Abstract
The ability to quantify well performance individually and real-time across most if not all wells in a given field is a capability that bridges the gap between production and reservoir management. Having real-time oil, gas and water flow measurements from each well distributed across a reservoir has the potential to enable significant improvements in data driven and scalable production/reservoir surveillance and optimization. Traditionally, test separators offer the ability to perform well testing but the process is discontinuous, relatively infrequent and labor intensive. Over the last few decades in-line multiphase meters (many using radioactive sources) were developed which offer the possibility of real-time measurement but have high installation and ownership costs.
To enable cost effective, continuous well/reservoir management with minimal/zero well tests, we have devised a new type of clamp-on non-radioactive multiphase measurement system for rapid installation on the flowlines of new wells, or retrofitted to existing and producing wells with zero intervention. We will present hydrocarbon flow loop results obtained with this system – field measurement campaigns are in progress and preliminary data shows good read across between field and flow loop measurements.
A clamp-on multiphase flowmeter measurement system based on a combination of electromagnetic acoustic transducer (EMAT) and guided ultrasonic waves was developed to continuously measure liquid flow, gas flow and water-liquid ratio. A multiphase flow loop was constructed to simulate well multiphase flow conditions. The results obtained from the multiphase flowmeter system and the simulated flow patterns were validated using a combination of flow loop reference sensors and optical measurement of the liquid flow patterns using a high-speed camera. In parallel with these activities, a field based measurement campaign has also been initiated using a ruggedized portable measurement system.
Results from this activity shall be presented, demonstrating adequate performance levels for production applications. Work to progress field measurements to establish system performance under live measurement conditions is ongoing.
The measurement technique described in this paper is a novel approach towards the assessment of well performance not previously implemented. Additionally, the system capability (zero intervention combined with the ability to retrofit) opens up opportunities towards data driven scalable production/reservoir optimization not available with previous technologies.
