Multilateral Well Flow Estimation in High Gas-Oil-Ratio Production
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Solution Overview
Problem
Accurately estimating fluid production rates from multilateral wells, particularly in high gas-oil-ratio environments, is challenging due to reservoir heterogeneity and the need for real-time, continuous monitoring without relying on surface flow meters or complex geological data.
Innovation Solution
A system that models fluid flow through a multilateral well using nodal analysis, generates sensitivity cases, and implements optimization techniques to estimate fluid production rates based on pressure data, allowing real-time estimation without rerouting fluids through measurement devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional measurement devices are used to measure fluid production rates, then measurement accuracy can be achieved, but device complexity and operational complexity increase due to the need to re-route fluids through measurement devices
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical measurement devices that require physical re-routing of fluids with a computational model based on nodal analysis. The system uses pressure data combined with a calibrated physical model of fluid flow through the multilateral well to calculate production rates, eliminating the need for complex mechanical measurement infrastructure while maintaining measurement accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces pressure data as an intermediary parameter to indirectly determine fluid production rates. Instead of directly measuring flow rates through complex devices, the system uses pressure measurements combined with a calibrated physical model to compute production rates, simplifying the measurement process while maintaining accuracy.
2Productivity
If real-time pressure data is used to estimate fluid production rates, then productivity and real-time monitoring are improved, but measurement precision may be compromised due to the complexity of high gas-oil-ratio environments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the measurement approach by changing from direct flow rate measurement to pressure-based estimation. The system uses real-time pressure data combined with a calibrated physical model that accounts for high gas-oil-ratio conditions, enabling real-time production rate estimation while maintaining precision through the calibrated model relationships.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a virtual copy of the physical well system through a calibrated physical model. This digital replica allows real-time simulation of fluid flow behavior based on pressure data, enabling accurate production rate estimation without physically altering the well or requiring complex measurement devices.
3Measurement precision
If complex geological data is used to model reservoir conditions, then measurement precision and production rate estimation accuracy improve, but device complexity and data processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and isolates the essential calibrated physical model relationships from complex geological data. By using a calibrated model that captures the key physical behavior of fluid flow in high gas-oil-ratio environments, the system achieves accurate production rate estimation without requiring processing of all available complex geological data, thereby reducing data processing complexity while maintaining precision.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for determining fluid production rates in a high gas-oil-ratio environment from a multilateral well that includes receiving pressure and flow rate data from the multilateral well at multiple choke valve settings. The multilateral well produces multiple fluids from a reservoir. The method includes determining a calibrated inflow performance relationship and a calibrated vertical lift performance relationship. For each sensitivity case of multiple sensitivity cases, the method includes determining a simulated operating point based on the calibrated relationships and the sensitivity case. The method includes measuring, during fluid production, a flowing bottom hole pressure, a surface pressure, and a reservoir pressure. The method includes predicting flow rates of at least one fluid produced by the multilateral well based on an output of an optimizer and modifying, based on the predicted flow rates, one or more properties of the multilateral well to optimize a respective fluid production rate.