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Technology Information Session
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2001 09
21
Advanced Simulator Development for Cold Heavy Oil
Production Enhancement, Sand Production Rate, and Cavity
Completion
Alberta Energy Company and
Petro-Geotech Inc. (PGI) invite you to attend a presentation
regarding participation in development of advanced simulation tools for
sand production rate calculation, cavity completion design, and production
enhancement from sand flux.
Date:
Friday, September 21,
2001
Time: 10:00 –
11:30 am
Location: PanCanadian
Amphitheatre, Room 260, Tower Centre, 2nd
Level
131-9th Ave. SE, Calgary, AB
Background
Sand production is a proven and effective way to
increase well productivity both in heavy oil and light oil
reservoirs. A typical 4-10 fold increase in oil production is normal
in heavy oil reservoirs (Cold Heavy Oil Production with Sand -
CHOPS). In several North Sea Platforms, an average of ~40%
productivity increase over gravel pack completions was achieved through
Sand Management using sand clean-up tests and elimination of screens and
packs. The cavity-failure well completion strategy is used in the
San Juan Basin (New Mexico) to generate a high mobility region in coal
beds; a 30% increase in CH4 production compared to hydraulic fracture
completion is reported. A similar strategy has been implemented for
SAGD wells, and is being studied for other applications.
A quantitative simulator, based on physical
processes, would allow producers to understand these processes and
evaluate the impact of sand production on reservoir enhancement. It
would be used to reduce unnecessary costs during completion and field
operations.
A fully coupled reservoir-geomechanics model
with sand erosion has been developed. A classic and comprehensive
geomechanics model, fully coupled to three-phase flow behavior, is used
before a critical shear strain is exceeded. Thereafter, an erosion
model, describing time-dependent porosity change and formation erosion
after initial sand production, is incorporated with the reservoir
geomechanics formulation.
Project
Goals
- To enhance
current reservoir-geomechanics-erosion models and GUI systems
- To
simulate completion processes in CHOPS and cavity-failure
techniques
- To achieve genuine predictive capability in sand
production rate analyses
- To allow oil production enhancement
assessments in cases of sand influx.
What Will the Project Achieve in 12
months?
1) More efficient
solution algorithms for the erosion model, as a highly nonlinear
convection term is involved in the governing equations.
2) A more
flexible and non-equilibrium foamy oil model incorporated into the model
to replace the existing empirical foamy oil model
3) Solving
saturation simultaneously with pressure and reservoir skeleton
displacement for higher solution efficiency
4) Perform extensive
case history matches by the model for heavy-oil
reservoirs
5) Establish a database for the newly introduced
erosion parameter based on history matching with existing production
data
6) Extend the 2-D model into a real 3-D model for wormhole
simulation
7) Enhance the geomechanics coupling by linking
formation stiffness to a porosity-damage mechanics
approach
8) Investigate the mechanisms and solutions for
production decline after well shut-in
9) Develop intrinsic
correlations between solid production and oil production enhancement so
that solid production can be economically managed, and,
10) Predict accurately future sand production, evaluation of
infill drilling patterns, and provide insights to help reduce work-over
and PC pump replacement frequency.
Project Cost
The total
project cost will be $250,000USD. Participation cost will be $25,000
USD
Benefits
- A license
to SAND_PRO, PGI current software on cold production, cavity-failure
completion (CFC) and sand control.
- A license to the newly
developed SAND_PRO one year from today, and
- Potentially large
savings in completion and production costs, as well as enhanced
production
PTAC makes no representation regarding
ownership or quality of the subject technology.
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