Abstract
While adapting Advanced Well Completions (AWC) in horizontal wells has provided significant improvements in reservoir deliverability and depletion, it has also resulted in increased data gathering challenges for the longer and deeper completions, in particular, the options to perform well logging are reduced, and the costs are high. This is related to both the costs of the more advanced horizontal well logging tools and the more expensive logging methods, such as coiled tubing and tractor systems, used for the conveyance of these tools into the wellbore.
In an effort to acquire high quality downhole data in a timely manner from passive Inflow Control Device (ICD) completions, Saudi Aramco set about investigating the alternatives to traditional production logging methods. A technology gaining greater industry acceptance in recent years, is the permanently installed Distributed Temperature Sensing (DTS) and this technology has become the focus of investigation. The limitations of single point permanent Downhole Pressure Monitoring (PDHM) and DTS technology were soon realized. In particular, the limited temperature resolution from DTS and discrete point PDHM readings, were not sufficient for evaluating horizontal wells. At the time of investigation a new generation of DTS technology became commercially available, providing a ten-fold improvement in measurement resolution. This allowed Saudi Aramco to proceed with field trials for this new technology.
This paper will present the case history from the world's first installation of DTS in a horizontal ICD completion while showing the advanced well completion design and the data from the field trials. The paper will also indicate the future of DTS in advanced well completions.
