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US 2019/0162330 A1Published application
Systems and Methods for Operating Downhole Inflow Control Valves
AssigneeSaudi Arabian Oil Company
InventorsMohammed Dhafer Al-Ajmi, Nasser Mubarak Al-Hajri
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Provided are systems and method for operating and maintaining downhole inflow control valves (ICVs) of hydrocarbon wells, including monitoring the operations of ICVs to identify failure and non-failure times of defective and non-defective ICVs, respectively, determining a probability of failure of the ICVs (Pf) based on the failure and non-failure times, determining an operational stroking duration based on the probability of failure of the ICVs (Pf), and operating ICVs in accordance with the operational stroking duration determined.
Claims19
A method comprising:
- identifying inflow control valves (ICVs) disposed in wellbores of hydrocarbon wells and having a common set of operational characteristics, each of the ICVs of a hydrocarbon well configured to regulate the flow of production fluids from a subsurface formation into a production conduit of a wellbore of the hydrocarbon well;
- stroking each of the ICVs between an open position configured to facilitate the flow of production fluids through the ICV and a closed position configured to inhibit the flow of production fluids through the ICV;
- monitoring operation of the inflow control valves comprising:
- identifying defective ICVs comprising a first subset of the ICVs that fail to stroke properly;
- identifying non-defective ICVs comprising a second subset of the ICVs that stroke properly;
- for each of the defective ICVs, determining a failure time comprising a duration of time between a last proper stroke of the ICV and the failure of the ICV to stroke properly;
- for each of the non-defective ICVs, determining a non-failure time comprising a duration of time between last two proper strokes of the ICV;
- determining a total number of the defective ICVs (DT);
- and
- determining a total number of the non-defective ICVs (NDT);
- determining a probability of failure of the ICVs (Pf) comprising:
- determining a defective valve cumulative probability distribution function (PD(T)) defining a portion of the defective ICVs as a function of stroking duration (T) based on the failure times for the defective ICVs and the total number of the defective ICVs (DT);
- determining a non-defective valve cumulative probability distribution function (PND(T)) defining a portion of the non-defective ICVs as a function of stroking duration (T) based on the non-failure times for the non-defective ICVs and the total number of the non-defective ICVs (NDT);
- determining a reference stroking duration (tss);
- determining a failure function (F) defining an expected number of failed ICVs at stroking durations (T) less than the reference stroking duration (tss), the failure function (F) determined as follows:
- F=PD(T≤tss)×DT;
- determining a survival-failure function (SF) defining an expected number of failed ICVs at stroking durations (T) greater than the reference stroking duration (tss), the survival-failure function (SF) determined as follows:
- SF=PD(T>tss)×DT;
- determining a survival-survival function (SS) defining an expected number of non-failed ICVs survivals for stroking durations (T) greater than the reference stroking duration (tss), the survival-survival function (SS) determined as follows:
- SS=PND(T>tss)×NDT;
- and
- determining the probability of failure of the ICVs (Pf) as follows:
- P
- f
- =
- F
- F
- +
- SF
- +
- SS
- =
- P
- D
-
- (
- T
- ≤
- t
- ss
- )
- ×
- D
- T
- [
- P
- D
-
- (
- T
- ≤
- t
- ss
- )
- ×
- D
- T
- +
- P
- D
-
- (
- T
- >
- t
- ss
- )
- ×
- D
- T
- +
- P
- ND
-
- (
- T
- >
- t
- ss
- )
- ×
- ND
- T
- ]
- ;
- determining total ICV management cost (CMGT) comprising:
- determining a defective ICV cost (CD) defining a cost to repair or replace a defective ICV;
- determining an ICV maintenance cost (CM) defining a cost to maintain an ICV;
- and
- determining total ICV management cost (CMGT) defining a cost for operating an ICV as a function of stroking duration, total ICV management cost (CMGT) determined as follows:
- C
- MGT
- =
- [
- C
- LR
- ×
- P
- f
-
- (
- T
- ≤
- t
- ss
- )
- +
- C
- PM
- ×
- R
-
- (
- T
- ≤
- t
- ss
- )
- ]
- ×
- Z
- t
- ss
- where R(T≤tss)=1−Pf (T≤tss) and Z is a time unit conversion factor;
- determining an operational stroking duration comprising a stroking duration that corresponds to a minimum of the total ICV management cost (CMGT);
- and
- in response to determining the operational stroking duration, for one or more ICVs having the common set of operational characteristics:
- stroking the ICV at a first time;
- and
- stroking the ICV at a second time, wherein the duration between the first time and the second time is less than or equal to the operational stroking duration.
127 more elements
A hydrocarbon well system comprising:
- inflow control valves (ICVs) disposed in wellbores of hydrocarbon wells and having a common set of operational characteristics, each of the ICVs of a hydrocarbon well configured to regulate the flow of production fluids from a subsurface formation into a production conduit of a wellbore of the hydrocarbon well;
- a hydrocarbon well monitoring and control system configured to perform the following operations:
- stroking each of the ICVs between an open position configured to facilitate the flow of production fluids through the ICV and a closed position configured to inhibit the flow of production fluids through the ICV;
- monitoring operation of the inflow control valves comprising:
- identifying defective ICVs comprising a first subset of the ICVs that fail to stroke properly;
- identifying non-defective ICVs comprising a second subset of the ICVs that stroke properly;
- for each of the defective ICVs, determining a failure time comprising a duration of time between a last proper stroke of the ICV and the failure of the ICV to stroke properly;
- for each of the non-defective ICVs, determining a non-failure time comprising a duration of time between last two proper strokes of the ICV;
- determining a total number of the defective ICVs (DT);
- and
- determining a total number of the non-defective ICVs (NDT);
- determining a probability of failure of the ICVs (Pf) comprising:
- determining a defective valve cumulative probability distribution function (PD(T)) defining a portion of the defective ICVs as a function of stroking duration (T) based on the failure times for the defective ICVs and the total number of the defective ICVs (DT);
- determining a non-defective valve cumulative probability distribution function (PND(T)) defining a portion of the non-defective ICVs as a function of stroking duration (T) based on the non-failure times for the non-defective ICVs and the total number of the non-defective ICVs (NDT);
- determining a reference stroking duration (tss);
- determining a failure function (F) defining an expected number of failed ICVs at stroking durations (T) less than the reference stroking duration (tss), the failure function (F) determined as follows:
- F=PD(T≤tss)×DT;
- determining a survival-failure function (SF) defining an expected number of failed ICVs at stroking durations (T) greater than the reference stroking duration (tss), the survival-failure function (SF) determined as follows:
- SF=PD(T>tss)×DT;
- determining a survival-survival function (SS) defining an expected number of non-failed ICVs survivals for stroking durations (T) greater than the reference stroking duration (tss), the survival-survival function (SS) determined as follows:
- SS=PND(T>tss)×NDT;
- and
- determining the probability of failure of the ICVs (Pf) as follows:
- P
- f
- =
- F
- F
- +
- SF
- +
- SS
- =
- P
- D
-
- (
- T
- ≤
- t
- ss
- )
- ×
- D
- T
- [
- P
- D
-
- (
- T
- ≤
- t
- ss
- )
- ×
- D
- T
- +
- P
- D
-
- (
- T
- >
- t
- ss
- )
- ×
- D
- T
- +
- P
- ND
-
- (
- T
- >
- t
- ss
- )
- ×
- ND
- T
- ]
- ;
- determining total ICV management cost (CMGT) comprising:
- determining a defective ICV cost (CD) defining a cost to repair or replace a defective ICV;
- determining an ICV maintenance cost (CM) defining a cost to maintain an ICV;
- and
- determining total ICV management cost (CMGT) defining a cost for operating an ICV as a function of stroking duration, total ICV management cost (CMGT) determined as follows:
- C
- MGT
- =
- [
- C
- LR
- ×
- P
- f
-
- (
- T
- ≤
- t
- ss
- )
- +
- C
- PM
- ×
- R
-
- (
- T
- ≤
- t
- ss
- )
- ]
- ×
- Z
- t
- ss
- where R(T≤tss)=1−Pf(T≤tss) and Z is a time unit conversion factor;
- determining an operational stroking duration comprising a stroking duration that corresponds to a minimum of the total ICV management cost (CMGT);
- and
- in response to determining the operational stroking duration, for one or more ICVs having the common set of operational characteristics:
- stroking the ICV at a first time;
- and
- stroking the ICV at a second time, wherein the duration between the first time and the second time is less than or equal to the operational stroking duration.
128 more elements
A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising program instructions stored thereon that are executable by a processor to cause the following operations:
- identifying inflow control valves (ICVs) disposed in wellbores of hydrocarbon wells and having a common set of operational characteristics, each of the ICVs of a hydrocarbon well configured to regulate the flow of production fluids from a subsurface formation into a production conduit of a wellbore of the hydrocarbon well;
- stroking each of the ICVs between an open position configured to facilitate the flow of production fluids through the ICV and a closed position configured to inhibit the flow of production fluids through the ICV;
- monitoring operation of the inflow control valves comprising:
- identifying defective ICVs comprising a first subset of the ICVs that fail to stroke properly;
- identifying non-defective ICVs comprising a second subset of the ICVs that stroke properly;
- for each of the defective ICVs, determining a failure time comprising a duration of time between a last proper stroke of the ICV and the failure of the ICV to stroke properly;
- for each of the non-defective ICVs, determining a non-failure time comprising a duration of time between last two proper strokes of the ICV;
- determining a total number of the defective ICVs (DT);
- and
- determining a total number of the non-defective ICVs (NDT);
- determining a probability of failure of the ICVs (Pf) comprising:
- determining a defective valve cumulative probability distribution function (PD(T)) defining a portion of the defective ICVs as a function of stroking duration (T) based on the failure times for the defective ICVs and the total number of the defective ICVs (DT);
- determining a non-defective valve cumulative probability distribution function (PND(T)) defining a portion of the non-defective ICVs as a function of stroking duration (T) based on the non-failure times for the non-defective ICVs and the total number of the non-defective ICVs (NDT);
- determining a reference stroking duration (tss);
- determining a failure function (F) defining an expected number of failed ICVs at stroking durations (T) less than the reference stroking duration (tss), the failure function (F) determined as follows:
- F=PD(T≤tss)×DT;
- determining a survival-failure function (SF) defining an expected number of failed ICVs at stroking durations (T) greater than the reference stroking duration (tss), the survival-failure function (SF) determined as follows:
- SF=PD(T>tss)×DT;
- determining a survival-survival function (SS) defining an expected number of non-failed ICVs survivals for stroking durations (T) greater than the reference stroking duration (tss), the survival-survival function (SS) determined as follows:
- SS=PND(T>tss)×NDT;
- and
- determining the probability of failure of the ICVs (Pf) as follows:
- P
- f
- =
- F
- F
- +
- SF
- +
- SS
- =
- P
- D
-
- (
- T
- ≤
- t
- ss
- )
- ×
- D
- T
- [
- P
- D
-
- (
- T
- ≤
- t
- ss
- )
- ×
- D
- T
- +
- P
- D
-
- (
- T
- >
- t
- ss
- )
- ×
- D
- T
- +
- P
- ND
-
- (
- T
- >
- t
- ss
- )
- ×
- ND
- T
- ]
- ;
- determining total ICV management cost (CMGT) comprising:
- determining a defective ICV cost (CD) defining a cost to repair or replace a defective ICV;
- determining an ICV maintenance cost (CM) defining a cost to maintain an ICV;
- and
- determining total ICV management cost (CMGT) defining a cost for operating an ICV as a function of stroking duration, total ICV management cost (CHO determined as follows:
- C
- MGT
- =
- [
- C
- LR
- ×
- P
- f
-
- (
- T
- ≤
- t
- ss
- )
- +
- C
- PM
- ×
- R
-
- (
- T
- ≤
- t
- ss
- )
- ]
- ×
- Z
- t
- ss
- where R(T≤tss)=1−Pf(T≤tss) and Z is a time unit conversion factor;
- determining an operational stroking duration comprising a stroking duration that corresponds to a minimum of the total ICV management cost (CMGT);
- and
- in response to determining the operational stroking duration, for one or more ICVs having the common set of operational characteristics:
- stroking the ICV at a first time;
- and
- stroking the ICV at a second time, wherein the duration between the first time and the second time is less than or equal to the operational stroking duration.
127 more elements
A method comprising:
- identifying inflow control valves (ICVs) disposed in wellbores of hydrocarbon wells and having a common set of characteristics;
- stroking each of the ICVs between an open position configured to facilitate the flow of production fluids through the ICV and a closed position configured to inhibit the flow of production fluids through the ICV;
- monitoring operation of the inflow control valves comprising:
- identifying defective ICVs comprising a first subset of the ICVs that fail to stroke properly;
- identifying non-defective ICVs comprising a second subset of the ICVs that stroke properly;
- for each of the defective ICVs, determining a failure time comprising a duration of time between a last proper stroke of the ICV and the failure of the ICV to stroke properly;
- for each of the non-defective ICVs, determining a non-failure time comprising a duration of time between the last two proper strokes of the ICV;
- determining a total number of the defective ICVs (DT);
- and
- determining a total number of the non-defective ICVs (NDT);
- determining a probability of failure of the ICVs (Pf) comprising:
- determining a defective valve cumulative probability distribution function (PD(T)) defining a portion of the defective ICVs as a function of stroking duration (T) based on the failure times for the defective ICVs and the total number of the defective ICVs (DT);
- determining a non-defective valve cumulative probability distribution function (PND(T)) defining a portion of the non-defective ICVs as a function of stroking duration (T) based on the non-failure times for the non-defective ICVs and the total number of the non-defective ICVs (NDT);
- determining a reference stroking duration (tss);
- determining a failure function (F) defining an expected number of failed ICVs at stroking durations (T) less than the reference stroking duration (tss);
- determining a survival-failure function (SF) defining an expected number of failed ICVs at stroking durations (T) greater than the reference stroking duration (tss);
- determining a survival-survival function (SS) defining an expected number of non-failed ICVs survivals for stroking durations (T) greater than the reference stroking duration (tss);
- and
- determining the probability of failure of the ICVs (Pf) based on the failure function (F), the survival failure function (SF) and the survival-survival function (SS);
- determining an operational stroking duration based on the probability of failure of the ICVs (Pf);
- and
- in response to determining the operational stroking duration, for one or more ICVs having the common set of operational characteristics:
- stroking the ICV at a first time;
- and
- stroking the ICV at a second time, wherein the duration between the first time and the second time is less than or equal to the operational stroking duration.
22 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.