Back-Allocation of Oil Production Rates in Waterflooded Reservoirs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for dynamically allocating injection rates in oil fields are inaccurate, time-consuming, and fail to account for uncertainty, particularly in determining oil and water production rates at different reservoir layers, which is essential for reservoir management and regulatory compliance.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method that allocates injected fluid into oil-bearing geological layers using an ensemble-based approach to balance mass, tuning the Buckley-Leverett model parameters for two-phase flow in porous media, allowing for continuous, real-time dynamic injection and production allocation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual methods are used for production allocation, then the process is simple to implement, but it is very time consuming and inaccurate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical allocation methods with an automated computer-implemented system that uses algorithms and software to perform production allocation calculations, thereby eliminating the time-consuming and inaccurate manual processes while maintaining simplicity through automated workflows
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service allocation by automatically calculating and distributing production rates among layers without requiring manual intervention, allowing the system to serve itself through automated data processing and allocation algorithms that continuously update allocations based on current well performance
2Measurement precision
If simple geometric patterns are used for injection allocation, then the method is easy to implement, but it is inaccurate and does not fit historical data well
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the allocation approach by changing from fixed geometric patterns to dynamic parameter-based allocation that adjusts injection rates based on actual well performance data, reservoir properties, and historical trends, thereby improving accuracy without requiring complex streamline simulators
Solution Approach 2:
The system automatically adjusts injection allocations based on real-time data and historical performance without requiring complex manual calibration or fitting to historical data, as the algorithms self-adjust based on observed well responses and reservoir behavior
3Measurement precision
If streamline simulators are used for injection allocation, then the method can fit historical data, but it is difficult to implement and time consuming to build
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential functionality needed for historical data fitting from complex streamline simulators, implementing only the necessary calculation components through simplified algorithms that achieve adequate fitting without the full complexity of traditional streamline simulation systems
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces complex streamline simulator mechanics with automated computer-based algorithms that perform allocation calculations using reduced-complexity models, thereby achieving historical data fitting capability without the computational burden and implementation difficulty of full streamline simulators
4Reliability
If deterministic methods are used for allocation, then the calculations are straightforward, but they do not account for uncertainty
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes from deterministic fixed-parameter methods to probabilistic methods that incorporate uncertainty through probability distributions and statistical analysis, allowing the system to account for variability in reservoir properties, well performance, and future conditions while maintaining computational tractability
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method provides accurate, continuous, and unbiased allocation of injection and production rates at the layer level, improving compliance with regulatory mandates, reserves estimation, and waterflood performance, while optimizing oilfield operations.
Implementation Method 1
tuning the Buckley-Leverett model parameters for two-phase flow in porous media
Implementation Method 2
two-phase flow in porous media
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, methods, and computer-readable media for determining the production rate of oil produced from each of a plurality of oil-bearing geological layers in an oil field. In some embodiments, the method comprises allocating injected fluid into each layer of a plurality of oil-bearing geological layers to a plurality of paths from injection sites of injection wells to production wells in each layer by balancing the mass of fluid injected into and the total fluid recovered from each oil-bearing geological layer. In some embodiments, the method comprises calculating estimated geological properties for each path in the plurality of paths to match total oil and injection fluid recovered at each production well in the plurality of production wells. In some embodiments, the method comprises using the estimated geological properties, calculating an oil production rate for each path between an injector well and a production well in a geological layer.