Multilateral wells placement via transshipment approach
AssigneesSaudi Arabian Oil Company, Texas Tech University System
InventorsGhazi D. AlQahtani, Noah E. Berlow, Mohamed Y. Soliman
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Abstract
A multilateral well placement methodology is provided for hydrocarbon reservoirs utilizing transshipment network optimization to best fit productivity conditions in the reservoir. Multilateral well trajectories are generated which ensure contact with hydrocarbon rich pockets in the reservoir. Different levels of branching for lateral wells are also permitted.
Claims30
A computer implemented method of formulating well completions of at least one multilateral well in a subsurface reservoir producing hydrocarbon fluids, the reservoir being organized as a reservoir model partitioned into a number of cells, the computer implemented method comprising the steps of:
- performing a reservoir simulation to determine hydrocarbon fluid content of the cells in reservoir model;
- forming a measure of expected cumulative production for the cells based on productivity of the determined hydrocarbon fluid content of the cells;
- generating a model for the at least one multilateral well by transshipment network analysis of the measures of expected cumulative production to maximize produced hydrocarbons for the cells;
- optimizing placement of the generated model of the at least one multilateral well in the reservoir model;
- and
- forming an output display of the at least one multilateral well at a location in the reservoir model according to the step of optimizing placement;
- and
- placing the at least one multilateral well in the subsurface reservoir according to the location in the reservoir model formed in the output display.
A data processing system for formulating well completions of at least one multilateral well in a subsurface reservoir producing hydrocarbon fluids, the reservoir being organized as a reservoir model partitioned into a number of cells, the data processing system including:
- a processor performing steps of:
- performing a reservoir simulation to determine hydrocarbon fluid content of the cells in the reservoir model;
- forming a measure of expected cumulative production for the cells based on productivity of the determined hydrocarbon fluid content of the cells;
- generating a model for the at least one multilateral well by transshipment network analysis of the measures of expected cumulative production to maximize produced hydrocarbons for the cells;
- optimizing placement of the generated model of the at least one multilateral well in the reservoir model;
- and
- a user interface performing the step of:
- forming an output display of the at least one multilateral well at a location in the reservoir model according to the optimized placement;
- and
- placing the at least one multilateral well in the subsurface reservoir according to the location in the reservoir model formed in the output display.
A data storage device having stored in a non-transitory computer readable medium computer operable instructions for causing a data processing system to formulate well completions of at least one multilateral well in a subsurface reservoir producing hydrocarbon fluids, the reservoir being organized as a reservoir model partitioned into a number of cells, the instructions stored in the data storage device causing at least one processor in the data processing system to perform the following steps:
- performing a reservoir simulation to determine hydrocarbon fluid content of the cells in the reservoir model;
- forming a measure of expected cumulative production for the cells based on productivity of the determined hydrocarbon fluid content of the cells;
- generating a model for the at least one multilateral well by transshipment network analysis of the measures of expected cumulative production to maximize produced hydrocarbons for the cells;
- optimizing placement of the generated model of the at least one multilateral well in the reservoir model;
- forming an output display of the at least one multilateral well at a location in the reservoir model according to the optimized placement;
- and
- placing the at least one multilateral well in the subsurface reservoir according to the location in the reservoir model formed in the output display.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.