Optimizing flow control device properties on a producer well in coupled injector-producer liquid flooding systems

A system, comprising:

• at least one processor;
• and
• at least one memory coupled to the at least one processor, the at least one memory storing processor executable instructions, which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform a plurality of operations, including operations for:
• initializing a FCD distribution function to have a uniform FCD distribution profile;
• simulating propagation of a displacement front representing a volume of liquid injected from an injection well into a reservoir area of the formation between the injection well and a production well, based on the initialized FCD distribution function;
• determining a pressure distribution in the reservoir area and a location of the displacement front when it reaches the production well during the simulation;
• determining a reference location along a length of the injection well, based on the pressure distribution and the location of the displacement front, the reference location corresponding to a point along the displacement front where the simulated displacement front propagation is determined to be at a minimum;
• adjusting the FCD distribution function by decreasing values of the FCD distribution function at points where the displacement front has advanced compared to the displacement front at the reference location;
• determining whether an axial variation between a shape of the displacement front according to the adjusted FCD distribution function and a target profile is within a predetermined convergence value;
• when the axial variation is determined not to be within the predetermined convergence value, repeating the simulation of the displacement front propagation and the adjustment of the FCD distribution function until the axial variation is determined to be within the predetermined convergence range;
• when the axial variation is determined to be within the predetermined convergence value, determining FCD properties of one or more flow control devices along the production well that yield a uniform displacement front along the production well;
• and
• controlling a flow of fluid from the reservoir area of the formation into the production well using the one or more flow control devices along the production well according to the determined FCD properties that yield the uniform displacement front during liquid injection from the injection well.

A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer executable instructions for determining flow control device (FCD) properties of one or more flow control devices that yield a uniform displacement front along a production well in a coupled injector-producer liquid flooding system within a formation, the computer executable instructions, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to perform operations comprising:

• initializing a FCD distribution function to have a uniform FCD distribution profile;
• simulating propagation of a displacement front representing a volume of liquid injected from an injection well into a reservoir area of the formation between the injection well and the production well, based on the initialized FCD distribution function;
• determining a pressure distribution in the reservoir area and a location of the displacement front when it reaches the production well during the simulation;
• determining a reference location along a length of the injection well, based on the pressure distribution and the location of the displacement front, the reference location corresponding to a point along the displacement front where the simulated displacement front propagation is determined to be at a minimum;
• adjusting the FCD distribution function by decreasing values of the FCD distribution function at points where the displacement front has advanced compared to the displacement front at the reference location;
• determining whether an axial variation between a shape of the displacement front according to the adjusted FCD distribution function and a target profile is within a predetermined convergence value;
• when the axial variation is determined not to be within the predetermined convergence value, repeating the simulation of the displacement front propagation and the adjustment of the FCD distribution function until the axial variation is determined to be within the predetermined convergence range;
• when the axial variation is determined to be within the predetermined convergence value, determining the FCD properties of the one or more flow control devices along the production well that yield the uniform displacement front along the production well;
• and
• controlling a flow of fluid from the reservoir area of the formation into the production well using the one or more flow control devices along the production well according to the determined FCD properties that yield the uniform displacement front during liquid injection from the injection well.