Steam Injection Monitoring, Control and Optimization Using Near-Wellhead Sensors
AssigneeGE Energy Oilfield Technology, Inc.
InventorAmer M. Kassab
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Abstract
A steam-assisted hydrocarbon recovery system includes a wellbore, a wellhead connected to the wellbore, and a steam plant. The steam plant includes a steam generator, one or more steam lines connected between the steam generator and the wellhead, and a sensor module configured to measure a steam characteristic in the steam line near the wellhead. The steam-assisted hydrocarbon recovery system may also include an artificial lift system. Measurements made by the sensor module can be used to optimize the production of steam and the operation of the artificial lift system.
Claims20
A steam-assisted hydrocarbon recovery system for use in recovering hydrocarbons through a wellbore, the steam-assisted hydrocarbon recovery system comprising:
- a wellhead connected to the wellbore;
- and
- a steam plant, wherein the steam plant comprises:
- a steam generator;
- one or more steam lines connected between the steam generator and the wellhead;
- and
- a sensor module configured to measure a steam characteristic in the steam line near the wellhead.
A steam-assisted hydrocarbon recovery system for use in recovering hydrocarbons through a wellbore, the steam-assisted hydrocarbon recovery system comprising:
- a wellhead connected to the wellbore;
- a steam plant, wherein the steam plant comprises:
- a steam generator;
- one or more steam lines connected between the steam generator and the wellhead;
- and
- a sensor module configured to measure a steam characteristic in the steam line, wherein the sensor module produces an output signal that is representative of the steam characteristic measured by the sensor module;
- and
- an artificial lift system, wherein the operation of artificial lift system is automatically adjusted in response to the output signal.
A steam-assisted hydrocarbon recovery system for use in recovering hydrocarbons through a wellbore, the steam-assisted hydrocarbon recovery system comprising:
- a wellhead connected to the wellbore;
- an artificial lift system that includes a downhole pumping system, wherein the downhole pumping system includes a downhole sensor module configured to measure steam characteristics in the wellbore and produce an output signal that is representative of the steam characteristics measured by the downhole sensor module;
- and
- a steam plant, wherein the steam plant comprises:
- a near-wellhead sensor module configured to measure a steam characteristic near the wellhead, wherein the sensor module produces an output signal that is representative of the steam characteristic measured by the near-wellhead sensor module;
- and
- a steam generator, wherein the operation of the steam generator is automatically adjusted in response to at least one of the output signal from the near-wellhead sensor module and the output signal from the downhole sensor module.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.