Tracer Tracking for Injection Well Flow Control Optimization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Determining desired aperture settings for injection flow control devices in oilfields is complicated due to subsurface geological variability and the computational expense of simulating multiple realizations, especially when dealing with multiple injection and producer wells.
Innovation Solution
The use of numerical tracers to track fluid flow and calculate volume fractions, which are then used to solve an optimization problem to obtain flow control device parameters, allowing for the adjustment of aperture settings in a computationally efficient manner.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If multiple realizations are simulated to determine aperture settings for injection flow control devices, then the accuracy of determining desired aperture settings is improved, but the computational time and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-calculating and storing connectivity information between injection and producer wells before actual production operations. The system performs reservoir modeling and tracer simulation in advance to establish well connectivity matrices and volume fractions, which are then reused during production to rapidly determine aperture settings without repeating full simulations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses copying by creating simplified representations of the reservoir system through numerical tracers that track fluid flow paths. Instead of simulating full complex reservoir models repeatedly, the system copies essential connectivity information into pre-computed matrices and volume fractions that can be quickly queried and applied during production operations.
2Reliability
If comprehensive reservoir modeling is performed to account for subsurface geological variability, then the reliability of flow control device control is improved, but the device complexity and computational burden increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the reservoir into discrete grid blocks and representing fluid flow through interconnected zones between injection and producer wells. The system segments the complex reservoir modeling into manageable connectivity matrices and volume fraction calculations, allowing reliable geological variability accounting through modular, computationally efficient representations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses parameter changes by transforming complex reservoir modeling results into simplified parameters such as volume fractions and connectivity coefficients. These transformed parameters capture the essential effects of subsurface geological variability while enabling much faster computation during production operations, thus maintaining reliability with reduced complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
Tracer tracking for control of flow control devices on injection wells includes at least one computer processor executing a reservoir model using numerical tracers to obtain output values for at least one producer well. The numerical tracers are assigned to at least one corresponding injection flow control device in multiple injection flow control devices of an injection well. From the output values at the producer well, a set of volume fraction is calculated for the injection flow control devices. The at least one computer processor solves, using the set of volume fractions, an optimization problem to obtain a flow control device parameter, and stores the flow control device parameter in storage.