precision without requiring a single complex measurement system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces fluid signatures as an intermediary between the physical production fluids and the drainage height measurement. These signatures (chemical, isotopic, compositional) serve as traceable identifiers that mediate the correlation between produced fluids and their source formation layers, enabling precise drainage height estimation through comparative analysis.
2Measurement precision
If samples are collected only during production, then the collection process is simple, but the measurement precision of fluid correlation is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary sampling before production begins, collecting pre-production samples from multiple depth intervals. This preliminary action establishes a baseline library of formation-specific signatures that can be directly compared against production samples, significantly improving fluid correlation accuracy while minimizing the time needed during actual production monitoring.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds the time dimension to sample collection by gathering samples at three distinct temporal points: pre-production, during production, and potentially post-production. This multi-temporal approach creates a comprehensive signature library that enhances fluid correlation precision beyond what single-time-point sampling could achieve.
3Measurement precision
If calibration matrices are developed for each well, then the measurement precision improves, but the device complexity and processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms complex multi-dimensional fluid composition data into simplified signature parameters that can be systematically organized in calibration matrices. By changing the representation parameters from raw compositional data to derived signature metrics (ratios, fingerprints, characteristic values), the system achieves high precision production allocation while managing computational complexity through parameter transformation.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for estimating a stimulated drainage height in place for a well drilled into multiple formation layers may include analyzing multiple batches of samples to generate associated measurements of parameters associated with a batch of samples, where the samples originate from a known range of depths in the well, and where the samples are collected at a surface outside the well. The method may also include generating a batch of signatures for each batch of samples using the associated measurements. The method may further include comparing the batches of signatures and generating a production allocation and a fluid correlation of the well. The method may also include generating an estimate of the stimulated drainage height in place for the well based on the production allocation and the fluid correlation of the well.