Test Separator Flow Reconciliation for Multi-Well Hydrocarbon Rates
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for estimating hydrocarbon flow rates in production wells are inaccurate due to reliance on thermodynamic models, metric counters with erroneous calibration parameters, and test separators that provide distant or unreliable results, especially when multiple wells are tested simultaneously.
Innovation Solution
A method that involves data reconciliation and validation using estimates from devices in each well and a test separator, where data from metric counters, chokes, inflow modules, and pipes are reconciled to provide accurate and precise flow rate estimates by minimizing differences weighted by uncertainty, and iteratively refining estimates until a predetermined threshold is met.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If thermodynamic models with multiple devices are used to estimate flow rate, then flow rate estimation is provided, but the estimate is not close enough to the actual flow rate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines data from multiple sources including metric counters in individual wells, test separator measurements, and production data into a unified reconciliation process. This integration of multiple measurement systems allows the system to cross-validate and refine flow rate estimates, achieving higher accuracy than any single device could provide alone.
Solution Approach 2:
The reconciliation process uses feedback from the constraint that the sum of individual well flow rates must equal the cumulative flow rate from the test separator. This feedback mechanism allows the system to iteratively adjust individual well estimates to ensure consistency with overall production measurements, improving the reliability of each individual estimate.
2Ease of operation
If metric counters with calibration parameters are used, then flow rate estimate is provided, but the estimate may be too far removed from reality due to erroneous calibration parameters
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts calibration parameters during the reconciliation process based on actual production data and test separator measurements. Rather than relying on fixed, potentially erroneous calibration parameters, the system optimizes these parameters to match observed production patterns, thereby improving measurement accuracy while maintaining ease of operation.
3Productivity
If test separator is used to test multiple wells simultaneously, then operational and economic losses are reduced, but the flow rate information by well is not obtained accurately
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the cumulative flow rate measurement from the test separator into individual well contributions through the reconciliation process. By dividing the overall production data among individual wells based on their respective metric counter readings and production characteristics, the system recovers accurate well-specific flow rates while maintaining the efficiency benefit of simultaneous multi-well testing.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from a single-dimensional cumulative measurement approach to a multi-dimensional analysis that considers individual well metrics, test separator data, production rates, and calibration parameters simultaneously. This dimensional expansion allows the system to extract detailed well-specific information from aggregate measurements without requiring separate testing of each well.
4Measurement precision
If data reconciliation is performed to ensure equality between individual and cumulative flow rates, then flow rate estimation accuracy is improved, but computational complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The reconciliation process transforms the complex multi-parameter estimation problem into a more manageable form by changing the parameters to be optimized. The system reformulates the problem in terms of flow rate allocations that must satisfy the cumulative constraint, reducing the dimensionality of the optimization space and simplifying the computational requirements while maintaining accuracy.
Data Source
AI summary
An improved solution for estimating the flow rate of a fluid in the wells of a hydrocarbon production installation, during production. A hydrocarbon production installation can include at least two production wells, each production well including at least one device adapted for providing an estimate of the flow rate of a fluid in the well based on respective data, the wells being connected to a test separator adapted for providing an estimate of the cumulative flow rate of the fluid for all of the wells based on respective data. Further, during production, a data reconciliation and validation process can involve the data relative to the devices and the test separator.