US 10,519,768 B2Granted

Systems and methods for operating hydrocarbon wells to inhibit breakthrough based on reservoir saturation

AssigneeSaudi Arabian Oil Company

InventorSuleiman Altaheini

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Abstract

Provided are embodiments that include determining cellular volumes having a saturation value for a given time that is above a threshold saturation value and having a location within a threshold distance of a perforation location of a production well, determining a nearest cell distance defined by a minimum distance between the perforation location and locations of the determined cellular volumes, determining an operating bottom-hole pressure (BHP) and a surface well pressure (SWP) for the well for the given time, determining a minimum operating BHP for the well for the given time according to a specified relationship of the operating BHP, the SWP, the threshold saturation value, the threshold distance, and the nearest cell distance, and operating the well at a production rate to maintain a BHP of the well at or above the minimum operating BHP for a time period associated with the given time.

Claims22

Dependent claims

A method for operating a hydrocarbon production well comprising:

determining whether any cellular volumes of a plurality of cellular volumes surrounding a wellbore of a hydrocarbon production well has a saturation value for a given time that is above a threshold saturation value and has a location that is within a threshold distance of a perforation location, the perforation location defined by a location of perforations in the wellbore of the hydrocarbon production well;
and
in response to determining that at least one of the cellular volumes of the plurality of cellular volumes has a saturation value for the given time that is above the threshold saturation value and has a location that is within the threshold distance of the perforation location:
determining a nearest cell distance defined by a minimum distance between the perforation location and locations of the at least one of the cellular volumes having a saturation value that is above the threshold saturation value and having a location that is within the threshold distance of the perforation location;
determining operating conditions for the production well for the given time, the operating conditions comprising:
an operating bottom-hole pressure (BHP) for the production well for the given time;
and
a surface well pressure (SWP) for the production well for the given time;
determining a minimum operating BHP (BHPn+1min) for the given time according to the following relationship:
BHPn+1min=BHPn+(SWPn−BHPn)*ST*(1− DNC/DT),
wherein BHPn is the operating BHP for the production well for the given time,
SWPn is the SWP for the production well for the given time,
ST is the threshold saturation value,
DT is the threshold distance, and
DNC is the nearest cell distance;
and
operating the hydrocarbon production well at a production rate to maintain a BHP of the production well at or above the minimum operating BHP for a time period associated with the given time.

14 more elements

A hydrocarbon production well system, comprising:

a well production system configured to regulate a production rate of a hydrocarbon production well;
and
a well control system configured to perform the following operations:
determine whether any cellular volumes of a plurality of cellular volumes surrounding a wellbore of the hydrocarbon production well has a saturation value for a given time that is above a threshold saturation value and has a location that is within a threshold distance of a perforation location, the perforation location defined by a location of perforations in the wellbore of the hydrocarbon production well;
and
in response to determining that at least one of the cellular volumes of the plurality of cellular volumes has a saturation value for the given time that is above the threshold saturation value and has a location that is within the threshold distance of the perforation location:
determine a nearest cell distance defined by a minimum distance between the perforation location and locations of the at least one of the cellular volumes having a saturation value that is above the threshold saturation value and having a location that is within the threshold distance of the perforation location;
determine operating conditions for the production well for the given time, the operating conditions comprising:
an operating bottom-hole pressure (BHP) for the production well for the given time;
and
a surface well pressure (SWP) for the production well for the given time;
determine a minimum operating BHP (BHPminn+1) for the given time according to the following relationship:
BHP
min
n
+
1
=
BHP
n
+
(
SWP
n
-
BHP
n
)
*
S
T
*
(
1
-
D
NC
D
T
)
,
wherein BHPn is the operating BHP for the production well for the given time,
SWPn is the SWP for the production well for the given time,
ST is the threshold saturation value,
DT is the threshold distance, and
DNC is the nearest cell distance;
and
control operation of the well production system to operate the hydrocarbon production well at a production rate to maintain a BHP of the production well at or above the minimum operating BHP for a time period associated with the given time.

45 more elements

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising program instructions stored thereon that are executable by a processor to perform the following operations:

determining whether any cellular volumes of a plurality of cellular volumes surrounding a wellbore of a hydrocarbon production well has a saturation value for a given time that is above a threshold saturation value and has a location that is within a threshold distance of a perforation location, the perforation location defined by a location of perforations in the wellbore of the hydrocarbon production well;
and
in response to determining that at least one of the cellular volumes of the plurality of cellular volumes has a saturation value for the given time that is above the threshold saturation value and has a location that is within the threshold distance of the perforation location:
determining a nearest cell distance defined by a minimum distance between the perforation location and locations of the at least one of the cellular volumes having a saturation value that is above the threshold saturation value and having a location that is within the threshold distance of the perforation location;
determining operating conditions for the production well for the given time, the operating conditions comprising:
an operating bottom-hole pressure (BHP) for the production well for the given time;
and
a surface well pressure (SWP) for the production well for the given time;
determining a minimum operating BHP (BHPminn+1) for the given time according to the following relationship:
BHP
min
n
+
1
=
BHP
n
+
(
SWP
n
-
BHP
n
)
*
S
T
*
(
1
-
D
NC
D
T
)
,
wherein BHPn is the operating BHP for the production well for the given time,
SWPn is the SWP for the production well for the given time,
ST is the threshold saturation value,
DT is the threshold distance, and
DNC is the nearest cell distance;
and
operating the hydrocarbon production well at a production rate to maintain a BHP of the production well at or above the minimum operating BHP for a time period associated with the given time.

42 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/901,356Filed 21 Feb 2018
Published: US 2019/0257195 A122 Aug 2019
Granted: 31 Dec 2019
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification7 codes

E21B 49/00
Testing the nature of borehole walls
E21B 34/06
Valve arrangements for boreholes or wells: in wells
E21B 43/12
Methods or apparatus for obtaining oil, gas, water, soluble or meltable materials or a slurry of minerals from wells: methods or apparatus for…
E21B 47/06
Survey of boreholes or wells: measuring temperature or pressure