Abstract

For the first time, one Russian oil company was empowered to change the standard approach to well production optimization by using a new generation of intelligent completion technology—the all-electrical system with fine inflow control and downhole flow characteristics measurements that were previously unavailable in real time. The experience of optimization approach, which is unique for both the Russian and the world oil industry, is described in this article.

The standard approach to well optimization was time consuming and, in some cases, associated with comprehensive testing and well interventions. The new approach allows testing and optimization of wells in real time within shortest period with no production logging, well shutoffs, and production loss, and allows to obtain phase rates and fractional composition of the flow for each well interval.

The described technique was consistently introduced and improved by cross-segment specialists from production and science departments. Accumulated real-time data and special downhole testing made it possible to obtain a unique knowledge about zonal flow behavior during various stages of well operations stable work, well testing, buildups, shutoffs, well starts, cleanups, and optimizations.

The new technique at this stage allows to

• optimize well cleanup
• introduce a new well testing procedure with minimum production
• minimize interventions
• reduce the time for full well optimization cycle to 2 days
• introduce a procedure for well shut-in preparation for wells with high GOR and water cuts
• minimize the cost and risks associated with interventions, zonal testing, and optimizations.

The background for the described technique introduction are innovative scientific research and experiments with the aim of obtaining fractional composition and phase rates in real time with a minimum set of downhole sensors. The article describes the theoretical foundations of the approach, innovative areas of research, and methodology for improving the models and applied correlations.

Scientific solutions coupled with implementation of advanced completion technologies, machine learning methods, as well as depth of field experience have improved the approach to solving well optimization challenges of wells in the North Caspian field. The experience gained from the first three wells was used to expand the technological and interpretation capabilities of the described solutions.

One of the key advantages of the proposed optimization methodology applied on wells with presented technological equipment is simplicity and elegance of approach. The total number of downhole valve position changes during various operations for three wells exceeded 1,500 within less than 1 year of operation time.

To the moment, the methodology, the experience gained, and the results of the approach implementation are unique for the oil industry. The presented technologies and digital solutions make it possible to improve well management strategy significantly and, of course, will be interesting to engineers of field management department.