Real-time Wellbore Productivity Evaluation for Lateral Construction Decisions

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Solution Overview

Problem

Poor wellbore hole quality and reservoir quality pose challenges in well construction and production, leading to incomplete well completion, unsatisfactory zone isolation, and inaccurate reservoir evaluation, which can result in reduced hydrocarbon recovery and increased operational costs.

Innovation Solution

A method that determines a well construction plan by evaluating wellbore and reservoir quality using measurements such as hole quality and storage capacity, flow capacity, and reservoir mapping, which includes determining placement locations for packers and inflow control devices, and providing a graphical user interface for visualization and decision-making.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If real-time measurements and reservoir mapping are used to determine well construction plans, then well completion efficiency and production performance are improved, but measurement precision and data processing complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewell completion efficiencyVSAvoidmeasurement precision

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary reservoir mapping and quality assessment during the drilling phase before well completion begins. By pre-determining storage capacity, flow capacity, and optimal placement locations for completion components, the system enables faster completion operations with reduced uncertainty, thus improving completion efficiency while managing measurement requirements

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system continuously receives and processes real-time measurements during drilling, providing feedback on hole quality and reservoir characteristics. This feedback loop allows dynamic adjustment of well construction plans and completion strategies, improving overall efficiency by making informed decisions based on actual measured data rather than pre-drill estimates

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Manufacturing precision

If comprehensive measurements including hole quality and reservoir mapping are performed, then zone isolation accuracy and well construction optimization are improved, but device complexity and operational costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvezone isolation accuracyVSAvoiddevice complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments the wellbore into discrete zones based on measured hole quality and reservoir characteristics. By identifying specific intervals requiring zone isolation and determining optimal packer placement locations, the system achieves accurate zone isolation while managing complexity through targeted rather than comprehensive intervention

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system applies different completion strategies to different zones based on local measurements of hole quality and reservoir properties. Rather than using a uniform approach throughout the well, the system tailors completion components and placement locations to specific zone characteristics, improving isolation accuracy while optimizing resource allocation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Productivity

If real-time well construction planning is implemented using flow capacity and storage capacity data, then production performance and hydrocarbon recovery are improved, but loss of time in data processing and decision-making increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehydrocarbon recoveryVSAvoiddata processing time

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary calculations of storage capacity and flow capacity during the drilling phase using real-time measurements. By pre-determining the well construction plan and optimal completion strategy before completion operations begin, the system enables rapid decision-making without sacrificing recovery optimization

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system replaces traditional mechanical and manual data processing methods with automated computational algorithms that rapidly process measurement data and generate well construction plans. This substitution of automated information processing reduces data analysis time while maintaining or improving the quality of recovery optimization decisions

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS11280164B2Real time productivity evaluation of lateral wells for construction decisions

Publication Date: 2022.03.22 BAKER HUGHES OILFIELD OPERATIONS LLC

AI summary

In an aspect, a method includes receiving data characterizing measurements recorded while drilling a wellbore. The method can also include determining, using the measurements and a reservoir map, a storage capacity of the wellbore and a flow capacity of the wellbore. The method can further include determining a well construction plan using the storage capacity and the flow capacity. The method can also include providing the well construction plan. Related systems, techniques, and non-transitory computer readable mediums are also described.