Oil and gas reservoir production analysis apparatus and method

A method for evaluating the production performance of a subterranean reservoir, comprising:

• (a) obtaining a set of production data from surface production regulating devices, the data comprising volumes of oil, gas, and water produced from said subterranean reservoir,
• (b) providing the data to a computer, the computer having a processor for manipulating data, the computer having electronic storage means for storing equations which comprise petroleum industry-accepted production analysis relationships,
• (c) computing by said processor a set of values by manipulating said data, wherein the values provide reliable estimates using analytical techniques, the analytical techniques being selected from the group of water control diagnostics, material balance, decline curve analysis, and non-linear minimization, wherein the most reliable estimates obtained are capable of determining the most correct estimate of said values,
• (d) optimizing the calculated oil or gas production from the well.

A method for evaluating the production performance of a subterranean reservoir, comprising:

• (a) obtaining a set of production data from surface production regulating devices, the set of data comprising volumes of oil, gas, and water produced from said subterranean reservoir,
• (b) providing the data to a computer, the computer having a processor for manipulating data, the computer having electronic storage means for storing equations which comprise petroleum industry-accepted production analysis relationships,
• (c) computing by said processor a set of values by manipulating said data, wherein the values computed comprise drainage area, permeability, fracture half-length, fracture conductivity, effective horizontal well length, steady state skin effect, or boundary dominated flow parameters,
• (d) further wherein the values provide reliable estimates using analytical techniques, the analytical techniques being selected from water control diagnostics, material balance, decline curve analysis, and non-linear minimization, wherein the most reliable estimates obtained are capable of determining the most correct estimate of said values,
• (e) optimizing the oil or gas production from the well by adjusting the flow rate of oil, gas and water from said reservoir.

A method for optimizing the production performance of a subterranean well, comprising:

• (a) providing a data acquisition device operably connected to a well,
• (b) accumulating data using said data acquisition device, the data comprising the amount of oil, gas, and water produced from a subterranean formation,
• (c) providing a computer,
• (d) providing a data transmission medium, the data transmission medium connecting the data acquisition device to a computer,
• (e) communicating the data from the data acquisition device to a computer using said data transmission medium,
• (f) providing the data to said computer, the computer having a processor capable of manipulating data, the processor having operably connected electronic storage means having stored equations representing production analysis relationships,
• (g) computing by said processor a set of values by manipulating said data, wherein the values computed comprise drainage area, permeability, fracture half-length, fracture conductivity, effective horizontal well length, steady state skin effect, or boundary dominated flow parameters, and
• (h) further wherein the values are provide reliable estimates using analytical techniques, the analytical techniques being selected from water control diagnostics, material balance, decline curve analysis, and non-linear minimization, further wherein the most reliable estimates obtained are capable of determining the most correct estimate of said values, and
• (i) displaying said analytical technique(s).

In reservoir production analysis wherein raw data comprising oil and gas production volumes is recorded to produce a series of values representing the production, and wherein a computer is employed, the computer being adapted to process such reservoir production data, an article of manufacture comprising:

• (a) magnetic storage means having encoded thereon instructions,
• (b) a computer, the computer having a processor, wherein the processor is operably connected to said magnetic storage means,
• (c) wherein raw data is provided representing the production volumes of a reservoir or well, the raw data including the volume of oil or gas produced out of flow lines or conduits from a well,
• (d) the processor being adapted to calculate values that correlate to said raw data, the values representing physical properties related to the reservoir or well which may be used to estimate future well production,
• (e) the processor for processing such data using a plurality of processing techniques to determine the most reliable processing technique among several techniques for estimating the production behavior in said reservoir, and
• (f) applying the techniques found most reliable to maximize future hydrocarbon production from said reservoir.

A system adapted to process data to optimize the hydrocarbon output from a wellbore, comprising:

• means for collecting data representing oil and gas volumes or rates produced,
• means for sending a plurality of signals representing said data to a processing means, the signals being representative of a set of characteristics relating to physical properties of hydrocarbon production from a wellbore,
• processing means for generating a plurality of values from said plurality of signals, the values representing reservoir flow rates, cumulative production and bottomhole flowing pressures,
• means for sending a plurality of values to a processor,
• calculating means responsive to the plurality of values, the calculating means having an output of a plurality of a second set of values representing a plurality of separate production data analysis results,
• means for determining the reliability of each of said plurality of production data analysis results,
• means for choosing the most reliable production analysis method from among said production data analysis results, and
• means for displaying the production analysis results.

A method of predicting which production data analysis technique, among a plurality of such techniques, provides an accurate measure of physical values, comprising:

• (a) providing first data representing the production behavior of a reservoir,
• (b) calculating first values using said first data, said first values correlating to said first data, the first values representing flow rates and pressures of said reservoir,
• (c) calculating from said first values a set of second values, said second values representing production data analysis results which characterize said reservoir or well, said production data analysis results having varying degrees of reliability,
• (d) determining the most reliable production data analysis result, and
• (e) displaying the identity of the most reliable production data analysis result.

A method for the efficient production of hydrocarbons, comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing first data representing the production behavior of a reservoir,
• (b) calculating first values using said first data, said first values correlating to said first data, the first values representing flow rates and pressures of said reservoir,
• (c) calculating from said first values a set of second values, said second values representing production data analysis results which characterize said reservoir or well, said production data analysis results having varying degrees of reliability,
• (d) determining the most reliable production data analysis result,
• (e) employing the analysis method representing the most reliable production data analysis result of step (d) to calculate from said first values a set of third values, the set of third values comprising a set of optimum wellbore flow parameters, and
• (f) employing said set of third values of optimum wellbore flow parameters to maximize the calculated efficiency of hydrocarbon production.

A device comprising a pre-recorded means readable by a computer and carrying instructions for a process, comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing first data representing the production behavior of a reservoir,
• (b) calculating first values from said first data, the first values representing flow rates and pressures of said reservoir,
• (c) calculating from said first values a set of second values, said second values representing production data analysis results which characterize said reservoir or well, said production data analysis results having varying degrees of reliability and being capable of display on a monitor operably connected to said computer,
• (d) determining the most reliable production data analysis result,
• (e) employing the analysis method representing the most reliable production data analysis result of step (d) to calculate from said first values a set of third values, the set of third values comprising a set of optimum wellbore flow parameters, and
• (f) employing said wellbore flow parameters to maximize the efficiency of hydrocarbon production.

A method of determining the parameters and identity of well servicing techniques necessary to maximize the hydrocarbon output of a well, comprising:

• (a) obtaining a set of production data from surface production regulating devices, the data comprising volumes of oil, gas, and water produced from said subterranean reservoir,
• (b) providing the data to a computer, the computer having a processor for manipulating data, the computer having electronic storage means for storing equations which comprise petroleum industry-accepted production analysis relationships,
• (c) computing by said processor a set of values by manipulating said data, wherein the values computed comprise drainage area, permeability, fracture half-length, fracture conductivity, effective horizontal well length, steady state skin effect, or boundary dominated flow parameters,
• (d) further wherein the values are provide reliable estimates using analytical techniques, the analytical techniques being selected from water control diagnostics, material balance, decline curve analysis, and non-linear minimization, wherein the most reliable estimates obtained are capable of determining the most correct estimate of said values, and
• (e) optimizing the oil or gas production from the well.

A method of maximizing the efficiency of hydrocarbon production above the ground from a reservoir located beneath the surface of the ground in a subterranean formation, comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing first data representing production behavior of said reservoir, said first data comprising
• (1) fluid properties measured at the surface of the ground,
• (2) rate or volume of oil or gas produced,
• (3) wellhead production flowing pressures and temperatures,
• (b) calculating first values using said first data, said first values correlating to said first raw data, the first values representing reservoir flow rates, cumulative production amounts, and bottom hole flowing pressures,
• (c) calculating from said first values a set of second values, said second values representing production data analysis results which characterize said reservoir or well, said production data analysis results having varying degrees of reliability,
• (d) determining the most reliable production data analysis result of step (c),
• (e) obtaining a production forecast representing the production rates or cumulative production of said reservoir or well based upon the most reliable production data analysis result.