Well Integrity Management via Coupled Engineering Analysis
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Managing well integrity in all phases of development is challenging, particularly for aging wells, due to factors like wellhead movement, annular pressure buildup, corrosion, and erosion, which can lead to costly maintenance and incidents if not addressed proactively.
Innovation Solution
A coupled engineering analysis is employed using real-time monitoring data to calculate safety factors for various well integrity parameters, comparing them to threshold limits, and integrating this data into drilling, completion, and production operations to prevent incidents and extend well life.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If continuous real-time monitoring and coupled engineering analysis are implemented, then well integrity management and risk identification are improved, but system complexity and operational costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The monitoring system is segmented into multiple independent analysis modules: drilling engineering analysis, completion engineering analysis, and production engineering analysis. Each module processes specific parameters (temperature, pressure, corrosion, erosion) independently, allowing the complex system to be managed through modular components rather than a monolithic system.
Solution Approach 2:
The coupled engineering analysis system performs multiple functions through a unified platform: it conducts drilling, completion, and production analyses; monitors temperature, pressure, corrosion, and erosion; and calculates safety factors for various well integrity parameters. This multi-functional approach reduces overall system complexity by consolidating diverse monitoring needs into a single integrated system.
2Reliability
If comprehensive engineering analysis is performed during all phases, then well integrity and safety are improved, but time and computational resources are consumed
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary engineering analysis during drilling operations, completion operations, and production operations phases. By conducting analyses in advance and continuously throughout the well lifecycle rather than reactively after issues arise, the system prevents time loss associated with emergency assessments and enables proactive decision-making.
Solution Approach 2:
The coupled engineering analysis operates continuously across all operational phases (drilling, completion, production) without interruption. Real-time monitoring of temperature, pressure, corrosion, and erosion parameters ensures uninterrupted analysis, eliminating gaps where integrity issues could develop undetected, thereby maintaining constant protective action.
3Reliability
If real-time data monitoring and analysis are implemented, then early risk identification is improved, but data processing requirements and computational resources increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts and isolates specific critical parameters (temperature, pressure, corrosion rates, erosion velocities) from the vast stream of real-time well data. By focusing computational resources on analyzing only these key integrity-related parameters rather than processing all available data, the system reduces computational energy requirements while maintaining effective risk identification.
Solution Approach 2:
The engineering analysis applies different computational methods and precision levels to different parameters based on their criticality. For example, corrosion and erosion analyses use specialized models appropriate to each phenomenon, rather than applying uniform high-computation methods to all data. This localized approach optimizes computational energy usage by matching processing intensity to parameter importance.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for well integrity management in all phases of development using a coupled engineering analysis to calculate a safety factor, based on actual and/or average values of various well integrity parameters from continuous real-time monitoring, which is compared to a respective threshold limit.